Gateway Oregon Abandoned Depot

[Gypsy Heart]

Gateway was just a small town along the railroad and probably is an even smaller community today, with not even so much as a store or gas
station. But it has one rare feature. A remaining abandoned depot. Its not clear when the depot was built, but it's construction is very unique
among depots. Its far more reminiscent of a barn than a depot. It's architecture is also very similar to the depot that once existed in Madras,
but is now gone. Gateway was also apparently known as Galloway to the railroad.



It's a mystery why this depot still exists. The railroad seemed to adopt the policy of destroying all the depots along its tracks when it stopped using the last of them
in the mid to late 1970s as train order stations. The only ones to survive, in Metolius and Redmond were both moved and sold to another party. Note how the
railroad has put up two signs along the route. One for Gateway and another for Galloway (presumably it's former name). Also note the modern concrete ties which
were recently installed here.




The depot was locked up, but it was clearly abandoned and in rather poor shape. We were able peak inside through a hole in one of the doors. The interior
looked like it was later converted into a home, which might explain why it wasn't destroyed in the late 1970s. It almost looks as though the last residents just packed
up and left and the depot has not been touched since. One interesting aspect of the depot is the paint scheme. Note how some exterior walls were painted
yellow with red trim while others are painted white with green trim. I surmise that the yellow/red colors were actually the SP&S depot color scheme painted
sometime before 1970. The white/green color scheme is Burlington Northern would have used after it merged with the SP&S after 1970. It appears the railroad
began to repaint the depot into the new white/green colors sometime in the early 1970s before giving up. Photos: August, 2005
http://www.brian894x4.com/OregonTrunkRailroad.html

[eagle77]

Oh man! I can hear the MD warming up!

[slow sweeper]

Very cool Gypsy. Were you able to do any detecting while at the site?

[Cynangyl]

I believe Bryce Vibbert owns the property there now. His grandpa Noah Vibbert ran the store and depot there when my mother was little. Noah used to let the kids help him catch the mail bag. Mom and Bryce went to school at the one room school house a few blocks from there in first grade. I actually lived in the gateway area on some of Vibberts land when I was pregnant with my son who is 22 now.....gracious...that was a long time ago! lol This post brought back a lot of memories...thanks so much for sharing it with us Gypsy!