Francis A. Chenoweth built a wooden tramway using mules on the north bank of the river in 1851 . He sold the tram way to Daniel and Putnam Bradford who incorporated it as the Cascades Railroad . The Great Flood of 1862 ( which began in November 1861 ) swept away the tramway . It was rebuilt as railroad by the Oregon Steam Navigation Company and returned to operation with two steam locomotives named " ANN " and " BETSY " on April 20 , 1863 . The railroad was broad gauge from 1860 to 1880 , standard gauge from 1880 to 1883 , and narrow gauge from 1883 until the close of operations . One of its five small locomotives , No. 7 , was sold in 1900 to the Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company
Great Flood of 1862
Great Flood of 1862
Cascades Railroad