Willamette Valley Lumber Company pt. 2

Willamette Valley Lumber Company Part II

Created 12/6/06

Central-Line:

Here is a shot of the first trestle on the Central Line. Amazingly enough when this trestle collapsed, the
top fart fell intact to the ground. As can be seen in this photo, the ties are still in place, as are the
runners. If you look carefully behind the Rhododendron branch one of them is visible. (4/10/97)

Another look at the ties of the collapsed first trestle. Unfortunately, the brush was too thick to allow for a
real good shot of the whole top part. (4/10/97)

Here are the remains of the first trestle up the Central Line, after logging was completed in 1998.
Unfortunately, the trestle was pretty much destroyed. Only the cross ties from the trestle were found, and
not the runners. (5/29/99)

These tie striations were found on the balloon track on the Central Line. Even though it was not
separated by trestles or such, it was not turned into a road, nor does it look like it was ever ridden on by
atv's. (4/10/97)

Here is the fallen remains of the second trestle on the Central Line, about .2 miles from the junction.
(4/10/97)

The collapsed piling of the second trestle. (4/10/97)

Here you can see ties still in place and in excellent condition in the grade. Obviously by the time that they
got to here to remove the rails, removing the ties was not a priority. This picture and the ones below are
at the end of the last spur off of the K-Line.(1/20/99)

K-Line:

Here is Silver Creek Falls, at the end of the spur just before K Junction Camp. From all of the old trails and
dirt roads that converged on this area, it would appear that at one time it was a popular destination spot.
(4/5/98)

Another shot of Silver Falls, this time in the winter. Believe it or not the length of the falls is at least 200ft.
(2/22/98)

S-Line:

These next 6 shots are of one of the best preserved donkey sled that I have ever found. This one was
lying at the end of the 7-8-33.3 RD, which is way down the S-Line from the Black Rock Mainline, and was
used probably in the 1950's. Judging from the size of the sled, this was a large yarder. Unfortunately,
everything but the wood and the bolts holding the wood were scrapped. This shot is of the roof of the
shelter, and the sheet metal that covered it. (4/11/97)

This one shows the house of the donkey, which has been cut off of the sled to remove the boiler, drums,
and cylinders. Note also the holding bracket for the water drum in the back. Behind the leaves and
branches you can see the rounded cut in the boards. (4/11/97)

This is looking at the back of the donkey sled. In the foreground is one of the crossbeams still bolted in
place, as well as the house. In the background is the beams that held the water tank in place. (4/11/97)

Looking at the front part of the sled. Not that all of the metal that would normally set at the front
crossbeam has been stripped off. (4/11/97)

Another view of the rear part of the sled. (4/11/97)

A view of the cut house, clearly evident by the vertical beam in the foreground. (4/11/97)

These are ties that are still in place on the tail track of the switchback or wye on top of Fanno Ridge. The
grade did not go much farther past this.(5/20/97)

My friend Joe with a rail plate in the Ridge Road that was the grade. This is the 8-8-11.0 road.(5/17/97)

Here is a pile of ties from when the line was pulled. There were several piles of ties like this along the
K-Line leading me to believe that this was the last of the railroad spur logging by W.V.L., otherwise they
would have used the ties elsewhere.(10/5/97)

I'm not exactly sure what this was. It looks like some ties stacked on top of a log the way a rollway would
be constructed. This is on the main part of the K-Line.(10/15/97)

Rail plate found along the grade of the K-Line.(10/15/97)

These two pieces of rail were found near the end of this grade. By the way that these are fractured I
would guess that something happened here.(4/17/97)

This rail was found at the end of this spur, near the Little Luckiamute River.(4/17/97)

Silver Falls Spur:

Although there wasn't much to find in the spur itself, the falls at the end of the grade more than made up for finding
nothing on it.

This rail was found on the first spur off of the K-Line, near the end of the spur. The spur took off to the
left and followed the creek that the second trestle on the line crosses.(10/19/97)

Here you can see tie striations still evident in the grade.(2/23/01)

This rail joiner and spike that my friend Joe is holding was found near the end of the grade, along with the
donkey sled pieces below.(2/23/01)

Here you can see these broken donkey sled pieces laying about near the end of the spur. I
do not know what happened, but it may be that while fighting the fire of 47 that a cat ran over
this donkey sled, which was probably already destroyed by the fire, scattering the
pieces.(2/23/01)

Another set of tie piles. This one is on the main K-Line grade.

This little spike bears witness to the second trestle that used to exist on this line.(4/17/97)

Spur To Little Luckiamute:

This little spur was really cool to look at. It took off from near the water tower and was the 8-7-14.1 road for about .4
miles. Then it took off from that on an untouched grade that crossed three trestles and ended right next to the Little
Luckiamute River.

These two rails and spike were found near the first trestle on this spur.(2/23/01)

Here you can see the stringers for the third trestle on this line. None of these trestles were that tall when
they were standing.(2/23/01)

Here you can see a rail that has been left sitting on the ties near the end of the
last spur off of the K-Line. Although it looks like it is still sitting in place, the
spikes and plates have been removed.

Looking at the ties that are still in place near the end of the last spur off of the
K-Line.

There were several piles of these ties along the grade. As you can see, this one still has a spike stuck in
it.(10/15/97)

Spike found just a little ways up the last spur off of the K-Line.

Here is a stump with a cable still wrapped around it for a donkey near the second trestle on the Central
Line.(5/18/98)

Here you can see a couple of fallen piling with the cross brace still in place on the second trestle of the
Central Line.(5/18/98)

Although difficult to see, there are still ties lying across the stringers of the trestle.(5/18/98)

What's left of one of the piling that is still kind of standing on the second trestle of the Central
Line.(5/18/98)

Here you can see the line of broken ties on the far side of the second trestle on the Central Line.(5/18/98)

Although difficult to see, the first picture shows tie striations around the second trestle. The
second photo shows some ties still in place on the far side of the trestle before the grade
returns to the road.(5/18/98)

Both of these show tie plates on the Central Line. The first one is about 0.7 miles up from BR
ML, while the second one is about 1.4 miles up.(5/18/98)

Here is a tie on the side of the Central Line with a spike hole still in it, about 1.5 miles up,
while the second one shows a spike laying in the ditch about 1.6 miles up.(5/18/98)

Willamette Valley Lumber Company Part III