Originally introduced as a branch line of the Portland & Oregon City Railway Company’s proposed main line between Oregon City and Portland, this became the only part of the system that was actually constructed. When the Oregon City council prevaricated about granting a franchise in that city, Stephen Carver turned his attention to the Clackamas valley instead. He saw the farmers in that region as far more welcoming of his railway than Oregon City and resolved to build a line through that region first.
Construction ran from the outer end at Carver towards Portland, as this gave time for franchise issues in the metropolis to be sorted out. Service between Carver and Ardenwald began on December 8, 1915, but trains didn’t reach the Portland terminus at SE 3rd and Hawthorne until August 23, 1919. Service on the line was always sporadic and operated by a motley collection of locomotives over the years (see the page on “Motive Power of the Carver Line” below).
The City of Portland was less than impressed with the line and threats to revoke the franchise because of the poor standard of rails, equipment and service were almost immediate. Mr. Carver managed to delay the inevitable for a while with promises to improve, but in April 1925 he started removing his tracks within Portland – without council authorization – to sell in order to pay off his tax debts. The council had had enough, and revoked his franchise in August 1925. Most of the track in the city was removed, although I believe there is still a short segment under the asphalt on SE Caruthers Street near SE 11th Avenue.
Carver continued some desultory passenger service on the line remaining outside Portland, but by 1926 the line was practically abandoned. Mr. Carver turned his attention to extending the track over the Clackamas River towards Viola and reinventing the line as a logging railroad. This work was mostly completed after the road was sold and reorganized as the Clackamas Eastern in 1928, which abandoned all of the line west of Clackamas station.
See also: Portland–Oregon City (Never Built)
Motive Power of the Carver Line
| Important Dates: | August 10, 1915 – Service is supposed to start between Rock Creek and Milwaukie in order to comply with the terms of the franchise, but it is doubtful this happened. December 8, 1915 – Initial segment of line opens from Carver to Ardenwald and a connection with the PRL&P’s Cazadero line. February 20, 1916 – Line extended north to SE Bybee Avenue in Eastmoreland. June 6, 1916 – Line extended north again to SE 22nd and Powell. August 23, 1919 – Line finally reaches Portland terminus at SE 3rd and Hawthorne. April/May 1925 – Some track is removed within Portland city limits, service to Portland terminal ends. August 19, 1925 – City of Portland revokes franchise for line inside the city. | | --- | --- | | Operating Companies: | ‣ ‣ Clackamas Eastern Railway Company (Southern Pacific subsidiary): logging operations only, no passenger service | | Gauge: | Standard (4-feet, 8.5-inches) | | Headboard: | N/A | | Car Barn: | Unknown |