The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway (SP&S) was a
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
in the
northwest United States. Incorporated in 1905, it was a joint venture by the
Great Northern Railway and the
Northern Pacific Railway to build a railroad along the north bank of the
Columbia River. Remnants of the line are currently operated by
BNSF Railway and the
Portland and Western Railroad
The Portland and Western Railroad is a Class II railroad serving the U.S. state of Oregon, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of shortline and regional railroad holding company Genesee & Wyoming Inc. The PNWR includes a subsidiary, the Willamette ...
.
History
![Ocean Shore Limited Spokane Portland and Seattle Railroad](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Ocean_Shore_Limited_Spokane_Portland_and_Seattle_Railroad.JPG)
The railroad was chartered in 1905 by
James J. Hill
James Jerome Hill (September 16, 1838 – May 29, 1916) was a Canadian-American railroad director. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwes ...
to connect the two transcontinental railroads owned by him, the
Northern Pacific Northern Pacific may refer to:
* Northern Pacific Airways, an upcoming airline
* Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference, an NCAA Division I conference
* Northern Pacific Hockey League, an American Tier III junior ice hockey league
* Northern Pac ...
(NP) and
Great Northern Great Northern may refer to:
Transport
* One of a number of railways; see Great Northern Railway (disambiguation).
* Great Northern Railway (U.S.), a defunct American transcontinental railroad and major predecessor of the BNSF Railway.
* Great ...
(GN), to
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
from
Spokane, Washington
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Cana ...
, to gain a portion of the lumber trade in Oregon, a business then dominated by
E.H. Harriman's
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...
and
Southern Pacific
The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...
railroads. Construction began in 1906
["Greatest Year for Railroad Construction: Building in Territory Tributary to Portland During 1906 Breaks All Records—City Now Strategic Point in Struggle of Giants". (January 1, 1907). '']The Morning Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850 ...
'' (Portland), section 2, p. 20. under the name Portland & Seattle Railway,
proceeding to the east and south from
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, located in Clark County. Incorporated in 1857, Vancouver has a population of 190,915 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Was ...
.
The work included construction of three major bridges
over the Columbia River, the
Oregon Slough, and the
Willamette River
The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...
.
The northernmost of these was the first bridge of any kind to be built across the lower
Columbia River.
["Finish Bridge Over Columbia; Steel Structure of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railroad icCompleted—Last Bolt In Yesterday". (June 26, 1908). '']The Morning Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850 ...
'' (Portland), p. 11.
Despite legal challenges from Harriman, within a year the line had been built as far as
Pasco along the Columbia River, where it connected with NP. The first section to open was from Pasco west to Cliffs (near
Maryhill
Maryhill ( gd, Cnoc Màiri) is an area of the City of Glasgow in Scotland. Maryhill is a former burgh. Maryhill stretches over along Maryhill Road.
The far north west of the area is served by Maryhill railway station.
History
Hew Hill, ...
), a length of , on December 15, 1907.
["History of North Bank Road". (November 6, 1908). ''The Morning Oregonian'', p. 12.] Operation was extended west to
Lyle, further west, on January 15, 1908, as construction continued on the section from Pasco to Vancouver.
[
In January 1908 "Spokane" was added to the railroad's name, making it the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.]["Important Articles Filed: North Bank Changes Name rom Portland & Seattle Railway Company to Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway Company Increases Capital and Will Extend". (January 30, 1908). '']The Morning Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850 ...
'' (Portland), p. 11. SP&S freight and passenger service (from Pasco) to Portland was inaugurated in November 1908.["First Train on Hill Road: Regular Passenger Service Inaugurated From Local Terminus". (November 18, 1908). ''The Morning Oregonian'', p. 11.] By 1909 the railroad had completed construction of its line up to Spokane along the Snake River. In 1910 SP&S gained control of the Oregon Electric interurban railway, which the Great Northern had acquired two years before. Under the control of the SP&S the railroad was extended southward to Eugene by 1912. SP&S also operated a second subsidiary railroad in western Oregon, the Oregon Traction Company, which owned a route along the south bank of the Columbia River, through Astoria to Seaside.
A third route on which the SP&S operated extended southward from Wishram, Washington
Wishram is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Klickitat County, Washington, United States. The population was 342 at the 2010 census, up from 213 at the 2000 census. The site of the historic Celilo Falls is nearby.
...
, to Bend, Oregon, was the Oregon Trunk Railway Company. Edward Harriman's Oregon & Washington Railway & Navigation Company also was building a railroad south from the Columbia River to Bend resulting in a railroad war in which each railroad attempted to sabotage the other. In the end, the railroad opened using mostly the track of the Oregon Trunk, with a short portion of the Oregon & Washington Railway & Navigation Company track, and both railroads used the route (an arrangement that still exists with BNSF owning the majority of the line and UP having trackage rights).
During World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
the SP&S carried war materials to the Pacific Theatre; new industries located along the Columbia River, taking advantage of cheap electricity from hydroelectric dams on the river. New industries served by the SP&S included aluminum plants, sawmills, chemical factories and grain elevators.
In 1954, a SP&S train derailed after hitting a rockslide on the route to Bend, Oregon, killing all crew members. Part of the train landed in the Deschutes River Deschutes River may refer to:
*Deschutes River (Oregon)
The Deschutes River in central Oregon is a major tributary of the Columbia River. The river provides much of the drainage on the eastern side of the Cascade Range in Oregon, gathering many ...
, including a boxcar, which landed in a rapid that was later named " Boxcar Rapids" after the incident.
Passenger trains
The SP&S's passenger operations mostly involved hosting connections with parents' trains, such as the ''Empire Builder
The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...
'' and ''North Coast Limited
The ''North Coast Limited'' was a named passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Bismarck, North Dakota. It started on April 29, 1900, and continued as a Burlington Northern Railroad train after t ...
'', which were combined to form the Streamliner (#1/#2). '' Oriental Limited'', ''Mainstreeter
The ''Mainstreeter'' was a passenger train on the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago, Illinois, and the Pacific Northwest from 1952 to 1971. When the ''North Coast Limited'' got a faster schedule in November 1952 the Mainstreeter was introdu ...
'', and '' Western Star'' connected with (#3/#4). However, some of these SP&S trains were named. The ''Inland Empire Express'' (daytime) and ''North Bank Limited'' (overnight) provided daily, through service between Portland (Union Station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
) and Spokane.["Mountain, River and Canyon Scenery to Spokane" (SP&S advertisement). (February 28, 1922). '']The Morning Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850 ...
'' (Portland), p. 7. The ''Columbia River Express'' (#5/#6) operated between Portland and Pasco, connecting at Pasco with Northern Pacific #5/#6 for service to/from Spokane.
The only surviving SP&S Business car, the #99 or "''The Ruth M.''" is in operating condition, and resides at the Chehalis–Centralia Railroad. The car is used as "premier seating", and during dinner trains can host a private party of up to eight in its lounge and dining room. The car is in need of several cosmetic and mechanical repairs including a rebuild of its HVAC system to run on electricity/generator, there are several rust holes that need to be filled, and the car needs to be sandblasted and repainted. The SP&S Historical Society is assisting with the repaint efforts.
Preservation
Preserved steam locomotives:
* Spokane, Portland and Seattle 700
Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 is the oldest and only surviving example of the class " E-1" 4-8-4 " Northern" type steam locomotive and the only surviving original Spokane, Portland and Seattle steam locomotive. It was built by the Baldwin Lo ...
- A 4-8-4 preserved and operational in Portland, Or.
* Spokane, Portland and Seattle 539
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway No. 539 is the only preserved example of the class O-3 2-8-2 "Mikado" steam locomotive. It was built by the American Locomotive Company in 1917 for the Northern Pacific Railway as engine No. 1762. It was sold ...
- A 2-8-2 preserved on static display.
See also
* North Bank Depot Buildings – Portland terminal for SP&S service, 1908–1920s
* Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railroad Warehouse
* Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway Roster
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Spokane Portland and Seattle Railway Historical Society
{{Former Class I
Predecessors of the Burlington Northern Railroad
Former Class I railroads in the United States
Defunct Washington (state) railroads
Defunct Oregon railroads
Railway companies established in 1908
Railway companies disestablished in 1979
Joint ventures
1908 establishments in the United States
Standard gauge railways in the United States