The magic of Jordan

We go hunting an old interurban route through the SW hills of Portland following lunch today. With me is Dan, Matt, and Jordan, the latter two signals guys from Orange & Blackia. This route was built in the 1860's as a mainline bid for California, and was converted to an electric interurban in 1912, and abandoned in 1929. So to put this in perspective, it's been gone for something like 75 years.

We stop the car at one spot we think the grade is, get out, and start walking around the place.

Within a minute of getting out of the car, without even seeming to try, Jordan bends over and picks up a small railroad spike.

This is not the first time time he's done this, nor the record; the oldest on record is a fishplate dating to the 1870's narrow gauge out near Willamina, on a route that's been gone for over a century.

Jordan: railroad archaeology magnet.