Initially, this line was a three-foot narrow gauge steam motor line that ran from SE Water and Morrison up 4th Street [later Union Avenue, now MLK, Jr. Blvd] to Woodlawn. There it took a diagonal route through the angled streets of that early settlement, before heading north and then angling slightly west across a long trestle over the Columbia Slough to meet the Vancouver ferry on the north shore of Sand Island.
The line was electrified and regauged to three-feet six-inches by the Portland Consolidated Street Railway Company in June 1893. This work was completed in two stages, with the line from the Columbia River to Woodlawn being completed first, followed by the city section from Woodlawn to downtown. Steam motors served the inner section and interchanged with electric cars at Woodlawn for about a week until the line was completely regauged and electrified.
On June 30, 1906, the line was rerouted north of Woodlawn to continue directly north along Union Avenue to the city limits and then take a shorter trestle to a relocated ferry terminal on Hayden Island. This turned Woodlawn into a short branch line, and the station and car barn there became neglected. The car barn was soon closed and operations transferred to the new and much larger Piedmont barn.
The next major change to the line came in February 1917 with the opening of the Interstate Bridge, which allowed VC cars to cross the river and interchange with cars from Vancouver’s own streetcar system on Third Street between Main and Washington.
Dedication of the Interstate Bridge on February 14, 1917. The photo clearly shows the dual-gauge track that was installed on the bridge as part of a common-user clause that allowed the narrow-gauge Portland Railway, Light & Power Company cars and the standard-gauge North Coast Power Company cars to cross the bridge if they desired.
Surprisingly, this extension was the center of much debate, as PRL&P only wanted to run a loop around their substation just off the northern end of the bridge, while the Vancouver city council wanted the line extended into the business district. PRL&P and the local traction company, the North Coast Power Company, both cried poor, but the council would only grant a franchise if the line was extended as they demanded. At the last minute in December 1916, the Columbia River Interstate Bridge Commission intervened and paid for the construction of track on First and Main streets and Washington street as far north as Second street, treating these streets as the approaches to the bridge. PRL&P constructed the rest of the loop up through Third street at a cost that was acceptable to them. Even this caused some controversy, as it was unclear whether the Commission had the right to pay for this track work from the proceeds of bonds sold for the construction of the bridge.
From 1927 to 1940, the line also served the popular Jantzen Beach amusement park on Hayden Island. Service across the Interstate Bridge to Vancouver ended on September 2, 1940, but the line remained open for another six days until the summer season at Jantzen Beach ended. The long stretch of trestle across the Columbia River wetlands was razed in April 1941.
See also: Cloverdale (1892–1895) and Woodlawn (1888–1937)
| Important Dates: | October 3, 1888 – Start of service to Columbia River June 24, 1893 – Electrification and regauging to 3-feet, 6-inches June 30, 1906 – Opening of new route north of Woodlawn February 14, 1917 – Start of service to Vancouver over Interstate Bridge September 2, 1940 – End of service to Vancouver September 8, 1940 – End of service to Jantzen Beach and final abandonment | | --- | --- | | Operating Companies: | ‣ ‣ ‣ ‣ ‣ ‣ ‣ ‣ | | Gauge: | 3-foot narrow until June 1893, then narrow (3-feet, 6-inches) thereafter | | Headboard: | “Vancouver”, “VC”, “V” | | Car Barn: | ‣ ‣ |