About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breathtaking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveler, but anyone else can go and find it, too. More Information can be found on the SideTracked Website.
This cache also qualifies for the Disappearing RR Blues bonus cache. This series highlights the railways of NW Oregon.
About the former Dundee Red Electric Railway SubStation
Welcome to Dundee. This quiet spot once sat along one of Oregon’s most ambitious electric railway projects: the Portland, Eugene & Eastern, better known as the Red Electric Railway. Operated by the Southern Pacific, the Red Electric was created in response to growing competition from the Oregon Electric Railway, which opened in 1908 and soon extended from Portland to Salem and Eugene. To keep pace, Southern Pacific electrified its westside valley line, launching Red Electric service in 1914.
Electric interurban trains were faster, quieter, and more comfortable than steam trains, and for a time they were extremely popular.
The Substation
Red Electric trains required 1500 volts DC, supplied through overhead wire. To power the system, Southern Pacific built a series of electrical substations along the line to convert AC transmission power into DC for the trains.
The concrete building near this cache is one of those original substations. Only one other Red Electric substation still stands in its original form—at McCoy, near Amity. Dundee would also have had a passenger station or shelter nearby, serving travelers moving between Portland, Newberg, McMinnville, and beyond.
The End of an Era
As roads improved and automobiles became more common, interurban ridership declined. The Red Electric ended passenger service in 1929. Freight trains still operate through Dundee today, though service here is infrequent.
It’s hard not to imagine how useful an electric interurban to Portland would be today—especially when traffic stacks up along Highway 99.
About the Cache
The cache is located near a modern-day pseudo‑replacement for the trains.