Mount Hood Railway and Power Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hydroelectric power, Railway transportation |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Fate | Merged with Portland Railway, Light and Power Company in 1912 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Oregon, United States |
| Products | Hydroelectric power, Railway services |
The Mount Hood Railway and Power Company, also referred to as the Mount Hood Company, initiated hydroelectric projects within Oregon's Sandy River watershed in 1906. Their Bull Run Hydroelectric Project included a generating station situated on the Bull Run River alongside a diversion dam constructed on the Little Sandy River. Water collected behind the roughly high dam was channeled through a wooden flume extending to Roslyn Lake before reaching the powerhouse. Operations for electricity production commenced in 1912.
To facilitate construction activities, the company enhanced transportation routes to the powerhouse location. Originally, the journey from Boring to Bull Run required three hours via stagecoach traveling over plank roads. Access was greatly improved in 1911 when a railway line linking Portland’s Montavilla district to Bull Run was completed.
Spanning 22 miles, this railway initially operated with steam locomotives. Following a 1912 merger with the Portland Railway, Light and Power Company (PRL&P), the line was converted for electric trolley service and managed as the Mount Hood Line interurban route. PRL&P later became part of Portland General Electric. The interurban operations ceased in 1930. Presently, sections of Portland’s Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) Blue Line light-rail corridor run along portions of the former PRL&P right-of-way. The stretch along East Burnside Street between I-205 and Ruby Junction was discontinued in 1927.