The Toledo Branch and the Marys River - Keep an Eye Out for Crawdads!

First Crossing of the Marys River - SP Toledo Branch, railroad west of Philomath, Oregon This bridge is surprisingly not pin-connected, but has riveted gussets.

Willamette and Pacific Toledo Hauler Train 75 running light power crosses the bridge shown above. I was standing in the river to get this one.

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First crossing as seen above.

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Second crossing, the satellite has caught a hi-rail truck. Toledo is to the left in this view.

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Third crossing, Toledo is to the right in this view.

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Fourth Crossing, Toledo is to the top in this view.


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Fifth crossing, Toledo and Wren are to the left. 

The former Southern Pacific Toledo Branch followed a typical pattern, up one drainage system, and down another. The two rivers being the Marys River (conventionally spelled without an apostrophe,) and the Yaquina River. In the Corvallis area, the Marys is your typical floor of the Willamette Valley mudhole, but it resembles much more the mountain stream when it passes through Oregon's Coast Range. Yes, you will find plenty of crawdads, turtles, and salamanders. Above are the five bridges across the river just between Philomath and Wren. Between Wren and Blodgett, the Marys negotiates a fairly rugged canyon.

For a picture of the 99W highway bridge over the Marys River in Corvallis go here. This shows the river full of spring runoff, and is just upstream of the confluence with the Willamette.