Samtrak was a heritage railroad that operated in

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

from 1993 to 2001. Samtrak was a passenger train operated by the Oregon Pacific Railroad, and named after the owner of the railroad, Dick Samuels. The trains ran a 3.8 mile route from

OMSI The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI, ) is a science and technology museum in Portland, Oregon, United States. It contains three auditoriums, including a large-screen theatre, planetarium, and exhibition halls with a variety of hands- ...

to the foot of S.E. 11th Avenue, with a stop at

Oaks Amusement Park Oaks Park is a small amusement park located south of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. The park opened in May 1905 and is one of the oldest continually operating amusement parks in the country. The park includes midway games, about tw ...

. At the 11th Avenue end of the route, the railroad owned a building used by the former

Portland Traction Company The Portland Railway, Light and Power Company (PRL&P) was a railway company and electric power utility in Portland, Oregon, United States, from 1906 until 1924.Thompson, Richard M. (2006). ''Portland's Streetcars'', pp. 57 and 99. Arcadia Publish ...

railroad and began a small railroad museum with a variety of historic diesel locomotives. While the museum was not built and the building sold, the Oregon Pacific Railroad kept the locomotives; Samuels remained committed to a railroad museum in Portland and had a proposal for such a museum to be located near Oaks Park (itself intended to have been a railroad museum, featuring the three steam locomotives donated to the City of Portland: the Southern Pacific 4449, the

Spokane, Portland & 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 Locomo ...

, and the Union Pacific 3203). In 2012, the dream was realized as the Oregon Rail Heritage Center. The original cost to ride Samtrak was $3. In 1995, the cost was increased to $4. Samtrak ran Tuesday through Sunday during the summer and for special events and holidays, such as Memorial Day and Holiday Junction at OMSI. The passenger excursion train originally consisted of a 25-ton General Electric diesel locomotive, but was later upgraded to a 45-ton GE locomotive, and an open-air

passenger car A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as ...

. In June 1994, the railway purchased an antique 1926 caboose from the

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved by Congress in 1864 and given nearly of land grants, whic ...

and added it to the train. Riding in the cupola of the caboose cost an extra dollar. After Samtrak stopped running, the original 25-ton diesel locomotive and the open passenger car were stored by the Oregon Pacific Railroad until donated to the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society in May 2005. The open-air passenger car however was returned to the Oregon Pacific Railroad. Although the SamTrak trains no longer run, the Oregon Pacific Railroad has hosted excursions using the Southern Pacific 4449 and

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 Locomo ...

steam locomotives, notably during the "Holiday Express" excursions for two weekends each December (beginning in 2004), and a weekend of excursions with the SP&S 700 steam locomotive in June. The Oregon Pacific has been a proud sponsor and participant of these public excursion trains and has made significant improvements to its track to accommodate these heavy steam engines. The 45-ton locomotive was sold in 2009 to the

Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad The Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad (POTB) was a shortline railroad in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Purchased from the Southern Pacific Transportation Company in 1990 by the Port of Tillamook Bay, the railroad was used to transport l ...

to assist in rebuilding their railroad; however the POTB later chose to abandon that effort. The locomotive was sold again. It is now possible to charter the former Samtrak train (with one of Oregon Pacific's regular diesel locomotives) for birthday parties or other gatherings.

References

{{reflist 1993 establishments in Oregon 2001 disestablishments in Oregon Heritage railroads in Oregon Transportation in Portland, Oregon