PRO Wheel Polisher
April 9-12, 2026 Three Oregon Railroads
Welcome to the PRO 2026 Wheel Polisher
The PRO wheel polisher is a series of short runs held early in the season which helps operators exercise their cars to exorcise any bugs after winter maintenance to ensure they are ready for the longer runs to come.
This year we have made it three days on different railroads and priced them individually at $50 each day. So feel free to sign up for as many days as you desire.
All three of these railroads offer smooth running with nice scenery on very well maintained track, they all have crossings to be managed safely on which we will brief you at the safety meetings.
We start out with the Oregon Pacific RR in Portland April 9-10, then Oregon Pacific at Canby on April 10-11, and end on the Venell Farms RR just south of Corvallis Oregon on April 11-12.
Gas is readily available between each days run but there are no convenient places to get gas during each day of the runs. So please plan on having enough gas to run around 40 miles each day.
Please complete all your off season maintenance before you turn up. Whilst we hope you all have no problems, these short runs are the best place to experience them before you travel long distances to the bigger more expensive runs of the season. We will have experienced operators who can help you if problems arise. We will be towing a porta potty on all three days.
Day one April 10, 2026
This branch of the OPR takes us from their maintenance yard to where we turn around at the Oregon Rail Heritage Museum just before the tracks become CTC. For operators joining us for the first time you will experience what may be the steepest grade open in the US to speeder operation. Just after leaving the yard the tracks climb at 6.5% to the protected crossing at 17th st where the grade drops to 3.5% until 13th
Fortunately we have radio control of the crossing at 17th so we can protect the crossing within the NARCOA rules, whilst you work the grade. We will make as many runs between “17th and beginning of CTC” as operators need until Set-off at 16:00. Around 13:00 we will stop close to the Museum and take and extended lunch break so you can visit the
Oregon Rail Heritage Museum:- https://orhf.org/
which is a short walk from the turn round point. You may also choose to purchase Pizza cooked right there in a converted boxcar:-
https://www.yelp.com/biz/mt-hood-brewing-co-tilikum-station-portland
Set-on:-
is at 9333 SE Mc Brod Ave Milwaukee Oregon:-
Link to Google Maps seton location << Click Here >>
Friday evening April 9, 2026 17:00-20:00 and April 10, 2026 07:00-0830 followed by the safety meeting at 08:40 and departure at 09:15.
Day two April 11, 2026
The Canby Branch of the OPRR. This is the main revenue source for the OPRR bring in steel and the ingredients for chicken feed production. Outbound the interchanging dimensional lumber with the UP at Canby. We will run about 6.5 miles of this 7.5 mile RR. This track is mostly dead straight but it traverses beautiful country. Over the years we have had access to it the track has been upgraded from very rough FRA accepted to a very smooth better than class one status.
Once again there are a number of crossings and the locals do not expect train activity on weekends, we will brief you in the safety meeting.
Please bring the food and drink you need for the day as there are no facilities close enough to buy from during the run. We will be towing a porta -potty.
Set-on
Is at Canby Oregon in the “Wye” just south of Hwy 99 :-
Link to Google Maps Set-on location << Click Here >>
If the traffic is heavy it is safer to enter from North bound highway 99.
17:00 – 19:00 April 10, 2026 and 07:00-08:30 April 11, 2026
Safety meeting 08:40 departure 09:15.
Set-off
16:00
Day 3 April 12, 2026
Venell farms. This 5.5 mile RR Exports and imports agricultural materials to and from the Portland and Western interchange in Corvallis Oregon. It is currently out of service due to a bridge failure on the Portland and Western in Corvallis:-
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEiUM0EvORL/?hl=en
History
This track is all that is left of an SP connection from Corvallis to Eugene. Where it joined the Coos Bay line just East of Eugene. Service South of Monroe ceased in the Depression. The tracks where later removed South of Monroe During the Construction of the Fernridge flood control dam. Service to Monroe and Hull Oaks lumber continued into the 2000’s serving the famous steam powered Hull Oaks lumber mill. You should be able to find a very good VHS tape of the SP serving the mill and showing the steam powered machinery in action. Search on line for:-
“Steam Powered Saw Mill”
Steam operation ceased a few years ago but the boilers and steam engine are still in place.
When the tracks became too rough and there where too many derailments, service to the mill was discontinued In the mid 2000’s, and the track was later scrapped. Larry Venell purchased about 6 miles from from the P&W main line to his farm and after restoring the track established inbound and outbound traffic in farm materials. In January 2025 the Bridge over the St Marries river collapsed under a loaded inbound train Taking the Rail Road out of service and stranding three locomotives and a number of cars on the branch:-
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEiUM0EvORL/?hl=en
The bridge has not yet been rebuilt.
This track was restored to Class 1 and our RR contacts tell us it is close to class 2.
Once again crossings are an issue which we will cover in the safety meeting
Set-on April 12, 2026 07:00-08:30
Is at the scale off Llewellyn Rd Corvallis Oregon:-
Link to Google Maps Set-on location << Click Here >>
Safety meeting 08:40 departure at 09:15
Set-off when everyone is done.
There is no easy food or gas service so please prepare yourselves for the day.
Personal observation from EC Guy Howard
“I entered the hobby in 2001, the first run I was able to signed up for was the PRO Corvallis to Toledo run. Which started with a short run to Hull Oakes and back for lunch, then on to Toledo. There was no general requirement for mentoring back then. So there I was with an ST2K (with the large Popper engine) and no experience. Fortunately I had the engine starting and running fairly well, but not as well as it could as I found out later in the day.
We headed South out of the P&W yard on to the now failed bridge so in about a quarter of a mile I was on the now Venell farms RR track. On the 12 th I will be running on the first track I ever ran on. I was able to make this run twice more before the railroad was purchased by Genoese and Wyoming. It was a wonderful run and I miss it a lot”
Paperwork
General Release
https://www.narcoa.org/docs/insurance/Narcoa&AffiliateGeneralRelease21-10.pdf
Printed double sided.
Inspection Form
https://www.narcoa.org/docs/insurance/inspectionform4.0.pdf
For day 1
Oregon Pacific RR
April 9-10, 2026
Pacific Railcar Operators
For Day 2
Oregon Pacific RR
April 10-11, 2026
Pacific Railcar Operators
Day 3
Venell Farms Railroad
April 11-12, 2026
Pacific Railcar Operators
Please send the completed paper work and a cheque for $50 for each day you will operate to:-
Guy Howard
94991 Toftdahl Lane
Junction City
Oregon 97448
If you are planning to bring a Minor to the run. The NARCOA requirements have changed please fill out :-
Please submit
https://www.narcoa.org/docs/governance/MPA_Jan26.pdf
For each Day you will run with the Minor.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me:-