Albany and Eastern Railroad Company summary
The Albany and Eastern Railroad Company (AERC) is a short line railroad that operates in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. It’s owned by the Rick Franklin Corporation, a family-owned business. Today, the railroad operates standard-gauge tracks of the former Southern Pacific Railroad and Oregon Electric Company between Albany, Lebanon, Sweet Home, and Mill City. While freight service makes up most of the business, passenger excursions are also offered.
History
The Albany and Eastern’s history trace its roots back to 1880 when the Albany-Lebanon Railroad laid track to connect the two communities. The Oregon and California Railroad took ownership upon completion with logs, lumber and agricultural goods hauled along the line. In 1887, Southern Pacific bought the railroad with plans for extension due to growing lumber demand. A new branch line extended from Lebanon to Mill City in the northeast in 1910. This was followed by a second branch from Lebanon south to Sweet Home, built by the Oregon Electric Co.
By the 1990s, the more-than-60 miles of track was spun off as the newly organized Willamette Valley Railroad. A change in ownership in 1998 resulted in renaming it to today’s Albany and Eastern Railroad Company. In 2007, Rick Franklin purchased the railroad to provide a more efficient service for the communities throughout the Willamette Valley.
Operations
The busiest section is the 11 miles of track between the railroad’s headquarters in Lebanon and Albany. Entek International, producers of plastic products for the battery industry; and Weyerhaeuser are among the largest customers. Transloading facilities are established in Lebanon as well as Corvallis, the latter being an ideal location for agricultural customers. Switching, railcar maintenance, and track construction is also offered in partnership with the Albany and Eastern’s parent company, Rick Franklin Corp.
Established in 2014, seasonal passenger excursions are offered by the AERC under the name of the Santiam Excursion Trains. Historic steam and vintage diesel locomotives carry passengers on the 17-mile Sweet Home branch line between Lebanon and Sweet Home. It serves as an opportunity for goodwill and giving back to the community.
A fleet of second-hand General Electric diesel locomotives provides the power needed for the freight service, including B39-8 and B40-8 road switchers. A GP9, GP35 and SD9 from EMD make up the rest of the diesel roster for both freight service and passenger excursions. The steam locomotive side of the fleet, primarily for the Santiam Excursion Trains, features 2-6-2 No. 205 and 2-8-2 No. 2.
There are two locations for the Albany and Eastern to interchange with the Portland and Western Railroad. Albany is where most of the railcars are transferred for connections to the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway. Corvallis on the South Corvallis spur line handles the interchange of agricultural traffic.
Read more about the Albany and Eastern Railroad Company in Trains’ April 2018 issue.
