The Rogue River was a passenger train which ran between Portland, Oregon and Ashland operated by Southern Pacific.

Passenger service through Ashland began in 1887 with the completion of Southern Pacific's Siskiyou line.[1] When the Natron Cutoff was completed in 1926, local service over the Siskiyou Pass was maintained with a train operating between Portland and Ashland.[2] As Southern Pacific would go on to route most traffic over the new shorter cutoff, the local would remain as one of a few trains providing passenger service along the old route.[3] By the 1930s, the service had been named the Oregonian, with the northbound train connected to the West Coast at Eugene.[4] The trip was rechristened as the Rogue River by July 1938.[5] Southern Pacific announced the service would end in July 1955, though the Oregon Public Utilities Commission ordered that this be delayed pending public hearings.[6] Despite this, the final Rogue River runs occurred on August 6.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Corbin, Luana (February 4, 2014). "Passenger Train Stops in 1955 between Ashland and Portland, Ore". Jefferson Public Radio. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  2. ^ Shasta Route Time Tables (PDF). Southern Pacific. May 21, 1927. Table 1, Table 2. Retrieved August 12, 2024 – via Wx4.
  3. ^ Solomon, Brian (2005). Southern Pacific Passenger Trains. Voyageur Press. pp. 85–86. ISBN 9781610605076.
  4. ^ Time Tables: Shasta Route (PDF). Southern Pacific. June 1934. pp. 3–4. Retrieved August 12, 2024 – via Wx4.
  5. ^ Time Tables for Train Distribution: Shasta Route (PDF). Southern Pacific. July 5, 1938. Retrieved August 12, 2024 – via Wx4.
  6. ^ Prange, Conrad (July 24, 1955). "Reporter Describes Ride on Doomed Rogue River Train, Portland to Ashland". Medford Mail Tribune. Medford, Oregon. p. 10. Retrieved August 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.  
  7. ^ "Fight To Restore Trains Said Not Over". Medford Mail Tribune. August 9, 1955. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.