The Long Way
Clackamas County
A vintage trolley travels on tracks through a dense forest with autumn leaves.
Plate I. Vintage streetcar on tracks, Willamette Shore Trolley. From wst.oregontrolley.com
A vintage trolley travels along tracks near a river surrounded by autumn foliage.
Plate II. Vintage trolley car, Willamette Shore Trolley. From wst.oregontrolley.com
A vintage trolley emerges from a tunnel.
Plate III. Vintage car on the Willamette Shore Trolley. From wst.oregontrolley.com
A vintage trolley car travels on tracks near a large bridge over water.
Plate IV. Vintage trolley car, Willamette Shore Trolley. Photograph by Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A vintage streetcar stopped on tracks next to a body of water with two operators visible.
Plate V. Vintage trolley car, Willamette Shore Trolley. From wst.oregontrolley.com
An old sepia photograph showing a train emerging from a tunnel with people standing nearby.
Plate VI. Elk Rock Tunnel, Willamette Shore Trolley. From wst.oregontrolley.com
A streetcar decorated with colorful lights at night.
Plate VII. Decorated trolley, Willamette Shore Trolley. From wst.oregontrolley.com
Passengers inside a festively decorated vintage railcar.
Plate VIII. Passengers inside the Willamette Shore Trolley. From wst.oregontrolley.com
A vintage trolley car on tracks near a tunnel entrance surrounded by trees and greenery.
Plate IX. Vintage car at tunnel entrance, Willamette Shore Trolley. From wst.oregontrolley.com

Willamette Shore Trolley

Lake Oswego, Clackamas County, Oregon. Vintage Trolley.

Details

Map. Lake Oswego, Clackamas County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
311 N. State St, Lake Oswego, OR 97034. Directions
When
Saturdays and Sundays plus Labor Day.
Season
May 30th thru Sept. 27th, Saturdays and Sundays plus Labor Day Monday Sept 7.
Getting there
Lake Oswego Depot, 311 North State Street, municipal parking off Foothills Road; Portland terminal one block south of Bancroft Street, in front of the Tesla Building.
Fees
Adults $22.00 round trip, $11.00 one way; Seniors $20.00/$10.00; Military (w/ID) $20.00/$10.00; Children (2-12) $12.00/$6.00; 2 & Under free.
Hours
Sat & Sun: depart Lake Oswego 10 am; 12pm; 2pm; 4pm; arrive Bancroft St Portland 40 minutes later.
Access
The trolley is not wheelchair accessible. There are three steps to enter: one outside, one inside, and a third to the passenger seating area.
Walk-in or reserve
Online tickets are valid for one direction only; a limited number of walk-up tickets are available at the depot in Lake Oswego or on the trolley in Portland.
Phone
503-697-7436
Managed by
Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society.
Established
1880s.

Ride in a Vintage Trolley from Lake Oswego into a dark tunnel and meander through posh neighborhoods.

Notable Events

  1. 1914The PE&E began electric interurban service on January 17, 1914; the Eastside line ran through Oswego, Tualatin, and Newberg. oregonencyclopedia.org
  2. 1921The Elk Rock Tunnel was opened, replacing a wooden trestle that went around Elk Rock. wst.oregontrolley.com
  3. 1929Passenger train service was discontinued on October 5, 1929, when the Southern Pacific's Oregon interurban railway was only fifteen years old. oregonencyclopedia.org
  4. 1929Passenger service ended in 1929, but freight service continued until 1983. wst.oregontrolley.com
  5. 1983Freight service continued until 1983, after passenger service ended in 1929. wst.oregontrolley.com
  6. 1984The Southern Pacific filed for abandoning the line from Lake Oswego to Portland, and a consortium of local governments and agencies acquired the line to preserve it for future transit use. wst.oregontrolley.com
  7. 1987The first car on the line was Blackpool Double-Decker #48, operated by the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society. wst.oregontrolley.com
  8. 1991Vintage Trolley #514 was one of 4 cars built in 1991 for the Portland MAX line and Portland Streetcar service as a tourist draw. wst.oregontrolley.com
  9. 1995The OERHS took over the service again in 1995 with the double-decker and later with a Portland Brill Master Unit streetcar. wst.oregontrolley.com

Sources

  1. wst.oregontrolley.com
  2. wst.oregontrolley.com/wst-schedule-fares
  3. wst.oregontrolley.com/about-us
  4. oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/southern_pacific_red_electric_lines