Portland Railway Light & Power 611




Facts and Figures


Current Number611
Railway RepresentedPortland Railway Light & Power
BuilderAmerican Car Company
Built In1911
Builder's order id885
Currently in (State)California
--(Locality)Newport Beach
Totally out of svc date1950
(Initial retirement date)
Car Typestreetcar
-subtypeclosed
-designation
Statusdisplayed inoperable
More info
Gauge3'6"
Constructionwood
Roof typeDR
EndedDE
Length45'0"
Width8'3"
Height
Weight39000
#Seats32
#Wheels/Conf.8
Total HP130
Trucks[Brill 22]
Brakes
Compressor
Control[K-11H]
Motors[GE 218B (2)]
Voltage (if not 600DC)
NotesBody only

Car 611 on display at the Newport Beach OSF
Old Spaghetti Factory
photo: https://www.osf.com/location/newport-beach-ca/

Car 611 on display at the Newport Beach OSF
Helpmecovid.com
photo: https://www.helpmecovid.com/us/2355549_the-old-spaghetti-factory

Car History by Frank Hicks


Portland Railway Light & Power 611
This car is the only survivor of a series of nearly 150 cars which for decades made up the majority of the Portland streetcar fleet. These city cars of standard Brill design were built between 1909 and 1911, and some - including 611 - operated right up until the end of streetcar service in Portland in 1950. They could be found just about anywhere on the extensive Portland narrow-gauge system. Car 611 was saved after the last streetcar line was abandoned and was acquired by WVERA, where it was stored in a railroad yard and then later in a field near Molalla. By the time OERHS acquired the car it was already significantly deteriorated, and after another 15 years of storage at the OERHS Brooks site it hadn't gotten any better. The management of the OERHS museum decided it was unsalvageable as an operational car, and so it was stripped and the body cosmetically restored for use in a restaurant near Los Angeles. It has remained there for over thirty years as a novelty centerpiece.


Ownership History


OwnerCar NumFromToPreservation?Loan?
Portland Railway Light & Power (Oregon, Portland)6111911 1924 NO NO
Portland Electric Power (Oregon, Portland)6111924 1944 NO NO
Portland Traction (Oregon, Portland)6111944 1950 NO NO
Willamette Valley Electric Railway Association (Oregon, Glenwood)6111950 1957 YES NO
Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society (Oregon, Brooks)6111957 1973 YES NO
Old Spaghetti Factory - Newport Beach (California, Newport Beach)6111973 present YES NO


Additional Media

[No preview available]

Walkaround tour of car 611 from 2022
YouTube
video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VnFd2V-mkR4