An electric interurban line operated by the United Railways Company that ran from Portland up the west bank of the Columbia River to Linnton and thence through the Cornelius Pass to Wilkesboro. The line from the Portland city limits to Linnton ran largely along the same right-of-way that the failed “Pence Line” to Linnton had surveyed and started grading two years prior.
This line is mainly notable because of a long-running legal battle regarding passenger fares between Portland and Linnton. The company wanted to charge a 10-cent fare between the two places, but residents of Linnton argued that the franchise only allowed for a maximum of 5 cents. The higher tariff was repeatedly found to be unlawful by the courts and the 5-cent fare was ordered to be reinstated. The company grudgingly complied by mid-1910 after a tense period where Linntonites refused to pay the higher fare when conductors still requested it.
However, by late 1913, United Railways was asking the Oregon Railroad Commission to increase fares on the line to cover heavy operating losses. Fares were compared with the Oregon Electric’s passenger rates to Garden Home, covering a similar distance. People traveling to Garden Home thought their fares were too high compared with a trip to Linnton; while the United Railways argued that their fares were too low compared to the Garden Home journey! The commission eventually granted the fare increases, but petitioners from Linnton immediately asked Multnomah County to revoke the United Railways’ franchise on the St. Helens road for failing to comply with its terms. The franchise was revoked in October 1914 and the company abandoned the line between the boundaries of the two cities on March 31, 1915. Some of the track was torn up, leaving two disconnected segments – one in Portland (used only for freight switching), and the other north of Linnton out to Wilkesboro.
Almost immediately, businessmen of Linnton applied for their own franchise to operate electric cars over the United Railways right of way. This effort eventually came to nothing, despite franchises being granted twice – once in 1915 and again in 1921. Municipal ownership of a streetcar line was also briefly considered in 1918 when bus service to Linnton suddenly ceased operation.
Electric passenger service from Linnton to Wilkesboro continued, with passengers required to use connecting SP&S steam trains between Portland and Linnton. The United Railways applied for a new franchise to allow freight operations from Portland to Oilton, about halfway to Linnton, which was granted in August 1915.
According to Richard Thompson, the line was converted from electric operation to steam on January 18, 1923 – though I’m yet to find first-hand evidence of this date. Employee timetable No. 24, issued on October 16, 1922 is the last such document to mention trolley poles on the trains; timetable No. 25, issued on March 12, 1923 omits any such mention. The termini of the line in both timetables are given as Linnton and Wilkesboro, meaning that the line was never officially electrified to Banks.
| Important Dates: | May 16, 1908 – Franchise for line to Linnton granted by the Multnomah County Court April 18, 1909 – Line opens from Portland to Burlington January 10, 1911 – Line extends to North Plains March 20, 1911 – Cornelius Pass tunnel opens April 16, 1911 – Line extends to Wilkesboro October 28, 1914 – Franchise on the St. Helens Road revoke March 31, 1915 – Last trains between Portland and Linnton; track torn up from Portland city limits to Linnton January 18, 1923 –* Conversion of line from electric to steam propulsion | | --- | --- | | Operating Companies: | ‣ | | Gauge: | Standard (4-feet, 8.5-inches) | | Headboard: | Unknown | | Car Barn: | United Railways Shops (St. Helens Road) |