Willamette Shore Trolley

I have seen this trolley while passing through Lake Oswego many a time but had it in my head that it no longer ran. Curious, I Googled it and to my surprise, it runs 4 x a day on the weekends. Possibly the week too but that was only looking at the weekend calendar.
The trolley ended up being our family’s Sunday adventure.
The trolley conductors had lots of interesting facts about the homes along the Willamette river, but you couldn’t see them very well because the trees are so dense.
I guess the trolley used to go all the way to the Spaghetti Factory and will again, starting some time in 2017.
For now, I await the trolley trip to watch the Christmas lights boats parade and the fireworks next July — both of which they stop for a bit to let people enjoy.

If you are really into trains and trolleys, or have a child who is, than you might enjoy this more than we did. It wasn’t a bad time, just not really worth the time. The highlight was the tunnel and the «Star Trek House», with is really cool, but otherwise is was blah. I feel bad giving only 3 stars, because the volunteers that work here are clearly passionate about their trolley, but for us it just wasn’t that fun. I don’t regret doing it, but wouldn’t do it again unless we had some visitors that were really into trains.

For a few years I had thought about riding the Willamette Trolley. I just never got around to it. Finally one day this last summer I did it. My dad, his girlfriend, my sister, my daughter and I. We found easy parking at the station in Lake Oswego and bought our bourding passes in the little train station. We had time to spare so we walked across Hwy 43 and looked at the water, ducks, fountain and sculptures. Took lots of pictures of course. Our trolley arrived and we boarded quickly to get the best seats. I felt like a kid trying to get on the school bus the fastest to get the «cool» seats. My daughter pretended to drive it so i could take more pics. The operator came on and gave us information about safety, where we go, when we come back, etc. Now we are off. Throughout the trip the other operator stands and tells history and stories along the way. He’s very entertaining and not «tour guideish» at all. We crossed lots of tressels, saw some beautiful homes and view, learned about the «dopple hanger ganger wanger»… what ever they were called, and arrived in Portland down by the radio stations and Old Spaghetti Factory. We had about 20 minutes before the return trip. We walked to the river and around the restaurant then headed back. All in all it was a good trip. Much funner than the zoo train. I think everyone should try it at least once.

Had I only taken the time last night to write my review, I might have achieved that glory of glories… a First icon on my Unilocal profile.
But alas, Jen K. beat me to it, which I suppose is fair because I only heard about the open house through her. I’d echo her comments on the train experience and add a few of my own:
Pros:
The trolley is available for charter, and I thought that sounded pretty cool. Taking a whole group of people down for a train ride from Johns Landing to Lake Oswego, doing a dinner and coming back sounded like a pretty unique and fun way to travel.
Mwehs:
The trolley is historic, but it feels a little ragged. The advertising on the inside of the car is a mix of old vintage ads and new modern sponsorships. While I understand the mix of historic and modern, this muddle seemed to be a theme. The train is electric, but needed a diesel generator strapped to the front to make it go. The seats are cool old benches that flip from front to back… except for the one modern yellow plastic school chair stuck in the front. This sense of confusion could easily be corrected and make the experience feel more historic.
Cons:
The logistics were AWFUL, but I think that may have just been the open house. The train leaves from the terminus in Lake Oswego, which is very close to the downtown area, which is nice… so people queued up there. But then they told everyone it would be faster if they walked up to the train barn first… so basically, the train stopped two blocks from where it started, shuffled passengers in and out, both ways. Again, easily correctable… but with an under-​the-​weather 4 year old, these sorts of delays go from inconvenient to maddening.
All in all, I would probably go back, if for no reason other than the novelty factor. I’d definitely consider chartering the trolley for a business function… or perhaps a UYE? :)

Looking for something new to do with your train buff? You might want to give the historic Willamette Shore Trolley a try. We took this ride several times when the kids were little and just rediscovered it yesterday when they had an Open House since I’m always looking for free activities in our area.
Normally the route goes from downtown Lake O to Bancroft Street in the S. Waterfront area of Portland and costs around $ 10/​round trip for adults and less for kids. It is a 40 minute trip each way with a break on either end to allow you to stroll, shop or get a bite to eat.
The trolley itself is a 1932 streetcar that was originally used on the Portland Broadway line, but restored and operated by volunteers of the Oregon Electric Railway Historical group. For the Open House the volunteers were out in full force, all dressed up, since the entire group uses the day to get re-​certified for operations. Lots of nice folks sharing their passion for rail travel and local history.
The trip itself gives you a great view of some amazing mansions, and little cottages, along the Willamette River. You’ll go through a long tunnel, over bridges and see how the other half lives. I actually saw a seaplane parked in one garage.
This isn’t the most thrilling ride, but if your kids are in a train phase it is a good activity for them. Since this is run by volunteers on a tight budget there aren’t any fancy touches and the gift shop, etc. is bare bones.
The trolley is operated seasonally (May-​Oct), but is available year round for special events (birthdays, school trips, church outings, etc.). My favorite trip was taking the trolley one December when the Christmas ships were out on the river.