Oregon Short Line Railroad
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Founded | April 14, 1881 |
| Fate | Merged into Union Pacific Railroad |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Oregon |
| Parent | Union Pacific Railroad |
The Oregon Short Line Railroad (OSL) spanned across the states of Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana, and Oregon. Founded in 1881 as a Union Pacific Railway subsidiary, its purpose was to establish the most direct rail connection from Wyoming to the Pacific Northwest. Construction initiated at Granger, Wyoming, and concluded at Huntington, Oregon by 1884. In 1889, it combined with the Utah & Northern Railway and several smaller lines, forming the Oregon Short Line and Utah Northern Railway. Following Union Pacific's bankruptcy in 1897, the railroad entered receivership and was subsequently restructured as the Oregon Short Line Railroad. It later reintegrated into the Union Pacific System during the Harriman reorganization of 1898.
Oregon Short Line Railway
Incorporated on April 14, 1881, the Oregon Short Line Railway extended from Union Pacific’s main line at Granger, Wyoming, reaching Montpelier and McCammon in Idaho by late 1882. The segment between McCammon and Pocatello, Idaho involved shared tracks with Union Pacific’s Utah & Northern subsidiary by installing a third rail to accommodate both narrow gauge and standard gauge equipment. The route was completed to Huntington, Oregon by late 1884. Access to Portland was achieved through leased trackage from the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.
From a strategic standpoint, the Oregon Short Line offered Union Pacific an alternate path to the Pacific coast after Southern Pacific’s expansion restricted access through Utah. It also acted as a barrier against eastward expansion by rival railroads along the Idaho-Oregon border, thereby strengthening Union Pacific’s regional market dominance.
Oregon Short Line and Utah Northern Railway
On July 27, 1889, the Oregon Short Line Railway merged with Utah & Northern Railway along with several smaller railroads to create the Oregon Short Line and Utah Northern Railway. This consolidation, ratified by corporate boards in Boston, encompassed four Utah-based companies (Utah Central Railway, Utah & Nevada Railway, Salt Lake & Western Railway, Ogden & Syracuse Railway), one Idaho firm (Idaho Central Railway), and one Nevada company planning a route (Nevada Pacific Railway).
By 1890, efforts initiated in 1885 to convert the original Utah & Northern line from narrow gauge to standard gauge were completed. On October 13, 1893, OSL&UN entered receivership alongside other Union Pacific assets. The Oregon Short Line Railroad was incorporated in February 1897 and acquired OSL&UN's holdings that same month, assuming operations on March 15.
The OSL operated independently for a short period until October 1898 when control shifted to the reorganized Union Pacific Railroad’s board majority. During the early twentieth century, the railroad actively promoted tours to Yellowstone National Park via a branch line from Idaho Falls, Idaho to West Yellowstone, Montana.
In 1938, Union Pacific streamlined its operations by leasing multiple subsidiaries including the Oregon Short Line. The OSL functioned under lease arrangements until December 30, 1987, when it was fully merged into Union Pacific Railroad.
External links
- Oregon Short Line Railroad
- 3 ft gauge railways in the United States
- Former Class I railroads in the United States
- Predecessors of the Union Pacific Railroad
- Defunct Idaho railroads
- Defunct Nevada railroads
- Defunct Montana railroads
- Defunct Oregon railroads
- Defunct Utah railroads
- Defunct Wyoming railroads
- Railway companies established in 1897
- Railway companies disestablished in 1987
- 1881 establishments in Oregon
- American companies disestablished in 1987