A detail from a 1911 PRL&P map of Portland showing the Country Club spur. At peak times, 70 or 80 cars could be held on the loop for rapid service. An annotation on the map indicates the later double-tracking of the Rose City Park line to facilitate faster service.
A short-lived special event line off the Rose City Park line down to the Portland Country Club and Livestock Association’s racetrack and exhibition grounds, which were located where the Rose City golf course is today. The line first opened to serve the inaugural Pacific National Livestock Show at the grounds on September 21, 1908 and could move more than 7,000 people an hour on special four-, six-, or even eight-car trains!
The last season the spur operated seems to be 1915, but I am still researching this to try and lock down a definitive date. Certainly, newspaper articles after 1915 about events at the grounds no longer mention direct streetcar service.
In late 1917, the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company asked permission to abandon the spur and reuse the rails elsewhere. Despite protests from the owner of the Rose City Speedway (which had succeeded the County Club), this request was finally granted by the city council in June 1919.
I have heard tell that the ties remained in the pavement until they were removed in 1935 as part of sewer work, but I have not come across any primary source evidence of this yet.
| Years of Operation: | September 21, 1908–1915* |
|---|---|
| Operating Company: | ‣ |
| Gauge: | Narrow (3-feet, 6-inches) |
| Headboard: | Unknown, perhaps “Country Club” dash sign. |
| Car Barn: | Service was for special events only; cars may have been used from multiple barns to satisfy demand. |