At the beginning of the 20th century the
Southern Pacific had three routes into
Portland, Oregon: the
West Side branch (built by the
Oregon Central Railroad) and the
Newberg branch (built by the
Portland and Willamette Valley Railway) on the west side of the
Willamette River, and the
Brooklyn Subdivision on the east side of the river. The West Side branch and Brooklyn Subdivision met at
Portland Union Station, while the Newberg branch terminated at a separate station on Jefferson Street. Although the two stations were approximately apart, the lack of a direct connection meant that the rail distance was over . The Southern Pacific resolved this issue by constructing a new
cutoff linking the three lines. This cutoff comprised two disconnected sections. The first, sometimes known as the
Tigard branch, connected the West Side branch with the Newberg branch. Beginning at
Beaverton, it ran southeast to "Cook," on the west side of
Lake Oswego. The second, sometimes known as the
Milwaukie branch, connected the Newberg branch with the Brooklyn Subdivision. Beginning at "Wilsonia," on the north side of Lake Oswego, it crossed the Willamette on the
Lake Oswego Railroad Bridge, then turned north to run through
Milwaukie to Willsburg Junction on the Brooklyn Subdivision. This portion of the line was long. The Southern Pacific incorporated the company on November 6, 1906. Construction began in September 1907 and finished on July 17, 1910. The Pacific Coast Construction Company built the line, while Robert Wakefield, later involved with the
Steel Bridge, erected the bridge over the Willamette. The Beaverton and Willsburg Railroad was conveyed to the Southern Pacific on June 30, 1916. == References ==