EXPLORING THE
BACKWOODS
RAILROADS
Book revision details regional railroad changes
BY ALYSSA EVANS
D. C. Jesse Burkhardt is the author
of ‘Backwoods Railroads.’
An advertisement for the Astoria &
Columbia River Railroad.
Thanks to a new book, readers can flip
a page and experience local railroad his-
tory. Author D. C. Jesse Burkhardt recently
released “Backwoods Railroads,” which
tells the story of branchlines and short-
lines throughout rural Oregon. Delving into
changes within Oregon’s regional railroad
lines, he explores many on the North Coast,
as well as in the Cascade and Siskiyou
mountain ranges.
Burkhardt, who lives in White Salmon,
Washington, worked as a newspaper edi-
tor, reporter and photographer in the Pacific
Northwest for over 20 years. Now semi-re-
tired, he’s updated a 1994 title with more
than 100 pages of new detail, including
added photos.
This revised edition took Burkhardt
about a year to complete after being con-
tacted by Washington State University
Press. “I hadn’t thought about the book for
20 years,” Burkhardt said. “I updated each
chapter one by one. Maybe two-thirds of
the book is the original ’94 information.”
The book’s photos track railroad line
changes, including photos of new trains
and lines that are either abandoned or little
used. Content primarily focuses on railroads
between the 1980s and present day.
“I love to capture the way things change,
to preserve history. Each moment captures
a moment in time. Even a month or a year
later, an area could be totally different,”
Burkhardt said.
One of the themes Burkhardt realized
while researching for the book is that many
railroad lines have transitioned to be used
by several small companies rather than
a few large companies. Before the larger
companies disappeared, they worked to
remove smaller railroad lines that didn’t get
much service.
‘Backwoods Railroads’
By D. C. Jesse Burkhardt
Washington State University Press – $60
www.wsupress.wsu.edu
Some railroad lines, once active daily,
are now active only a couple days a week,
if that. “I find it incredible to see all the
changes that have happened. It’s been about
30 years of changes now,” Burkhardt said.
The author grew up in Jackson, Mich-
igan, near two busy railroad lines. Their
activity has been a source of interest
throughout his life. After retiring from
newspaper publishing five years ago, he
now works for a private contractor that
transports railway train crews.
“They’ve always been a sense of wonder
for me,” Burkhardt said. “When I moved
to Oregon, I just followed that. It’s part
of my element.” Growing up, Burkhardt
and his friends would spend hours each
week watching trains come and go in their
neighborhood.
“For me it was a place to get away from
the roads and people,” Burkhardt said. “The
tracks were kind of like an oasis to get
away,” he added.
The railroad line closest to his home is
no longer in use and is instead used as a
trail. “When I was growing up, it was com-
pletely active. It’s sad. It shows the changes
of life,” Burkhardt said. As does this book,
now a new part of the historical record.
THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2022 // 5