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Rumor: Abandoned loco west of Falls City, OR???? *PIC*
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Author:  Brian McCamish [ Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Rumor: Abandoned loco west of Falls City, OR???? *PIC*
I heard a rumor that there might be an abandoned steam locomotive in the woods up above Blackrock, which is west of Falls City, Oregon. The only information I have is that supposedly, they were tearing out the tracks and the steam locomotive was on the wrong side of a trestle that collasped. I haven't had a chance to look at my USGS maps to determine which RR that might have been, but does this ring anyone's bells?

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Author:  Terrry Gookin [ Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rumor: Abandoned loco west of Falls City, OR??
> I heard a rumor that there might be an
> abandoned steam locomotive in the woods up
> above Blackrock, which is west of Falls
> City, Oregon. The only information I have is
> that supposedly, they were tearing out the
> tracks and the steam locomotive was on the
> wrong side of a trestle that collasped. I
> haven't had a chance to look at my USGS maps
> to determine which RR that might have been,
> but does this ring anyone's bells?
Brian, The story you heard is "definitely a confirmed rumor". The best version is that it includes a flatcar loaded with rail. Unfortunately there is no locomotive lost out there. I have personally followed up on every version and person that I have heard tell this story and know several people, including a Dept. of Forestry employee, who have spent years searching every square foot of ground out there for miles. That was a very active logging area with numerous railroads in the 1900`s but all of the locomotives used have been accounted for. There is part of an old steam donkey engine out there but thats all we`ve ever found.

TerryGookin@aol.com
Author:  J.B.Bane [ Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rumor: Abandoned loco west of Falls City, OR??
> Brian, The story you heard is
> "definitely a confirmed rumor".
> The best version is that it includes a
> flatcar loaded with rail. Unfortunately
> there is no locomotive lost out there. I
> have personally followed up on every version
> and person that I have heard tell this story
> and know several people, including a Dept.
> of Forestry employee, who have spent years
> searching every square foot of ground out
> there for miles. That was a very active
> logging area with numerous railroads in the
> 1900`s but all of the locomotives used have
> been accounted for. There is part of an old
> steam donkey engine out there but thats all
> we`ve ever found.
I lived near Falls City about 25 years ago and remmember exploring out in that area a bit by road. As I recall there was a very good gravel road heading into the coast range from Falls City that was called "Main Line Road". Was this originally a logging rr ROW?


http://www.svry.com
jamesbane@hotmail.com
Author:  Brian McCamish [ Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rumor: Abandoned loco west of Falls City, OR?? *PIC*
> Brian, The story you heard is
> "definitely a confirmed rumor".
> The best version is that it includes a
> flatcar loaded with rail. Unfortunately
> there is no locomotive lost out there. I
> have personally followed up on every version
> and person that I have heard tell this story
> and know several people, including a Dept.
> of Forestry employee, who have spent years
> searching every square foot of ground out
> there for miles. That was a very active
> logging area with numerous railroads in the
> 1900`s but all of the locomotives used have
> been accounted for. There is part of an old
> steam donkey engine out there but thats all
> we`ve ever found.

Terry,

I recieved an email from a guy who was telling me about his father's homebuilt railroad and in passing he mentioned that someone told his father, he knows where it is and would take to it, but his father hasn't taken him up on it yet. The gentleman also mentioned that several Valley & Siletz Railroad locomotives are unaccounted for and he wondered if they might be left out there. I'm pretty sure they took every piece of scrap with them when they tore the V&S up in the late 1970s, because I couldn't find a single thing out there.

BTW, how do you think that rumor got started?

I sure would like to talk to that original guy who claims he knows where it is. After finding a couple of railcars here and there, the remains of a water tank in the woods and then that steam locomotive in the river up in Washington, nothing would suprise me now. I just got done reading about a locomotive that went off of the log dump at South Beach, Oregon and is supposedly still there, although I guess buried under a ton of sand.

You sure seem to know about a lot abandoned RR stuff up in the NW. Do you have any other tips regarding stuff like this or abandoned bridges/tunnels that I haven't recorded on my website yet? Take care.



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Author:  Jeff A. [ Tue Jul 13, 2004 11:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rumor: Abandoned loco west of Falls City, OR??
Mr. Bane is more qualified to address rail history of the Blue Mtn. region than I, but I could offer a couple of suggestions from our neck of the woods. By the way, thanks for the link to your web site. Having a great time perusing it.
If you get to Eastern Oregon, might want to check these out....
1. Sumpter-area woods lines: There's the SV main stem of course, which you're aware of. But there are also a huge amt. of abandoned logging rights-of-way as well...some estimates run as high as 1500 miles.
2. Rumors of as many as four "lost locomotives" supposedly abandoned in the area. One of these, at least,(said to be on Dixie Mtn.) may actually exist.
3. Union RR of Oregon. Originally a dummy line serving Union County, then cut back to a 2.5 mile shortline until abandonment, mid-1980's.
4. Big Creek & Telocasset RR. Former log/lumber hauler which served the mill at Pondosa until late 1950's. Some R.O.W. intact, with interesting use of French drains in lieu of culverts or trestles.
5. A rumored ng mining line at the site of old Lime. I've been unable to find any physical trace or historic confirmation of this one, but there's said to be a mine-type lokie and some rolling stock abandoned in the area.

Have fun, please stop by the Sumpter Valley when you're in the area.
with best regards,
Jeff Acock
Adrian OR


jeff_acock@hotmail.com
Author:  Terry Gookin [ Tue Jul 13, 2004 11:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rumor: Abandoned loco west of Falls City, OR??
> Terry,

> I recieved an email from a guy who was
> telling me about his father's homebuilt
> railroad and in passing he mentioned that
> someone told his father, he knows where it
> is and would take to it, but his father
> hasn't taken him up on it yet. The gentleman
> also mentioned that several Valley &
> Siletz Railroad locomotives are unaccounted
> for and he wondered if they might be left
> out there. I'm pretty sure they took every
> piece of scrap with them when they tore the
> V&S up in the late 1970s, because I
> couldn't find a single thing out there.

> BTW, how do you think that rumor got
> started?

> I sure would like to talk to that original
> guy who claims he knows where it is. After
> finding a couple of railcars here and there,
> the remains of a water tank in the woods and
> then that steam locomotive in the river up
> in Washington, nothing would suprise me now.
> I just got done reading about a locomotive
> that went off of the log dump at South
> Beach, Oregon and is supposedly still there,
> although I guess buried under a ton of sand.

> You sure seem to know about a lot abandoned
> RR stuff up in the NW. Do you have any other
> tips regarding stuff like this or abandoned
> bridges/tunnels that I haven't recorded on
> my website yet? Take care.
Brian, I sure got a big kick out of your remark about wanting to find the guy that started the rumor about the lost locomotive at Black Rock. Reminds me of almost twenty years ago I heard this same story three times in one week from three entirely unrelated sources and decided I was going out there and find the thing because it must be true. I did corner one guy here in Salem who swore he saw it every year when he went deer hunting up there. When I went to his home with a map of Black Rock and said "now point to where it is" he changed his story to "well, he knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy who had personally seen it". So now whenever I hear this story again I say "great lets go out there and take a look at it". No takers so far. According to my notes every one of the eight Valley and Siletz steam engines are accounted for and have been scrapped. There is a small steam engine that went off the log dump into Yaquina Bay on the Oregon coast in 1935 and was left there. It was Manary Logging`s #7, a 2-4-2T Baldwin, and its remains are still visible at extremely low tides (minus three feet) out in the mud flats and is even noted on marine navigational charts as "steam boiler". The rented SP#1345, a 4-4-0 wood burner, that also went into the water off the end of a log dump at Depot slough in Toledo was was recovered, rebuilt, and put back to work. You will find photos and more info on these engines in Lloyd Palmer`s book Steam Towards the Sunset.

terrygookin@aol.com
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