HASSO HERING

A perspective from Oregon’s mid-Willamette Valley

Progress on crucial Albany rail link

Written December 3rd, 2013 by Hasso Hering

Passersby can see that work has resumed on the so-called Santiam Lead, a stretch of new railroad track parallel to the Union Pacific Mainline in Albany. High time, too. Under an agreement between the Portland & Western Railroad and ODOT-Rail, the project is supposed to be completed by Dec. 31.


Watching a log train being built

Written November 22nd, 2013 by Hasso Hering

I was riding my bike along Albany’s Cox Creek path on Thursday (Nov. 21) — a sunny, cold and windy day — when a train carrying logs was being assembled at the nearby Millersburg yard of the Portland & Western Railroad. The yard figures in the long-standing effort to do more train building there and […]


A piece of railroad history

Written October 8th, 2013 by

There’s a story behind this passenger rail car, which was parked under the Albany overpass a few days ago. To get it, I went to Bob Melbo, who has had the answer to every railroad-connected question I have ever asked him. The lettering says the car belongs to the California Northern, a subsidiary of RailAmerica. […]


Albany briefing: Water Avenue update

Written September 19th, 2013 by

A paving crew from Knife River Corp. was making swift work Wednesday of resurfacing a section of Albany’s Water Avenue. The street is being repaved after the Portland & Western rebuilt its rail line in the middle of the street from Main to Harrison. The section from Harrison to Geary — both rails and pavement […]


Albany briefing: Progress on Water Avenue track

Written August 28th, 2013 by

The Portland & Western Railroad has made good progress on the track rehabilitation project that started this week on Albany’s Water Avenue east of Main Street. As you can see, by Wednesday afternoon the former roller-coaster track had been replaced or straightened. When the track work is done, a contractor for the city, Knife River Corp., will repave the […]


Albany update: Water Avenue rehab under way

Written August 26th, 2013 by

The long-awaited project to rebuild the railroad track and then the pavement on Albany’s Water Avenue is under way. By Monday afternoon, crews working for the Portland & Western Railroad had lifted and moved to the side of the street dozens of concrete and steel plates that made up the driving surface on the track. […]


Albany briefing: Water Avenue fix

Written August 16th, 2013 by

Drivers who use Albany’s Water Avenue have waited for this development for a long time: Repairs on the railroad track running down the middle of the street are about to start and will be followed by restoration of the pavement itself. The city council on Aug. 14 awarded a $168,976 contract to Knife River Corp. […]


 
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