Tuesday Meet To Fete U. P. Building
(Salt Lake Tribune, August 1, 1955, Monday)
Formal opening of Union Pacific Railroad's 6 million dollar diesel locomotive maintenance and repair shop will be celebrated Tuesday at noon during a joint luncheon meeting of Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club of Salt Lake City at Hotel Utah.
Luncheon speakers will include Arthur E. Stoddard, Omaha, U. P. president; Gov. J. Bracken Lee and Mayor Earl J. Glade. Acting as master of ceremonies will be the chamber's executive secratary , Gus P. Brackman.
An inspection of the new shop in north yards of the U. P. operating area will be made by those attending at the luncheon. They will board private busses for the tour. Private automobiles will not be allowed to enter the area.
Salt Lake City was selected for the huge new installation because of its central and strategic location and "excellent" labor market, company spokesmen said.
Employing some 400 men at an annual payroll of about 1.8 million dollars, the shop is said to be the most modern of its kind in the nation. It will, with the aid of a 270-ton capacity overhead traveling crane - the largest locomotive handling crane in the west - handle maintenance and repair of all types and sizes of U. P. equipment.
The huge building contains 144,000 square feet of floor space, making it the largest steel insulated building in the world. Addition of its 400 employes will bring to more than 5,000 the total U. P. personnel in Utah receiving 24 million dollars in wages annually.
###