April 2017
OHRP Pilot Project Completed
In cooperation with Oregon Parks and Recreation and The Oregon Department of Forestry, feasibility testing of the Oregon Historical Railroads Project concept was successfully completed in April 2017. This crucial milestone involved the digital mapping of the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad and all its tributary logging railroads dating to the early 1900’s. Routes, landmarks, camps, mileposts and other important features were identified, described and recorded in the accompanying attribute database. Results can be viewed using either Lidar hillshade or USGS 24K scale maps as background. The mapping footprint for this project was expanded to include the former Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway branch line between Banks and Vernonia along with all logging railroads tributary to that line from between 1922 to 1970.
As more historical information is obtained the mapped area will expand.
Anyone wishing to contribute historical maps, data and information should contact the OHRP Project Leader Ed Kamholz at ekamholz@OHRP.org.
2015
Through the cooperative efforts of the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the Oregon Historical Railroads specification was formally approved in 2015. The specification sets forth uniform standards for information included with each map entry thus guaranteeing consistency and quality of work produced over time.
In November 2015, OPRD was awarded an Oregon Geographic Information Council grant to conduct a pilot program to map the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad and its tributary lines in support of The Salmonberry Corridor Project, a Rails-to-Trails/Rails-and-Trails recreation project. This was The Oregon Historical Railroads Project initial work product, and was completed in April 2017. Reaching this critical milestone verified the project concept feasibility and also established the methodology for continuing work. Yet to come is developemt of a user interface enabling online access for the public.
In parallel developments, data gathering for additional map entries began in 2016.
