As we wrote on the F Line page, the Metropolitan Railway Co Line was difficult to maintain because the hillside was not stable. After the F Line was abandon, the Oregon Electric folks came along in 1913 and re-used that 'right of way' or natural geographic trajectory. In doing so, a massive retaining wall was put in place, which persisted long after the Oregon Electric ceased operation. It was even left in place when I-5 was built along that corridor in ~1957-59.
Massive Retaining Wall along I-5, retrieved from Google Streetview
When it came time to upgrade the older viaducts on I-5 and Barbur, the retaining wall was removed and one lane added for construction purposes in ~2010.
Cleaning off and Sizing up the Wall prior to removal. (Photo provided by Ron McCoy)
The two 1913 DATE BLOCKS from the massive OE retaining wall were originally saved by ODOT.
One date block went to the Oregon Electric Railway Museum at Brooks, Oregon.
The other went from the ODOT facility in south Portland, to Tigard where it was intended to be used in their new downtown trail. When it came time to utilize it in the trail it was no where to be found...a piece of history lost! (And a mystery.)
1913 DATE BLOCK with crew for size comparison (Photo provided by Ron McCoy)
We have personally been assured by the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society that the remaining Date Block is indeed on the property in a protected location awaiting installation on the museum grounds.
When you cut into the side of a hill, especially a hill of clay, you lose the cut to the heavy, sliding mud when it rains.
Fred Kiser photo of slide conditions along the Oregon Electric line
1959
Speaking of landslides... there was a photo in a January 23, 2024 Vintage Portland post: Landslide repair on SW Slavin Road, 1959
[LINK]
Then & Now
Sheldon Perry provided this photo, "Taken at about the same location in much earlier times."
Early photo of the Retaining Wall. Photographer as yet unknown.
In this photo, you can see the Date Block on the far end of the wall. Obviously, I-5 graded this section wider, so the trees and earth on the left in the photo were removed. This makes sense because the rail line was a "cut" into the hillside, with up-hill on the right in the photo. This may be a Fred Kiser photo,
For comparison..this is the section of new wall south of the Newbury viaduct.
Here is the Google Street View of the same area in June 2019.
Here you can see the entire length of the modern wall...
AppleMaps, 3D
Craig, on "Forgotten Oregon", says the new wall was built by Wildish from Eugene. So there, you have it.
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