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Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad - Part 3
More Memories
This trestle crosses Oregon State Highway 47 between Buxton and Varonia. When the trees are in leaf you will drive right on by without seeing it. It is one of the scariest I've crossed because it is extremely narrow.
Jim cut his teeth railbiking on the Tillamook Line. On his initial ride he is seen on his first railbike, built using Richard Bentley's plans (top). A year later he's back again, this time pushing his much sturdier Whitie's design up the grade west of Timber.
The peaceful winter scene
is in stark contrast with the spring
blooming Scotch Broom on the lower elevations near Buxton.
Unfortunately, the Broom's
aggressive growth has choked off
access to much of the line.
Where the county road once crossed the river we could ride up the Salonberry canyon or downstream along the Nehalem River. Here we hauled our bikes and gear to the bridge across the Nehalem to start our ride toward the coast. The rails run along the riverbank for many miles with little storm related damage.
A rare sunny day makes the ride
enjoyable. Strangely, we have not seen any wildlife in our many trips into this isolated country.
A few more years and this will be just one additional washout.
This is the only trestle of any
size along the banks of the Nehalem. We paused here in the shade along this tributory
to enjoy our lunch.
In better times before the
destructive winter I came across these two units idling on the shores of Nehalem Bay in Wheeler.
This is an original
Southern Pacific map
of the Tillamook Branch.
The portions we have railbiked
are marked in red.
Oregon Coast Scenic RR
still operates tourist trains
between Girabaldi and Rockaway Beach.
Return to beginning
Update: July 1, 2013
Jim and I rode from Wheeler east about five miles to a point where the railroad was blocked by a construction train.
The tourist line has sprayed and cleared the line to this point and perhaps beyond, but we did not have the time to
check further. The next morning I rode from Wheeler south to the Jetty Fish Hatchery, about another 4 miles out
of Wheeler. Spectacular scenery along the Nehalem Bay.
Click to see photos:
