Willamette Shore Trolley

The Willamette Shore Trolley begins as a trial heritage service in September 1987, operated by the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society (OERHS) on a leased 6.2‑mile right‑of‑way. In October 1988 the consortium of local governments that had purchased the line from Southern Pacific for US$1.9 million assumes ownership, preserving the corridor for future transit. Regular seasonal service launches on July 6 1990, initially under contract to the City of Lake Oswego and run by Gales Creek Enterprises. OERHS resumes long‑term operation in 1995, a role it retains through the present. Service is suspended in July 2010 after the line’s sole streetcar fails, a lease for a replacement Gomaco‑built “Vintage Trolley” is secured in early 2013, and the southernmost segment reopens in August 2014. The northern half returns on July 21 2017, is halted again at the end of 2019 for trestle repairs, and most of that segment reopens in fall 2024, allowing nearly full‑line Christmas runs.