Built between 1906 and 1911, the rail line was once owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad, now a part of the Union Pacific. The Port began operating from Tillamook to Batterson, the midway point on the line, in 1983. When the SP decided to abandon the line, the Port was able to purchase the entire line to Schefflin with help from the state lottery in 1990.

Along the way, the Port of Tillamook Bay railroad serves the coastal communities of Garibaldi, Rockaway Beach and Wheeler before heading inland for a climb across the Coast Range mountains and into the Portland area.

This line also slices through a cross section of some of the most beautiful and scenic land in the country. The terrain makes it necessary to cross a number of high trestles, and punch through 10 tunnels.

The railroad, when operational, is also a major player in the environmental preservation of the area. Its annual shipments exceed 4,000 carloads, keeping 20,000 trucks off of the highway, saving 510,000 gallons of diesel fuel, and almost a million dollars a year in federally funded highway work. The railroad indirectly supports over 1,000 jobs.

Click here to view photos and read about the effect the devastating floods of 1996 had on the railroad.