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When American Bridge Manufacturing opened for business in Reedsport in 2003, the steel fabricator had 100 employees.

Then the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad connecting the southern Oregon coast to the Willamette Valley abruptly shut down because of safety concerns. Within four years, American Bridge had only 10 employees and was barely limping along.

Now the company is back on track 鈥� literally.

Officials at the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay bought the railway in 2007 for $17 million and launched many of the backlogged maintenance projects along 134 miles of track. Service on the railway was restored in October 2011, and American Bridge and other companies are taking advantage. However, the train is, well, moving slowly.

鈥淵ou don’t shut down a mode of transportation abruptly for five years and bring it back immediately,鈥� said Brian Paul, the plant manager at Coos Head Forest Products. 鈥淚t’s getting there. It’s not going to happen overnight.鈥�

Port of Coos Bay officials spent $31 million to rehabilitate the tracks, said Elise Hamner, a spokeswoman for the port. One of every four railroad ties 鈥� 90,000 altogether 鈥� were replaced, and 57,000 tons of gravel were brought in.

However, many deferred maintenance projects remain; Hamner estimated that the rehabilitation of the railway is only two-thirds finished. Port officials and their partners in state and local government, as well as regional businesses, believe as much as $90 million more may be needed to completely bring the railroad up to speed.

For now, trains can travel on the railroad at only about 10 mph, said Tom Foster, the general manager of what is now called the Coos Bay Rail Link. Speeds are limited because of the condition of the tracks. Trains can occasionally go as fast as 20 mph, but that’s only on a limited stretch of rehabilitated track.

鈥淚t depends on the number of ties on the track and other factors,鈥� Foster said.

Even at 10 mph, Hamner said, rail service in the region is vital.

鈥淲e have a deep-draft harbor,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can’t have maritime commerce without rail service. There are hundreds of jobs tied to it.鈥�

Fred Jacquot, sales manager for American Bridge, said having an empty railroad between 2003 and 2011 certainly proved the importance of rail service.

鈥淲e have highway, water and railway access here,鈥� he said. 鈥淥f those, rail is the most important. We were sending product by rail to Portland and then shipping by truck.鈥�

That was the problem, Paul said.

鈥淭hat was the tricky (part) because that’s what everyone else was doing,鈥� he said. 鈥淓veryone was competing for the same trucks.鈥�

American Bridge has not been able to rehire all of the 90 employees who were laid off; however, it now has 50 workers.

鈥淩ail service has allowed us to be more competitive, but the market is still way, way down.鈥� Jacquot said.

For , restored rail service has been 鈥渁 foot in the door鈥� for expansion into nearby states, Paul said.

鈥淭he railway service in this region is vital,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e support it any way we can. If it’s the toss of a coin, we always go with rail. The port has done a wonderful job of re-energizing rail service.鈥�

For Foster, the restored railway is more than an economic boon. On a personal level, it has been a labor of love. He began his railroad career in 1966 in Ohio. When port officials bought the railroad, he was retired and living in Florida.

鈥淚 came out of retirement to do this,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淣ot many people can say they started a railroad from scratch with zero customers.鈥�

When the railway restarted last year, it was hauling 20 loads a month. Now it is running 200.

鈥淚t’s OK, but we’re moving slowly,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淪ome of the sawmills and lumber mills have closed down. We’ll have to figure out a way to replace them. We want to draw new business to the area and keep what we’ve got.鈥�

Rehabilitation work on the bridges along the line will begin in early 2013, Foster said.

Hamner said trains may seem old-fashioned in metropolitan areas where freight is associated with trucks and planes. In rural areas such as Coos County, she said, rail is still vital. At least half of the contracts awarded for the rail project have gone to Oregon companies near the line, Hamner said.

鈥淚t’s a huge boost for Oregon and the Northwest,鈥� she said.

The money to complete remaining projects will come from grant sources and community, governmental and business partnerships, according to Hamner. That is one of the most exciting aspects of the whole process, she said.

鈥淲e’ve all come together on this,鈥� she said.