Beaverton and Willsburg Railroad
| Company type | Railroad company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | November 6, 1906 |
| Defunct | June 30, 1916 |
| Fate | Absorbed into Southern Pacific |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Portland, Oregon area |
| Parent | Southern Pacific (from 1916) |
The Beaverton and Willsburg Railroad was created in 1906 by the Southern Pacific with the purpose of constructing a tactical rail connection near Portland, Oregon, linking the communities of Beaverton and Milwaukie. Finished in 1910, this railroad company was integrated into Southern Pacific in 1916. The resulting cutoff, composed of two distinct sections, continues to be in service today.
History
At the beginning of the 20th century, Southern Pacific managed three rail lines entering Portland, Oregon: the West Side branch (originating from the Oregon Central Railroad) and the Newberg branch (from the Portland and Willamette Valley Railway) on the west bank of the Willamette River, as well as the Brooklyn Subdivision located on the river’s east side. While the West Side branch and Brooklyn Subdivision converged at Portland Union Station, the Newberg branch terminated at a separate station on Jefferson Street. Although these two stations were situated only apart, there was no direct rail link between them, necessitating a detour over .
To address this operational gap, Southern Pacific developed a cutoff that connected these routes through two unlinked segments. The initial segment, referred to as the Tigard branch, ran southeast from Beaverton to "Cook," near Lake Oswego, joining the West Side branch with the Newberg branch. The second part, named the Milwaukie branch, connected the Newberg branch to the Brooklyn Subdivision. Beginning at "Wilsonia," located north of Lake Oswego, it crossed the Willamette River using the Lake Oswego Railroad Bridge, then continued northward through Milwaukie to Willsburg Junction on the Brooklyn Subdivision, covering .
The company was officially incorporated on November 6, 1906. Construction commenced in September 1907 and was completed by July 17, 1910. The Pacific Coast Construction Company undertook building the line, while Robert Wakefield—who later gained recognition for his work on the Steel Bridge—was responsible for constructing the Willamette River bridge. On June 30, 1916, Southern Pacific formally absorbed the Beaverton and Willsburg Railroad.