Holcomb Creek Trestle

The Holcomb Creek Trestle, also known as the Dick Road Trestle, is a wooden railroad trestle bridge in Washington County, Oregon, United States, on Dick Road near the unincorporated community of Helvetia. Spanning 1,168 feet (356 m), it is thought to be the longest wooden railroad trestle still in use in the United States, as well as the largest trestle in Oregon.[1][2]

Holcomb Creek Trestle
Coordinates45.5969°N 122.8983°W / 45.5969; -122.8983
CarriesPortland and Western Railroad
CrossesHolcomb Creek
LocaleHelvetia, Oregon
Characteristics
DesignTrestle
Total length1,168 feet (356 m)
Height190 feet (58 m)
History
Openedc. 1911

The trestle was completed in around 1911 for the United Railways, a now-defunct railway which ran from Portland to Wilkesboro.[3] It was rebuilt in 1947.[4] A connection to the Oregon Electric Railway was later added.[5] It was used by Burlington Northern Railroad (which merged into BNSF Railway in 1995) until the mid-1990s, and was known by that company as "Bridge 16.7". The Holcomb Creek Trestle is currently operated by Portland and Western Railroad.

The trestle is the subject of several local urban legends and is rumored to be haunted. According to one account, it is haunted by the ghost of a man who killed himself and his family in a murder-suicide in the 1960s. It is also said to be the site of several suicides by hanging which took place in the early 20th century.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Tour Helvetia" (PDF). Helvetia Community Association. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  2. "PNWR - Holcomb Creek Trestle". BridgeHunter. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  3. "A Sense of Place". The Trackside Photographer. June 13, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. "Transportation" (PDF). Office of Senator Jeff Merkley. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  5. "Holcomb Creek Wooden Train Trestle Still Standing!". Train Fanatics. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  6. Willford, Tyler (October 30, 2015). "This Old Oregon Train Trestle on Dick Road is Said To Be Haunted". This Oregon Life. Retrieved May 27, 2020.


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