The Oregon Electric Railway Museum in Brooks, Ore., has taken delivery of TriMet Type 1 101, one of the cars that helped establish light rail service in Portland in 1986. The car made its debut over the weekend and will be on display again during the Great Oregon Steam-Up on August 2 and 3.

TriMet purchased 26 Type 1 cars from Bombardier. The cars were based on models used overseas. Although Bombardier attempted to market them elsewhere, they were the only ones ever built and became the backbone of TriMet’s fleet for nearly four decades. TriMet began retiring the cars a few years ago as new Siemens SD700s (known as Type 6s on TriMet) started arriving.

“Preserving LRV #101 is a profound honor for us and a major milestone for the museum,” said Mark Kavanagh, Community Engagement Manager for the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society. “This isn’t just a machine; it’s a piece of living history that millions of Oregonians have seen, ridden, and relied on. We are immensely grateful to our partners at TriMet for entrusting us with its care so that we can share its story for generations to come.”

—Railfan & Railroad Staff