Railroads and Mining in Utah's Bingham Canyon, Copper Era 1936 to 1981

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This page last updated on November 20, 2023.

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Copper Era, 1936 to 1981

(Utah Copper, Bingham & Garfield, and Kennecott Copper only)

(See also: Kennecott parent companies)

November 10, 1936
Utah Copper Company was sold to Kennecott Copper Corporation. Kennecott had organized a new Utah Copper Company in Delaware, as a subsidiary, on November 6, 1936 for the purpose. The original Utah Copper Company had been organized in New Jersey in 1904. On April 29, 1915, Kennecott Copper Corporation had been organized in New York to acquire the worldwide Guggenheim copper interests, including all of the interests of Kennecott Mines Company in Alaska (including its Copper River & Northwestern Railroad) and 25 percent interest in Utah Copper Company in Utah, along with 96 percent interest in Braden Copper Company in Chile. In 1923 Kennecott Copper Corporation acquired 77 percent control of Utah Copper Company and by 1925 Kennecott had acquired 95 percent interest in Utah Copper. (Arrington: Richest Hole, page 68; Kennecott Historical Index)

1937
Ohio Copper Company sold all of its surface rights and minerals rights in Bingham Canyon to Kennecott. Ohio retained its dumps and leaching plant at Lark, which were later sold to United States Smelting, Refining and Mining Company in 1950. (Arrington: Richest Hole, page 88)

February 1937
A second order of electric locomotives (road numbers 742-760) began to arrive, with delivery continuing through October. This second order was delivered as 85-ton locomotives. During 1937 the other 41 locomotives, delivered as 75-ton units, were reballasted to 85 tons. For operations in the pit, two locomotives are needed for each shovel in service. Each locomotive handled a train of twelve (12) empty cars. (Kennecott Historical Index)

February 25, 1937
Utah Copper offered $600,000 for Ohio Copper's property in Bingham Canyon. Utah Copper needed the surface for expansion of its open pit mine, and a portion of the underground workings for the proposed vehicular tunnel between Bingham and Copperfield. The vehicular tunnel would allow Utah Copper to close the county road at the bottom of Bingham Canyon. (Deseret News, February 25, 1937)

February 26, 1937
The law firm working for Ohio Copper company sent a letter to all stockholders asking for their proxy votes for a special stockholders meeting to be held on March 12, 1937. (Letter, Rogers & Whitiker, Counselors At Law, New York City; dated February 26, 1937, courtesy of Tim Dumas)

It is desired to get a proxy covering your shares in order that they may be voted at a special meeting of stockholders called to be held March 12, 1937 to approve the sale of a portion of the property of Ohio Copper Company of Utah to the Kennecott Copper Corporation for $600,000.

The Ohio Copper Company of Utah is many years in arrears in bond interest and several years in arrears in taxes.

The proceeds of the sale will free the Company of all debt, and put over $300,000. cash in its treasury.

The portion to be sold to Utah Copper Company is to enable that Company to build a vehicular tunnel.

Ohio Company of Utah will have remaining the Mascotte tunnel and a large portion of its property.

March 5, 1937
Utah Copper received two 4-1/2-yard Marion shovels, and six new electric locomotives of 12 that had been ordered. Production was 60,000 tons per day. (Bingham Bulletin, March 5, 1937)

December 1937
Seventy five (75) miles of track had been electrified. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1938
The original Kennecott copper mine in Alaska was closed. The profits from this mine in Alaska between 1911 and 1938 were reported as the reason the Kennecott Copper Corporation took full ownership of the Utah Copper Company, making it the Utah Copper Division of Kennecott Copper Corporation. (Deseret News, June 8, 1998)

June 16, 1938
Bingham Canyon mine and both mills were completely shut down, after operating at one-fifth capacity for almost five years. (Kennecott Historical Index)

August 1, 1938
Bingham Canyon mine and both mills operations resume. (Kennecott Historical Index)

January 29, 1939
"Recent additions to the mine's equipment include new electric full revolving shovels with dippers of five cubic yard capacity, which have loaded as much as 8,000 tons per shift. The company has 29 electric shovels, six of which are of the full revolving type, 58 75-ton electric locomotives, 165 30-yard dump cars, 67 air drills of the reciprocating type and 33 of the hammer type, 13 track shifters for moving the level tracks as mining advances, and much other equipment. The mine track includes 84 miles of standard gauge track, all electrified, besides assembly, yard and main line track which brings the total to 154 miles. Equipment also includes nine 272-ton Mallet articulated compound locomotives, 632 80-ton ore cars, 100 ordinary 100-ton ore cars, besides 250 100-ton ore cars with sides, ends and bottoms of copper molybdenum high tensile steel." (Ogden Standard Examiner, January 29, 1939)

February 4, 1939
Copperfield vehicular tunnel was opened for traffic. The 6,975 tunnel had been completed in December 1938 and was built at a cost of $1.4 Million. The tunnel rose from 6,100 feet elevation at Bingham to 6,600 feet at Copperfield, at a 6.4 percent grade. Utah Construction Company had begun construction in March 1937 and made a perfect hole-through on February 19, 1938. The old county highway in the bottom of the canyon was closed and the tunnel was deeded to Salt Lake County as its replacement. The tunnel was used by about 850 cars that first day and could accommodate 1,100 cars per day. (Ogden Standard Examiner, February 4, 1939)

mid February 1939
A fill was begun to connect the east and west sides of C-Level, across the old county highway. Auto traffic was now using the new Copperfield vehicular tunnel. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1940
Utah Copper waste trains began filling Carr Fork with waste. (Kennecott Historical Index)

May 1940
Ore Delivery Department became Ore Haulage Department. (Kennecott Historical Index)

June 14, 1940
The tracks of D&RGW's Bingham Branch, between the precipitation plant at the mouth of Bingham canyon, and the lower Bingham city limits were shifted 150 feet closer to the county highway to give Utah Copper more room to dispose of its waste rock. The grading work was completed "last week" by Utah Construction Co., and a 120-man crew of Utah Copper track workers moved the tracks with the task being completed on "Tuesday evening" (June 12). (The Bingham Bulletin, June 14, 1940)

September 1940
American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME) met in national convention at Salt Lake City, Utah. (Mining and Metallurgy, Volume 21, 1940)

October 19, 1940
"Blast Wrecks Landmark Near Bingham -- A 125-foot brick smokestack that marked the last vestige of the old Yampa smelter in the mouth of Bingham canyon was just a pile of bricks Sunday. The stack came tumbling down late Saturday after workmen carefully planted a load of dynamite at its base. It was erected in 1904, one of four stacks that served a smelter handling 1000 tons of ore a day. What was left of the more than 100,000 bricks will go into the new $30,000 Copperton L. D. S. ward chapel now being erected. Officials of the Utah Copper company gave the bricks to the L. D. S. church. The basement and walls of the new chapel are practically complete." (Bingham Bulletin, October 19, 1940; photos and text also in Salt lake Tribune, October 21, 1940)

Late 1940
During late 1940 Utah Copper was the largest producer of non-ferrous metals in the United States, with a daily ore production of 70,000 tons, with 90,000 tons of waste being removed. Utah Copper employed 4,300 persons, including those working for the Bingham & Garfield. The total tonnage mined to January 1, 1940 was 641,268,375 tons, of which a little less than half (295,648,575 tons) was copper ore. there were twenty-one levels on the mine's west side, and twelve levels on the east side, along with three sub-levels, below the A-level. The bottom level of the mine was at 6,190 feet elevation. Electric shovels in the mine were loading 6,300 tons in each eight-hour shift. The new full-rotation shovels, using five-cubic yard dippers, were loading up to 10,000 tons per shift. Waste rock was being hauled in trains of eight to ten, thirty-cubic yard dump cars. There was a total of 166 miles of standard gauge railroad track in the Utah Copper operation: 98 miles of mine tracks; 33 miles of mainline to the mills; and 35 miles of yard, loading, storage, and side-tracks. (Mining and Metallurgy, Volume 21, December 1940, page 550)

May 1941
Construction of the 100,000 kilowatt Central Power Station began. (Arrington: Richest Hole, page 75) (Read more about the Central Power Station)

1941
Switchback from M-Level down to G-Level was completed. (Kennecott notes)

late 1941
Dry Fork was completely filled with waste. (Kennecott Historical Index)

(This statement about Dry Fork being filled was actually for the upper parts of the canyon, surrounding the site of the former B&G bridge. In 1947 the south part of the B&G rail line became the far north end of Utah Copper's A-Level Dump Line. The fill from the 'A' Dump line very soon reached across the canyon to meet the former B&G line on the north side, thus "filling" the canyon. At the time, and until at least the period after 1945, there were still residents living in the lower part of Dry Fork. When Kennecott completed the new B&G Cross-Canyon line and Central Yard, a tunnel was added to allow access for these residents, notably to allow the garbage trucks access. The tunnel itself was completed in Fall 1941, as part of the early stages of the fill across Dry Fork for the new rail line. There was also a popular picnic area that was used by Bingham residents for local barbecue parties.)

In early November 1941 a record was set when on one single day the Bingham & Garfield moved 105,000 tons of ore to the mills. Of the 1,150 cars of ore shipped in that single 24 hour period; 667 cars went to Magna and 483 cars went to Arthur. At the time, in November 1941, the United States was producing thirty percent of world's copper and Bingham was producing one-third of the United States' production. (Salt Lake Tribune, November 9, 1941)

February 15, 1942
Utah Copper locomotive 105 had a boiler explosion that killed both the engineer, Joseph Poulsen, and the fireman, Rhys Thomas. The brakeman, Edward Anderson suffered minor burns because of his location in the brakeman's shanty atop the locomotive tender. The explosion took place at 8:05 a.m. on Saturday February 15, 1942 while the locomotive was inside Tunnel No. 3 on the former Bingham & Garfield line in Bingham Canyon. The locomotive was at the head of a train of 52 empty ore cars returning to the Bingham copper mine from the mill at Magna. (Salt Lake Telegram, February 21, 1942) The usual operating practice was for the locomotive to travel tender first when returning to the mine, putting the brakeman ahead of the locomotive when the explosion took place.

March 1942
Four new 90-ton electric locomotives arrived (road numbers 761-764). An additional 100-ton electric locomotive (road number 600) arrived, set up for 600 volts DC, and was put into service at the mill car dumpers. The additional locomotive allowed higher dumper production by doing away with dumping delays due to shift changes and the dumpers being idle while the dumper locomotive went after another cut of cars. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1943
The car dumper at Arthur set a record when it dumped 633 cars of ore in 24 hours. (Kennescope magazine, March 1957, page 9)

June 1943
The cross-canyon connection was completed at the site of the old Yampa Smelter, providing a railroad connection between the planned 6040-Tunnel and the new Ore Haulage Central Yard, near Dry Fork. The new cross-canyon fill included two short tunnels for the county highway and the Denver & Rio Grande Western line. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1944
During 1944, there were 120.2 miles of track in the pit and the canyon. (Kennecott Historical Index)

January 10, 1944
6040 Tunnel -- Utah Construction Company began work on the tunnel, 4,600 feet long, that was to connect the bottom of the open pit mine with Bingham. Completion was anticipated to be in one year. (Bingham Bulletin, August 4, 1944; December 22, 1944)

March 1944
The following comes from the March 18, 1944 issue of Railway Age magazine, Volume 116, Number 12, "Electric Traction in Copper Mines":

The transportation problem of a large strip mine involves the loading, hauling, and dumping of both ore and waste. These materials are loaded with large electric shovels operating on benches along the slope of a hill or pit. The ore is transported over main-line tracks to the reduction plant, while the waste is hauled to suitable dumps. All main-line tracks are permanent and are equipped with permanent overhead distribution systems. All bench and dump tracks are portable and are equipped with portable overhead distribution systems.

Sixty per cent of the world's copper is now obtained by open-pit mining of low-grade ore. Electrification of haulageways for open-pit mining is keeping pace with the expansion and is modernizing the transportation of heavy tonnages. Large capacities, necessitating heavy cars and heavy grades, demand short-period overloads. From the standpoint of locomotive capacity, rail size, dump-car capacity, and density of traffic, most open-pit electrifications compare in size with our large steam-road installations and hold an important place in the field of heavy traction.

Contact System -- The portable overhead system is used at any location where it is necessary to move the track at frequent intervals. The tracks on the benches are moved towards the face as mining progresses, and the tracks along the waste dump are moved towards the shoulder of the dump as the dump is filled out. On the bench tracks, head clearance must be maintained for loading, since the dipper of the shovel reaches over the center line of track.

Crane equipment is frequently operated over both the bench tracks and the dump tracks ; therefore, overhead clearance is necessary over these tracks. The usual offset of trolley wire from the center of track is from 10 to 16 ft. Of course, the offset on the benches is on the side opposite the shovel. Portable structures are usually steel, either constructed of fabricated shapes or pipe. Owing to the constant handling, a wooden structure does not have sufficient life and is easily splintered. The pipe structure is the simplest and requires less maintenance.

One of the simplest pipe structures is used on the Utah Copper Company operations at Bingham, Utah. This structure consists of a five-inch pipe embedded in a concrete footing and supporting, at its top, a bracket arm which in turn supports the trolley wire. The concrete footing is elongated, and is equivalent to a sled or stoneboat in contour. It is equipped with a large eye bolt for pulling and also can be shoved into position with a bulldozer. This type of portable structure is easily transported from one bench to another and can be moved readily as mining progresses.

A special type of trolley clamp is used for portable structures. This clamp provides not only the usual jaws for clamping the grooved trolley wire but also an opening above the jaws where the wire can be supported but not clamped. When the overhead system is in operation, the trolley wire is clamped in the lower part of the jaws and cannot be pulled through the jaws, but, while the structures are being moved, the trolley wire is held loosely in the opening above the clamps. Thus, the trolley wire is free to slide longitudinally when the poles are moved to a new position. After the structures are in place the trolley wire is tensioned by pulling the free end. The wire is then dropped into the lower portion of the clamps, and the jaws are tightened on the wire.

March 24, 1944
Central Power Station at Magna went into service at a cost of $8 Million. The boilers could use either natural gas or coal. (Kennecott Historical Index) (Read more about the Central Power Station)

June 1944
A Utah Copper photograph dated June 23, 1944 (UCM 288, 6-23-44) shows the lower portal of the 6040 tunnel not yet completed, with wooden concrete forms still on the portal, and no railroad rails in the vicinity.

1945
Kennecott put its first Centralized Traffic Control control panel into service. It controlled railroad traffic between lower Bingham Canyon and Copperton. (Kennescope magazine, December 1954, page 15)

December 22, 1944
6040 Tunnel -- There remained just 800 feet yet to drive to complete the new railroad tunnel. The new tunnel was 18 feet wide and 22 feet high. The general superintendent of Utah Construction Co. stated that the tunnel would be complete in approximately two months, at a cost of $1,222,000. "Obstacles which have plagued construction crews include two cave ins, one in June, which halted progress for six weeks, and another, which slowed down the crew for two weeks, in July. The shortage of labor has kept shift crews, which in ordinary times number 16 or 18 men, down to 8 and 10. To keep the men needed on the job it has been necessary to raise the wages of $10 a day, standard tunnel pay all over the country, to $11.70." "Much loose ground has been encountered, necessitating placement of arched supports close to the face and nearer each other than ordinarily required. Until recently the rock excavated from the tunnel has been of little value. The quartzite vein they are now encountering has better grade mineral content." (Bingham Bulletin, December 22, 1944)

January 22, 1945
6040 Tunnel -- "In addition to the increase in [mine] track lengths, 3,972 feet of tunnel was driven on the 6040 Level connection to the pit." (Utah Copper Chronology History, General Manager's Report for 1944, January 22, 1945)

July 7, 1945
6040 Tunnel -- A dinner was held at the Utah Construction company boarding house at Bingham, celebrating the completion of concrete work on the new railroad tunnel, 4,700 feet in length. (Bingham Bulletin, July 13, 1945)

February 4, 1946
6040 Tunnel -- "At the end of the year [1945] the transportation tunnel from the present floor of Utah Copper company's open pit mine was described as 'nearing completion.' It will provide an outlet for sub-level ore." (Ogden Standard Examiner, February 4, 1946)

(This indicates that although the 6040 tunnel itself was completed in July 1945, Utah Copper still had extensive work to complete before track could be laid connecting the new tunnel with the lowest track levels in the mine, including considerable excavation down to the opening within the mine. At the lower end, in the canyon, a new line for the Bingham & Garfield was completed, including a new assembly yard, known as Central Yard, across the canyon from the lower portal of the 6040 tunnel. New connections included new switchback tracks down from the waste dump lines higher in the canyon, along with a cross-canyon connection that included a tunnel for the D&RGW spur and highway at the bottom of the canyon. Other connections included what was called the C-C Line, or Cross-Canyon Line, connecting the 6040 tunnel with the new Copperton yard of the new electrified line being built, as well as connecting the B&G low line with the original B&G main line (built in 1911), with the connection being called Central Junction.)

"Under general operating procedure, all ore above elevation 6190 is brought down "off the hill" over surface lines, consisting of tracks along the various levels connected by switchbacks, and all ore below elevation 6190 is brought out of the pit through the 6040 tunnel, which was driven into the pit below its lowest rim to eliminate uphill haulage of pit ores." (Railway Signaling, May 1947, page 286)

May 8, 1946
"Work on the construction of the new Electrified Railroad Line (14 miles in length) to Magna was begun. It was 95 per cent completed by the end of the year." (Kennecott Historical Index, citing the Mines Annual Report, 1946, page 5)

1947
Central Power Station was expanded to 110,000 kilowatts. (Arrington: Richest Hole, page 75) (Read more about the Central Power Station)

January 1, 1947
Utah Copper Company became the Utah Copper Division of Kennecott Copper Corporation. (Kennecott Historical Index)

"Commencing January 1, 1947, Utah Copper operations are to be conducted under the name Kennecott Copper Corporation, Utah Copper Division. This is a change in name only. There will be no change in operating personnel, and the change will simplify accounting." ("Important Events In the History of the Bingham Mining District" document kept by Kennecott Engineering Department staff, citing "Mills Annual Report 1947, page 12")

March 1947
The CC (cross-canyon) line was completed, for connection to the new Copperton low line. (Kennecott Historical Index)

This allowed the higher, original B&G mainline to be retired. Specifically, the B&G bridge across Dry Fork canyon was removed for its salvage value. The upper part of Dry Fork was already being filled from the 'D' Dump Line, and the filling action had reached the B&G bridge.

June 1947
The new Dry Fork shops were completed and opened. The official name was the Dry Fork Machine Shop. Photos show that work to fill in the area for the shop begun as early as summer 1941 when the tunnel under the rail line was completed. The tunnel provided access into Dry Fork canyon itself prior to it being filled with waste rock. The rail line serving the shop was part of the new Cross-Canyon line for the Bingham & Garfield railroad to move ore trains from the 6040 tunnel into the new Central yard, then farther east and north to a new connection to the existing B&G mainline. The Dry Fork shop was built adjacent to the new B&G line.

October 22, 1947
Ore Haulage employees went on strike. (Kennecott Historical Index)

November 6, 1947
Ore Haulage strike ends. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1948
Construction began on the Garfield Refinery. (Kennecott Historical Index)

April 1, 1948
Operations of the Copperton Low Line began, for training purposes.

April 24 and 25, 1948
The new Copperton Line electric locomotives were on display at Copperton. (Bingham Bulletin, April 23, 1948)

April 30, 1948
"The 'Electrified Line' was placed into operation. The working force in the Ore Delivery Shops were affected by the change to Industrial Ore Haulage, effective May 1, 1948." (Kennecott Historical Index)

"The Bingham & Garfield Railway Co. ceased operation on this date at 11:59 p.m. and was completely liquidated and dissolved by decree of Court June 30, 1951." (Kennecott Historical Index)

May 2, 1948
New Copperton Low Line began operation. The maximum grade for the new line was 1.35 percent while the maximum grade of the Bingham & Garfield was 2.5 percent. The lower gradient of the new line allowed longer trains and therefore more ore to be delivered to the mills. Seven 3,000 hp electric locomotives were purchased for service on the new Copperton line; enough to operate the low line trains and to provide locomotives for the car dumpers at the two mills. To allow the new locomotives to be used on the car dumpers, the dumper yards at Magna and Arthur were converted from 600 volts DC to 3,000 volts DC (the same as the Copperton low line) and the three 85-ton (numbers 737, 738, 740) and single 100-ton (number 600) were reassigned to the Bingham pit. Number 600 was renumbered to 765 upon reassignment. (notes from interview with Jay Richardson, March 1972, upon arrival of Chino no. 4).

The first train was operated on May 2, 1948, a Saturday. (Bingham Bulletin, May 7, 1948)

The following comes from Scott Crump's book, "Copperton," published in 1978.

Although not related to the KCC takeover of the UCC, another change that occurred at this time was the building of the ore haulage railroad line from Copperton to Magna. Construction of this $5,000,000 line, which was to take ore from the Bingham Mine to the Magna Mill, was started in 1946 when the depth of the copper mine made it too costly and impractical to haul ore uphill to reach the old Bingham and Garfield Railroad line. This 14 mile stretch of track to Magna was to take two years to build because of the post-war shortage of needed materials. Also constructed were the Copperton Assembly Yards south of town. These yards were built to serve as a place where trains coming from the mine could bring loaded ore cars and pick up empty ones from the hill. A unique feature of the Copperton to Magna line was that it was an electrical line and seven new electrical engines were purchased for $750,000 to run on it. (Bingham Bulletin, January 9, 1948)

These locomotives were especially built for the Copperton line and were at the time the largest industrial electrical locomotives ever built. On April 24th and 25th of 1948, a week before the line opened, these engines were on display at the Copperton underpass. They attracted a lot of attention and a great number of local people went to inspect them. (Bingham Bulletin, April 23, 1948)

Finally on May 2, 1948, with much fanfare, the new line was opened. The following description was made of the event:

The first run of the five million dollar Copperton industrial railroad line between Bingham and Magna was made Saturday. The 70 car electrical-powered train signaled the end of the old Bingham and Garfield railroad line whose huge steam Mallets have been carrying ore for many years. Two years in construction, the new line possesses lower grades and flatter curves, making it possible to haul 70 to 100 train ore cars instead of 50, the usual load on the Bingham and Garfield Railroad. The first train in the Copperton Yards arrived at 9:00 a.m. with 70 empties. 70 full cars brought to the new yards were then switched to the 3,300 horse power electric motor. (Bingham Bulletin, May 7, 1948)

Cyprus Siding -- About midway along the Copperton Low Line, where today's 5400 South crossed the line, a passing siding was built to allow trains moving in opposite directions to pass each other. The siding was named "Cyprus," for the Mediterranean island where the Romans and Greeks first began mining copper in ancient times. Jackling founded Utah Copper in 1903, and was president of Utah Copper until he retired in 1942, clearing the way for Kennecott's full takeover of the Bingham property. Jackling retired to the San Francisco Bay area, where he died in 1956.

August 3, 1948
Kennecott Copper and United States Smelting Refining & Mining made a joint announcement that a new tunnel would be built between the Bingham Canyon mine and a new portal opening at Lark. On July 26, 1948, Kennecott had purchased "important" rights from the United States company that would allow Kennecott to extend its open pit mining operations. Kennecott's expanded operations would mean that the U. S. company would abandon the use of its Niagara tunnel, which was at present the company's main haulage route for both its U. S. mine and its Lark mine. The new tunnel, to be known as the Bingham Tunnel, would replace the Niagara tunnel, and would be approximately four miles in length. The new tunnel would connect at the Bingham end with the present Niagara tunnel at what was reported as "the 1000-ft." level, and with other underground workings as needed to replace the present facilities. The new tunnel was to include a transportation system that used both battery and electric trolley locomotives and cars, traveling in 36-inch gauge track. The existing surface plant at the Niagara opening would be moved to the new opening, including shops and equipment, air compressor plant, electric transformer station, ore loading trestle, mining waste handling facilities, and miner's changing house and mine office. (Salt Lake Tribune, August 4, 1948)

October 1948
A new 1500 hp diesel-electric locomotive, road number 901, was purchased. (Baldwin Model DRS6-4-1500, Baldwin construction serial number 73474) The locomotive was built by Baldwin in March as a demonstrator and Kennecott "bought it on the spot" after seeing a demonstration of the unit on the Western Pacific at Tooele. (Dolzall, pp.86,87)

December 13, 1949
The new 1500 hp diesel-electric locomotive, road number 902, was placed into service at the Magna yard. (ALCo Model RS-2, ALCo construction serial number 77563)

September 1, 1950
First cathodes are pulled from acid bath at the Garfield refinery for melt down. (Kennecott Historical Index)

October 2, 1950
First shipment of finished copper was made from the Garfield refinery. (Kennecott Historical Index)

April 9, 1951
The new 5840 tunnel was being driven from a point 50 feet below the current bottom of the open pit mine, and was to be 1-1/3 mile in length. It was to be a standard railroad tunnel, 21 feet wide and 25 feet tall. (Salt Lake Tribune, April 9, 1951)

April 15, 1951
The new Bingham-Lark tunnel for United States Smelting, Refining and Mining was "bored through" on Sunday April 15, 1951. The work had started two and a half years before, with Kennecott paying the full cost of $6 million. The length was reported as 21,014 feet, or 3.9 miles. Construction was being completed by Utah Construction company. The tunnel was at the 5600-foot level, and a shaft would be completed to connect the new tunnel with the old Niagara tunnel at the 6688-foot level. Work began in November 1948, and was scheduled for completion in summer 1952. (Deseret News, April 16, 1951)

June 30, 1951
Bingham & Garfield was "liquidated", corporation dissolved. (Kennecott Historical Index)

July 1951
Utah Construction Company finishes work on refinery. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1952
Chevron Fertilizer Plant -- Located just north of the pre-1997 South Tailings Impoundment and mostly buried by the North Tailings impoundment was the Chevron Fertilizer Plant and its wastes. The plant, built in 1952, was originally a joint venture of Kennecott, ASARCO, and Stauffer Chemical. The plant treated phosphate ores with sulfuric acid to produce phosphoric acid and dry phosphate fertilizer products. Annual production ranged between 10,000 and 70,000 tons/year. Wastes included 300,000 tons/year of phosphoric gypsum. Chevron bought the facility in 1981. They ceased production of the phosphoric and acid and dry phosphate in 1986. Then they leased the land to FCI Agri-chem who mined the tailings at the site for use as soil additives. The wastes covered about 385 acres and was thought to be about 6 million cubic yards. Kennecott bought the land in 1994 for use in the North Expansion and dismantled the plant in 1995 retaining only the administration building. (EPA, Record Of Decision: Kennecott North Zone Site, Kennecott South Zone Site, September 26, 2002)

March 1952
Four new 125-ton locomotives arrive, to handle the projected increase in tonnage because of the new 5840-Tunnel going into service. (Kennecott Historical Index)

(These were delivered as Kennecott 800-803; later numbers 866-869, and finally numbers 766-769)

August 1952
The 5840-Tunnel in completed and placed in service. The tunnel was 7,000 feet long. Tracklaying in the tunnel began in January and was completed in March. (Kennecott Historical Index)

August 30, 1952
Drilling came to an end on the new 5840 tunnel on "Saturday" (August 30). The tunnel was 7,042 feet in length. (Salt Lake Tribune, August 31, 1952)

December 1952
A new 1500 hp diesel-electric locomotive, road number 903, arrived (EMD Model SD7, construction serial number 17411) (Ardinger locomotive roster)

December 30, 1952
Wreck in Magna yard involving Denver and Rio Grande Western GP7 number 5112, with its train, and Kennecott Baldwin number 901 and Alco number 902, with their train, resulted in $52,600.00 damage to Kennecott equipment. The permanent result from this wreck was that number 901 was retrucked with four-wheel "B" trucks replacing its original six wheel "A-1-A" trucks. (Kennecott Historical Index)

On the night of December 30, 1952, Kennecott Copper Baldwin DRS-6-4-1500 number 901 and Alco RS-2 number 902 were switching the Magna yard of this large copper mining company. Without checking the lone occupancy block signal for this yard that sits on a curve, the two units and several loaded ore cars proceeded eastbound to set the loads out for a later train. After traveling only a few hundred feet, the train collided at a low yard speed with the Denver & Rio Grande Western's Magna Local, just entering Kennecott trackage to make its own set outs. Thankfully, no one was injured, but severe damage was done to the Kennecott Baldwin unit, which was in the lead. The damage incurred was in excess of $52,000 to the Kennecott locomotives and cars, and included a bent frame, and a cracked truck frame for 901. Over the previous four years, since October 1948, when they had purchased the former demonstrator unit "on the spot" during tests on the nearby Tooele Valley Railway, Kennecott had noticed that the tractive effort for this A1A-equipped unit left something to be desired. Rather than have the cracked A1A truck repaired, Kennecott ordered replacement two-axle trucks from Baldwin, and installed them under the unit after the needed other repairs were completed by the company's Magna shops. Both D&RGW GP7 5112 and Kennecott Alco 902 suffered only minimal damage and were returned to service.

(Disposition note: After receiving its new trucks, Kennecott 901 remained in service on the Ore Haulage Division for another 25 years, receiving a chopped short hood in 1972. In April 1977, it was transferred 16 miles south to the company's open-pit mine, renumbered to 734 (2nd), and used as a switcher until its retirement in 1980. It was donated to the local Promontory Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in early 1983. In late 1983, the chapter traded the unit to a local scrapper in return for saving Utah Railway RSD-5 306.)

1953
5,605 tons of concentrate from Magna and Arthur were shipped to Kennecott's smelter in McGill, Nevada due to a one and a half day, and another five day strike at the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) smelter at Garfield, Utah. (Kennecott Historical Index)

February 1953
"Every day of the year," the 350 employees of Kennecott's Ore Haulage Department moved 965 cars of copper ore, each loaded with 90 tons of ore. (Ogden Standard Examiner, February 22, 1953, Utah Copper Division advertisement)

March 26, 1953
First ore trains operated through the new 5840-Tunnel. (Kennecott Historical Index)

(A Kennecott company photo dated March 3, 1953 shows an ore train apparently exiting from the newly completed 5840 tunnel, a short distance from the south side of the C-C cross-canyon connection to Central Yard. Another ore train is shown moving down hill from the 6040 tunnel to the same connection with the cross-canyon connection to Central Yard. The downhill portal of the 5840 tunnel was lower and about 1/4 mile down-canyon from the downhill portal of the 6040 tunnel.)

October 1953
Two tunnels are completed on the H-Dump line. (Kennecott Historical Index)

November 3, 1953
Work began on moving the G-Level bridge in Carr Fork. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1954
Statistics for the Ore Haulage "Copperton low line" for 1954 show that the average locomotive made 1,237.9 trips; the average train was 64.46 cars long; and total tonnage for the year was 41,078,212 tons. 311,924,300 tons had been hauled since start up in May 1948.

1954
Kennecott placed its third CTC control panel into service, controlling the upper east side switchbacks to the 'H' level, high above the lower part of Bingham Canyon and the town of Bingham itself. (Kennescope magazine, December 1954, page 15)

(The first CTC panel went into service in 1945 and controlled the tracks down low in the lower canyon between the 6040 tunnel and the new Central Yard. The second CTC panel was installed in 1949 and controlled the Copperton Line between the mine and the mills.)

1954
The last "standard" shovel was retired. These were originally railroad steam shovels, converted to be electrical shovels, mounted on caterpillar tracks.

February 14, 1954
Moving of the G-Level bridge was completed. (Kennecott Historical Index)

August 1954
Switchback from K-Level down to the H-Level was completed. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1955
Eighty percent of all ore mined was moved through the 6040 and 5840-Tunnels. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1955
Three (3) Marion Model 151-M and two Bucyrus-Erie Model 190-B electric shovels were placed into service. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1955
Kennecott Copper purchased the Butterfield mine of Combined Metals Reduction Company, located in Butterfield Canyon. At the time, it was the second-largest lead-zinc producer in the country. (Utah Mining Industry, Utah Mining Association, 1967, page 63)

December 1955
The following is a summary of 1955.

By the end of the year the Utah Copper Division had spent $5,306,500 in expanding facilities and improvements. The biggest single chunk was $1,800.000 to enlarge casting facilities at the Garfield refinery. It enables Utah Copper to produce more varied shapes of saleable copper. The project included construction of an 80 by 208 foot brick, reinforced concrete and steel addition. Also the Installation of a vertical casting wheel.

Although crippled by a 47-day strike that cut copper production by an estimated 70,000,000 pounds, Utah Copper Division actually produced more copper in 1955 than last year. The 1955 production Is expected to reach 468,200.000 pounds, compared with 423,066,857 in 1954. The strike intensified the world-wide copper shortage, sending copper prices to an all-time high.

Utah Copper spent 3-1/2 million dollars for five 7-yard shovels, four electric locomotives and 50 dump cars of 40-yard capacity needed to step-up waste removal at the mine. Another $1,600,000 was spent for improvements in the mill flotation department. Expanded facilities at the Kennecott research center on the University of Utah campus totaled $81,500, and miscellaneous improvements $45,000.

In addition to copper, Utah Copper Division produced 24,987,000 pounds of molybdenum vital in the production of steel. A total of 22,297,572 pounds was produced in 1954.

Copper ore mined and milled during 1955 is expected to total 27,780,000 tons. This compares with 24.079,400 tons mined and milled in 1954. To reach copper ore, 50,458,000 tons of waste material were removed in 1955, a big increase over the 35.856,641 moved the previous year. (Deseret News, December 14, 1955)

December 16 1955
"Kennecott Copper Buys Utah Mine -- Bingham, Utah. -- Kennecott Copper Corp. has purchased the Butterfield lead, silver and zinc mine in the Oquirrh mountains south of its Bingham Copper pit in a million-dollar deal." "The Butterfield mine has produced some 50,000 tons of high grade ore since 1931, when it was obtained by Combined Metals Reduction Co." "Samuel S. Arentz, a Salt Lake City mining engineer, obtained a lease and option to buy the mine from Combined Metals, then sold it to Kennecott." (Idaho State Journal, December 16, 1955)

December 21, 1955
"Kennecott Copper Corporation has purchased Butterfield mines property of Combined Metals Reduction Company, involving some 3,800 acres just south of Kennecott's open pit copper mine at Bingham. Utah." "The purchase price was approximately $1,000,000. The properties are known as high grade lead, silver and zinc ores, Kennecott said." (Pittsburgh Post Gazette, December 21, 1955)

(Read more about the Butterfield mine and Butterfield tunnel)

1955-1956
Kennecott Copper sold the town of Copperton to its residents. (Deseret News, October 23, 1984)

November 1955
Four new 125-ton electric locomotives were placed into service. (Kennecott Historical Index)

(Road numbers 804-807, later numbers 870-873, finally numbers 770-773)

1956
Thirty (30) 40 cubic yard waste dump cars were purchased. (Kennecott Historical Index)

April 1956
In an announcement of improvements at its Ray Mines Division in Arizona, Kennecott is shown as being the nation's largest copper producer. (New York Times, April 25, 1956)

April 28, 1956
Ore Haulage has Sperry Rail Service test its rails. (Kennecott Historical Index)

June 23, 1956
The landmark Bingham Mercantile store closed. Located at 510-512 South Main Street, at the intersection of Main Street and Carr Fork, the store had been at that location since the building was completed and the store opened in October 1904. The previous location at 493 South Main Street had opened in September 1897. (Bingham Bulletin, June 29, 1956)

The following comes from Michael Ann Scroggin, by way of the Bingham Canyon History group on Facebook:

The store was first opened in September 1897 by Mr. C. E. Adderly, Mr. J. C. Dugan and Mr. J. W. Bracken. It had three locations first, where Utah Copper hospital was; second, the social hall; and third, its present location.

In 1900 Mr Adderly acquired his partners' shares and was sole owner.

In 1904 they moved to the new building at the corner of Main Street and Carr Fork.

The front porch and stairs featured many special activities like band concerts, Galena Days programs, movie star interviews like Abbott and Costello, Shirley temple and Robert Wadlo, the tallest man in the world at the time.

Groceries were delivered at the beginning with horse and wagon. Credit was given to many during strikes and the depressions. Half of all the Utah Copper employees' checks were cashed there.

It was said that you could buy anything from a safety pin to a keg of blasting powder in the store.

It closed its doors in June of 1956, ending the largest mercantile store in Bingham Canyon.

July 1956
Morrison-Knudsen Construction Company began work on two connections across Carr Fork to allow removal of the old Bingham & Garfield Carr Fork bridge; one to connect the 6340-Level (old A-Level) and Bingham yard, and the other to connect the Apex yard and the D-Dump line. (Kennecott Historical Index)

July 1956
Article about Arizona's copper railroads, including Kennecott's Ray Mines Division, in the July 1956 issue of Trains magazine, page 27.

September 1956
Utah Construction Company was awarded the contract to build the new 5490-Tunnel. Construction of the tunnel was planned as early as 1947, to further reduce costs of hauling the ore uphill, out of the pit, only to move it downhill, out of the canyon, to the mills. (Kennecott Historical Index)

November 1956
Actual drilling began on the new 5490 tunnel. (Bingham Bulletin, July 19, 1957)

The new tunnel was to be 18,000 feet long, measure 18 feet wide and 24 feet tall, with a reported cost of $12 million. Two other tunnels were already in place: the 6040 tunnel, completed in 1945, and the 5840 tunnel, completed in 1953. All tunnels were built to reduce mining costs by elimination of the uphaul of ore trains coming from the deepening bottom of the open pit mine. (Ogden Standard-Examiner, February 24, 1957)

October 8, 1956
The visitor observation center for the public at Copperfield was closed and work to dismantle it began on October 21, 1956. (Kennecott Historical Index)

The vehicular tunnel that provided access for local residents between Bingham and Copperfield remained open.

(Read more about the visitor observation center, and the construction of the vehicular tunnel)

1957
By 1957 there were 75 electric locomotives working in the Bingham mine. A typical day shift today finds some 56 engines at work: 16 hauling ore, 27 assigned to waste haulage and 13 doing tramp work such as working with line cars, locomotive cranes, repair crews and other miscellaneous work. (Kennescope, no date)

January 17, 1957
First waste train used 5840-Tunnel. (Kennescope, February 1957)

January 18, 1957
"Bingham Merc. Co. Building Being Torn Down -- The Acme Wrecking & Salvage Company of Salt Lake City is presently removing the Bingham Mercantile building at the intersection of Carr Fork and Main Street in Bingham Canyon." "Work started last week and V. S. Barlow, superintendent of mines, Utah Copper Division of Kennecott Copper Corporation, said the project would be completed within 30 days." (Bingham Bulletin, January 18, 1957)

early 1957
The new 6340-Level (old A-Level) connection was completed. (Kennecott Historical Index)

April 1957
Work began to dismantle the Carr Fork bridge in April 1957. (Strack, 1983 research notes)

April 1957
The D-Level bridge across Carr Fork was dismantled. (Kennecott Historical Index)

April 1957
As part of reported $18 million investment for improvements in facilities and operations at the Utah Copper Division, Kennecott announced they would spend $84,809 to lay new trackage and install electrification of the Carr Fork part of the open pit mine. The expansion included the extension and electrification of the new A Level dump line, along the route of the B&G mainline after its planned retirement, and extension of the D Dump line. (Mining Congress Journal, April 1957, Volume 43, Number 4, page 145)

May 17, 1957
The new public observation platform above Carr Fork was opened. the location was adjacent to the relocated Apex Yards, and also adjacent to the new concrete overpass for the reconfigured D Dump Line.

June 7, 1957
All residents of Highland Boy living in homes owned by National Tunnel & Metal, received eviction notices that were to be effective on June 7, 1957. The Highland Boy school was to be closed, and the remaining students would be "transported" to Bingham and Copperton schools. (Bingham Bulletin, May 31, 1957)

June 16, 1957
The switchback between the new 5840-Yard and the 5790-Level was completed. (Kennecott Historical Index)

December 20, 1957
"The company built and opened, early in the spring, an observation point at its world-famed Bingham Canyon open-pit copper mine. More than 122,000 persons viewed the mine from the new observation point during the year." (Bingham Bulletin, December 20, 1957)

1958
During the year, Utah Construction Company made 8,875 feet of progress on the new 5490-Tunnel. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1958
Seventy five percent of all ore mined came from below the 6340-Level. Seventeen percent of ore mined moves through the 6040-Tunnel with forty percent moving through the 5840-Tunnel. (Kennecott Historical Index)

May to July 1958
The removal of the Carr Fork bridge and the A-Level machine shops was completed in July and August 1958. (Kennescope magazine, July 1958, inside front cover; Deseret News, August 29, 1958)

June 1, 1958
Notices were given to residents, renters, and lessors in Copperfield, Upper Main Canyon, and Carr Fork and Highland Boy to vacate their dwellings by August 1, 1958. (Kennecott Historical Index)

As a side note, the Shields family lived on the Carr Fork-Highland Boy road until 1975, and when they moved, it probably made them the last family in the canyon past Lead Mine. Shields was the watchman or guard for Anaconda that owned much of the Highland Boy side. (Jimmy Elkins and John Saltas, posted to the Bingham Canyon History group on Facebook, September 5, 2016)

June 23, 1958
The following comes from the June 23, 1958 issue of the Salt Lake Tribune:

Historic Copperfield Yields to Progress

Bingham -- The march of progress is again making its mark on the lives of some people in one of the greatest mining areas of the West. Approximately three dozen families are moving, a rooming house and several apartments are being vacated to make room for operations at the ever-expanding Bingham Copper Mine.

As the mine grows, so does the area needed for the myriad railroad tracks which line the canyon sides for other operations. Expansion of these operations soon will erase the last signs of a once lively community of some 2,000 persons.

Copperfield soon will be a memory. The last 15 families will leave by Aug. 1. Perhaps the change will be most noticed in Copperfield where hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world have stood to see the largest open pit copper mine civilization has ever seen.

The first change occurred in 1939 with opening of the one and one-quarter mile tunnel from Bingham. At that time several stores, homes and other business houses were moved.

Since then the town has dwindled. A few homes at a time were removed as pit operations expanded. In 1957 the observation point was moved to the other side of the pit. This year the school closed. It is now being dismantled.

Also disappearing will be several structures near the pit in Bingham and Carr Fork. Last houses in Carr Fork and some structures at the upper end of Bingham's Main St. -- many of them empty already -- will be vacated by the same deadline.

Families from all three areas are moving farther down into Bingham or into the valley.

One landmark, falling to progress is the high steel trestle in Carr Fork, constructed 50 years ago. It runs from A Level of the mine to the railroad yards and towers more than 200 feet above the bottom of the canyon.

This is the greatest mining area the state has ever had. More monetary value has been produced here than anywhere in the West. Much of the wealth of the people and state will continue to be produced here.

August 1958
Kennecott began operating waste rock trains through the 5840 tunnel. Previously only ore trains were allowed through the tunnel. The change was because of the expansion of the pit, and more waste was being removed from the lower levels. (Bingham Bulletin, August 8, 1958)

September 9, 1958
Kennecott awarded a contract to Western Contracting of Sioux City, Iowa, for the removal of 8 million cubic yards of overburden waste rock on the upper levels of the Bingham mine. The work was to start in mid October and be completed in about one year. An additional 17 million tons of waste rock was to be moved by Kennecott itself as part of its normal operations during the coming year. (Deseret News, September 9, 1958; Salt Lake Tribune, September 9, 1958)

(This was the first large-scale use of trucks at Bingham.) (Read more about Trucks at Bingham; includes a timeline)

October 1, 1958
Kennecott purchased the Robbe Precipitation Plant east of Copperton. For the previous twenty-two and a half years Kennecott had been leasing the plant from a private owner. (Kennecott Historical Index)

(This site was located about two miles east of Copperton and was what the federal EPA later called the "Robbe Cells.")

December 19, 1958
The new 5490 tunnel was 92 percent complete. The tunnel was projected to be 18,000 feet in length and to cost $11 million, and would eliminate costly up-hill ore and waste haulage from the bottom of the deepening Bingham open pit mine. (Bingham Bulletin, December 19, 1958)

April 25, 1958
The following comes from the Deseret News, April 25, 1958:

Reports that Kennecott Copper Corp. is negotiating to purchase the Garfield smelter of the American Smelting and Refining Co. are now being carried in trade papers out of New York City. The reports state that Kennecott will pay between $15 million and $20 million for the smeller. Local officials of both firms declined to comment on the reports. However, reports have come up several times in the past years that Kennecott was going to buy the smelter, but negotiations were never completed. In the recent Engineering and Mining Journal's Mining and Minerals Markets weekly publication, it was stated, "Kennecott is buying the Asarco copper smeller at Garfield, Utah, for $15 million. It will be the owner on Jan. 1, 1959. Nearly all the copper treated in, the past has been for Kennecott."

And from the daily paper The American Metal Market, of April 18 is this quote, "... most interesting item of news was the report that Kennecott is buying the large copper smelter at Garfield, from Asarco at a reported price of $15 million, and ownership will change hands on July 1, 1958.

"Official announcement dealing with the transaction has not been issued either by Kennecott or Asarco and so far as can be determined the reason for this is that negotiations have not been completed. and therefore no contract has been signed.

"It is also believed that the reported sales price of $15 million is not entirely accurate and that the figure may run very close to $20 million. There also seems to be some uncertainty regarding the date when ownership will be transferred to Kennecott.

"One report indicating that it might he Jan. 1, 1960, rather than Jan. 1, 1959. It is expected official announcements will be made in due course."

As one official here In Salt Lake City noted, "If such an undertaking is consummated any announcement would come out of New York."

January 2, 1959
Kennecott Copper Corporation took over operation of the Garfield smelter of American Smelting and Refining Company (Asarco). The purchased took effect on January 1, 1959. The sale price was reported as $20 million. The smelter had an annual input capacity of concentrates and ore of 1,608,000 tons, but was processing 625,000 tons annually. At the same time, Kennecott ended Asarco's practice of accepting ore from other mines, and the Garfield smelter would no longer be what was known as a custom smelter. In the months prior to the sale, Asarco was purchasing 10,000 to 15,000 tons per month from other mines, including independent producers in the Park City and Eureka districts. (Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1959)

February 1959
The new 5490-Tunnel was completed at a cost of $12 Million. The tunnel is 18,000 feet long. (Arrington: Richest Hole, page 72)

March 6, 1959
Kennecott announced that the new 18,000-foot tunnel at the 5490-level had been completed. Work had started on October 30, 1956. (Salt Lake Tribune, March 7, 1959)

August 10, 1959
Strike at Utah Copper Division began. (Kennescope magazine, January-February 1960, page 2)

1960
Central Power Station was expanded from 100,000 kilowatts to 175,000 kilowatts, to furnish power to the smelter. (Kennecott Historical Index) (Read more about the Central Power Station)

January 30, 1960
Strike at Utah Copper Division ended. First shift after callback was on Saturday January 30. A total of 366 cars of ore sat idle at the Copperton yard during the strike, during which snow accumulated and melted down into the load, cementing the load into the ore car. Gas heaters were used to thaw the ore, but one car load at Magna dumped its load in a single piece damaging the dumper. The repairs required 7-1/2 hours to repair. The Central Power Station at Magna was started on January 29, and smelter operations started on February 1. Production at the Refinery started two weeks later due to the time needed for purified copper to build up on the cathodes. (Kennescope magazine, January-February 1960, page 2)

August 12, 1960
Salt Lake County commission approved a resolution releasing vehicular tunnel as a public highway and returned the tunnel to Kennecott. Salt Lake County then formally abandoned the Copperfield vehicular tunnel as a county road, allowing Kennecott to make it a private road. The vehicular tunnel remained in place and was used by Kennecott employees and contractors to access the Copperfield area. (Internal Kennecott documents)

The vehicular tunnel was finally closed to all traffic in mid 1973, and the Bingham portal was buried in July 1973 as part of the pushback of the rim of the pit, which in-turn changed the configuration and track layout of the 6190 rail yard. (Kennescope magazine, July-August 1973, courtesy of Tim Dumas)

The 6190 rail yard, on the edge of the pit, was also the site of buildings used in the operation of the mine. Of the two buildings, the smaller building on the east was the track office. "The larger building on the west was the 6190 operation office. The 6190 office housed the mine superintendent's office, the general drill and blast foreman's office, the general shovel and general train foreman's office, an office for the production control foreman and the traffic foreman's office. This building was the hub of the pit operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Once in a while we would lock the door and take Christmas Day off but that was very very seldom. The building beyond the operations office [ further to the west] was the crew building. Train and shovel personal would report there to get the location of their train and what shovel they would be operating and what van to catch to get to their job assignment." (Gary C. Curtis, Bingham Canyon History group on Facebook, July 23, 2018)

November 1960
Kennecott began buying the properties in the town of Bingham Canyon, Utah. By November 7th, one-third of the town had been purchased, mostly residential properties. Negotiations were under way for the purchase of business, commercial, and municipal real estate, with projected completion of late 1961. "By the end of 1961, Bingham will no longer exist." (Deseret News, November 7, 1960)

November 21, 1960
The new 5490 tunnel was completed in March 1959 to a point 150 feet lower than the current bottom level of the open pit mine. In June 1960, Morrison Knudsen began construction of a spiral cut to take railroad tracks down to the new tunnel's Bingham portal. Kennecott was installing permanent railroad track inside the newly completed tunnel. The spiral cut was to be 3600 feet long, at a finished grade of 4 percent. Because the spiral cut was in the actual ore body, the MK earth movers, at 20 cubic yards and 40 tons with each load, were moving the ore to a stockpile on the east side of the mine's bottom level, at a rate of 18,000 yards per day. Kennecott shovels were then loading the ore into trains, with the operation furnishing about one third of the mine's daily production. (Deseret News, November 21, 1960)

December 1960
In December 1960, the New York Times carried a news item stating that the town of Bingham would "vanish" during 1961, as the bulldozers and power shovels of Kennecott removed the buildings along Main Street. The decline of Bingham was due to the recently settled strike at the mine, which lasted six months. Because of the lack of business caused by the strike, many of the town's shopkeepers and property owners decided to sell out to Kennecott. The mining company announced that it would remove the buildings it owned to allow Main Street to be widened. Bingham's population was shown as being 2,500. For the first time in recent memory, Christmas 1960 would be the first without a community Christmas tree. (New York Times, December 11, 1960, "Town in Utah Is Due to Vanish Under Shovels and Bulldozers")

1961
There were 38 shovels working 33 ore shovel shifts and 33 waste shovel shifts per day. Most shovels were served by three trains per shift, using the 75 pit locomotives with 258 40-cubic-yard waste dump cars and 825 100-ton ore cars. (Kennecott Historical Index)

1961
270,000 tons of waste was removed to mine 90,000 tons of ore needed for the mills. (Arrington: Richest Hole, page 72)

May 7, 1961
First ore train used the new 5490-Tunnel, seven weeks after "breakthrough" of the tunnel into the pit. The train was loaded with ore that had been stockpiled from the excavation in the pit for the tunnel portal. (Kennescope magazine, June 1961, page 26; with small photo of empty ore train being pulled by locomotive 869 exiting tunnel)

May 27, 1961
The first train of ore from other levels in the pit moves through the new 5490-Tunnel to Copperton. The track had been connected (using a spiral excavation) with the track of the 5640-Level on May 21st, and electrified on May 25th. (Kennescope magazine, June 1961, page 26)

July 1961
Article about Kennecott's Nevada Mines Division in the July 1961 issue of Trains magazine, page 33.

1962
Operation of precipitation plant produced 20 million pounds of copper, about 5 percent of 1962 production. (Arrington: Richest Hole, page 74)

1962
Kennecott acquired rights of United States Smelting, Refining and Mining Company on their 7,400 acres located in Bingham canyon, including their Lark concentrator. (Arrington: Richest Hole, page 72)

September 21, 1962
Kennecott and United States Smelting, Refining & Mining Company announced an agreement for the United States company to sell 7,400 acres of surface rights to Kennecott. Kennecott would also purchase lease rights to copper ore in the United States properties and agreed to pay the United States company at least $670,000 in annual royalties for copper ore extracted, for a period of ten years, at which time Kennecott would have an option to purchase the property. The price was reported as being $14 million, in the form of $1 million in cash, $6 million over the next two years, and $6.7 million in copper ore royalties over the next ten years. The United States company was to retain all lead-zinc-silver ores. The agreement would give Kennecott the freedom over the next 30 years to expand its open pit mine into the area controlled by the United States company, and at the end of agreement in September 1992, Kennecott had to right to acquire all of U. S. Smelting's property in the district. (Salt Lake Tribune, September 22, 1962, "Friday")

September 23, 1962
Kennecott Copper Corporation purchased land and certain mining royalties from United States Smelting Refining and Mining company. The agreement gave Kennecott surface and subsurface mining rights, and the freedom for its operations, and gave USSR&M the rights to mine lead-zinc ore from under certain Kennecott property for the next 30 years. (New York Times, September 24, 1962, "yesterday")

This same 1962 agreement between Kennecott and the USSR&M required that as the pit expanded, the Jordan Shaft be maintained and kept open every time shovel cuts mined through the area. The location was marked and protected by three small concrete structures, each about 10x10 feet, situated at the top of Galena Gulch. (verbal identification by Dick Rubright, courtesy of Steve Richardson on Bingham Canyon History group on Facebook)

November 2, 1962
Kennecott announced that a tunnel (2,100 feet in length) was to be driven under the waste rock filling Dry Fork Gulch, with its purpose being to gather water that was leaching through the waste rock. This leach water had a high concentration of copper and would be moved in a pipeline to the precipitation plant at Copperton. The tunnel would be 6 feet by 8 feet. A new water reservoir had been completed and new pumping systems were in place to pump water to the top of the Dry Fork waste dumps. In its current operations, Kennecott was dumping 235,000 tons of waste rock every day. The tunnel was expected to be completed in March 1963. (Bingham Bulletin, November 2, 1962)

1963
Kennecott Copper Corporation purchased the Knight Ideal Coal Company in Utah. Although Knight Ideal had considerable reserves, it was a small concern and its production was very limited. This property was purchased to give Kennecott access to coal reserves which would provide a hedge against rising natural gas costs, both which serve as fuel for Kennecott's Central Power Station at Magna, Utah. Kennecott's experience managing this coal company and an involvement with the coal industry would later, in 1968, be the basis for Kennecott's purchase of Peabody Coal Company. (Kennecott Copper Corporation Vs. Federal Trade Commission, Docket 71-1371, United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit, September 15, 1972; F.T.C. 467 F.2d 67, 1972)

February 1963
Ore Haulage began ore car construction program, using jigs and all welded construction. (Kennecott Historical Index)

February 23, 1963
Kennecott announced a $100 Million expansion project, to be completed by early 1967. The Kennecott board of directors had approved the expansion program on February 15, 1963. (Kennescope, March-April 1963, page 3)

March 1963
A new 2400 hp diesel-electric locomotive, road number 904, arrived (EMD Model SD24, construction serial number 28170) (Ardinger locomotive roster)

April 21, 1963
The $100 million expansion of the open pit along the south and southeast rim, taking advantage of the recent agreement with USSR&M (see September 1962, above) included the removal of very large quantities of waste rock to access new dumping grounds on USSR&M property, and the preparation of a site for a shop for the new fleet of large trucks. A major portion of the expansion was to create access roads to new dumping grounds that would be used solely by trucks. To keep the grades that would be used by trucks as low as possible (less than six percent), Kennecott needed a large cut to be created between the open pit and the new dumping grounds. Kennecott signed a contract with Western Contracting Corp. to remove 9 million cubic yards of waste rock that would create the new cut, about 300 feet deep, and to create the open flat area where the new truck shops, warehouse and office were to be built. Workers would access the new truck shop by using a new road being built westward from Lark, up the slope of the mountain. (The new truck shop would later be known as the Yosemite truck shop, named for the fact that the new site lay at the top of Yosemite Gulch.) (Salt Lake Tribune, April 21, 1963)

May 7, 1963
"Concerning the expansion program, excavations for the new truck haul roads would be finished this summer. Orders have been placed for the first two electric shovels, 20 giant trucks, and the auxiliary drills, bulldozers, road graders and other equipmentnecessary for the first phase." (Deseret News, May 7, 1963)

July 12, 1963
Anaconda and Kennecott announced an agreement that would allow Anaconda access to its property adjoining the northwest rim of Kennecott's open pit mine, to allow Anaconda to begin core drilling and exploration of its property. Earlier core drilling by Anaconda had sunk exploration core holes below the bottom of Kennecott's open pit mine, at 5,490 feet. The purpose of the core drilling was to determine the extent of ore bodies controlled by Anaconda and determine potential values should the two companies reach a purchase agreement in the future. During earlier discussions, Anaconda and Kennecott had tried to reach an agreement about Kennecott expanding its open pit mine into Anaconda property to allow Kennecott access to ore bodies still on Kennecott's side of the property line, but talks had been stalled for several years. To continue expansion, Kennecott made an agreement [in September 1962] with United States Smelting, Refining & Mining Company for access along the south and southeast rim of Kennecott's open pit mine. (Salt Lake Tribune, July 12, 1963)

Fall 1963
Truck haulage began in upper levels of mine, with removal of rails as truck haulage progressed. (Kennecott Historical Index)

"In the fall of 1963, a program was begun to increase production from 90,000 tons of ore per day, to 108,000 tons per day. because of the limitations of rail haulage, along with advances in truck technology, truck haulage will replace rail haulage for waste removal in upper levels of the mine."

November 1963
The actual switchover to truck haulage took place in November 1963. (Deseret News, January 10, 1964)

late 1963
New haulage truck maintenance shop was built at Yosemite Gulch, above former location of Copperfield. (Kennecott Historical Index)

November 1963
Truck haulage of waste at the Bingham mine began in November 1963. The following comes from the November-December 1963 issue of Kennescope magazine:

Despite a few expectable hurdles, truck haulage at upper levels began with remarkable smoothness during November. The big switch came after elaborate and costly preparations.

From home base at the new shop area near Yosemite Gulch on the 7,000-foot level, a fleet of 65-ton trucks has begun operations that ultimately will replace rail haulage of overburden in the top two-thirds of the mine.

The entire move toward this major step of converting from train to truck waste haulage, from the initial announcement last Feb. 15 to the first truck conveyed waste by Kennecott crews, required only nine months, a major accomplishment by any standard.

March 18, 1964
A 300-foot gap was opened near the northeast corner of dike for Kennecott's tailings pond by a flood caused by spring runoff. Kennecott utilized a fleet of fourteen bulldozers, four cranes, and fifteen large 65-ton haul trucks to build a temporary dam at the site. The Arthur concentrator was shut down immediately, and operations were projected to resume by March 21. (Deseret News, March 18 and March 20, 1964)

March 27, 1964
Kennecott and Anaconda reached an agreement to allow Kennecott to use portions of the old county road up Carr Fork to Highland Boy for its expanded pit operations, including truck haulage roads. The ownership of the surface ground, and the underlying mining claims, was dovetailed across the county road, with some already in Kennecott ownership, and some in Anaconda ownership. The settlement gave Kennecott surface rights to build and maintain its roads. Kennecott had filed an eminent domain suit to gain access to the surface rights in November 1963, but the parties settled the law suit. (Salt Lake Tribune, November 28, 1963; March 27, 1964)

April 9, 1964
Kennecott was close to calling for bids for the construction of the new Bonneville crushing and grinding mill, as well as the expansion of the leaching and distribution system. The company also added the following highlights of progress of the overall expansion program.

May 1964
Production figures provided by J. P. O'Keefe, general manager of Kennecott's Utah Copper Division:

August 1964
The contract for the construction of the Bonneville crushing and grinding plant was awarded to Western Knapp Engineering, of San Francisco. The projected cost was reported as being $20 million. The output of the new crushing and grinding plant was to be processed by the floatation mills at the Magna and Arthur concentrators. Site preparation for the 70-acre site in Little Valley above Magna, was to begin in October. The finished plant was scheduled for completion in mid-1966. (Davis County Clipper, August 21, 1964)

February 1965
Bechtel Corporation was awarded contract to build new $4 Million precipitation plant at Copperton. (Kennescope, March/April 1965)

March 1965
Seventy-nine haulage trucks were on the property. (Kennescope, March/April 1965)

March 1965
Track and electrification are removed down to the E-Level on the east side. Ore from the west side above the E-Level will hauled down the new Carr Fork haulage road to a reload point. (Kennescope, March/April 1965)

March 1965
Western Knapp Engineering Company was at work on the site of the new Bonneville crusher. (Kennescope, March/April 1965)

March 1966
New waste dump car repair shop was built at Dry Fork, replacing the one above the mine office. (Kennescope, March/April 1966)

March 1966
Proler Steel Corporation began construction of scrap metal de-tinning plant at junction of old Bingham highway and Lark highway. The plant will furnish scrap iron to new precipitation plant. (Kennecott Historical Index)

The process included taking scrap steel cans "tin cans" and passing them through an open-flame oven to burn off the tin coatings and solder, and any other foreign material, to produce a raw steel product that could be used in Kennecott's precipitation plant at Copperton. The scrap "tin" cans arrived by rail car at Proler's facility, and after processing were re-loaded into rail cars for their trip to the precipitation plant. In early 1991, officials in the city of San Jose, California, were concerned when they found out that cans from the city-wide recycling program, instead of being recycled as new steel cans, were being sent to Utah to be sprayed with sulfuric acid solution, and used to produce copper concentrate in the precipitation process. In fact, the steel cans were totally recycled, at the elemental chemical level, from steel to almost pure copper by the precipitation process in which water that had been sprayed on the waste dumps of the copper mine, and after becoming a mildly acidic copper-sulfate solution, was being gathered at the base of the dumps and in-turn being sprayed on the scrap iron. The process completely consumes the scrap iron, leaving behind almost pure copper. Three pounds of steel produces one pound of copper. (part from Deseret News, April 21, 1991; April 28, 1991; May 12, 1991)

June 1966
Two 70-ton diesel-electric locomotives were transferred from Nevada to operate as switchers at the new precipitation plant at Copperton. (Kennecott Historical Index)

June 1966
Kennecott re-opened its visitor observation center at a new location at a reported cost of $100,000. The old location was closed during 1965. The new location had a paved parking lot, high fences for safety, and a shelter with a sloped roof.

June 1966
The Bingham copper mine had the following basic information during 1966:

July 1966
Kennecott's Magna car shop completed 160 new ore cars in just 7-1/2 months as part of the expansion program. (Kennescope, July-August 1966, page 6; the quantity indicates that the shop forces had completed five cars per week, or about one car per day.)

September 1966
New Bonneville crusher was placed into partial operation. (Kennescope, September/October 1966)

September 22, 1971
Kennecott paid $73,000 to the Town of Bingham for the city hall building, the fire station building, and one block of the city. Demolition was to begin immediately to permit safe operations of mining in the immediate vicinity. (Tucson Daily News, September 23, 1971, "yesterday")

(A photo dated June 1972 shows the city hall partially demolished.)

November 2, 1971
As part of its regular municipal election, the residents of Bingham Canyon voted on a ballot to disincorporate the town. The latest census reported the population to be 31 residents. (Deseret News, September 9, 1971)

Of the 13 registered property owners, the vote to disincorporate was reported as being 11 in favor, and two against. (Deseret News, January 2, 1996)

November 22, 1971
Town of Bingham "ceases to exist" upon it being disincorporated. (Deseret News, March 26, 1985; January 2, 1996)

"When Bingham Canyon was being abandoned, the State Archivist, Everett Cooley went to the City Hall and rescued Bingham Canyon's records. I don't think many of them have been digitized, and I notice there are a lot of photographs." (Steve Richardson, email dated May 6, 2017)

Marion Dunn's book, Bingham Canyon, says: "Kennecott agreed to pay $313,800 for the three pieces of property it sought to condemn. The settlement awarded $73,800 to the city for the City Hall, fire station and section of Main Street, and the Xanthos family for the tourist center... All facilities were to be made available for January 1, 1972, occupancy." Kennecott agreed to let the city to use the old post office to house the city government until another site could be obtained.

March 1972
During March 1972, while talking to Jay Richardson in his office about the arrival of Chino electric number 4, the following information was shared:

During the early 1970s, the smaller ore trains of 18 to 20 cars from the mine were gathered at Copperton into larger trains of 70 to 80 cars. These larger trains were then moved to the Magna mills by the 400 class mainline electrics. After the twelve and a half miles to Magna was covered, the mainline trains entered the dumper yards at either Magna, Arthur, or Bonneville, where the dumper engines from Chino pushed the trains through the rotary car dumpers, and the empties were returned to Bingham.

Also during the early 1970s, the two GE 70 tonners were used at the Precipitation Plant at Copperton. The four 900 class locomotives were used in local-type service between the Magna, Arthur, and Bonneville mills, at the Refinery above the town of Garfield, and at the Garfield Smelter. Specific assignments were: no. 901 and 903 alternated on the "Smelter Run" which moved concentrate between the mills and the Garfield Smelter, and copper ingots between the smelter and the Refinery; no. 902 was used as the yard switcher at Magna; and no. 904 was in charge of the "Garfield Local" which moved the finished copper from the Refinery to the Union Pacific connection at their station of Garfield.

July 1972
An article about railroads in Utah showed traffic figures for Kennecott's private electrified railroad as being 1,196 cars moved per day, with about 85 tons in each car. A average of 108,000 tons were moved every day. "Kennecott officials claim their road to be the one of the world's busiest." (Deseret News, July 22, 1972)

April 20, 1973
The dedication of the Bingham memorial marker at a new location in Lead Mine. The marker had previously been on the lawn adjacent to the R. C. Gemmell Memorial building near the junction of Bingham Canyon and Carr Fork. The ceremony was attended by Utah governor Cal Rampton. (Midvale Jordan Valley Sentinel, April 26, 1973)

(The Gemmell building itself was demolished to make way for a new road in Carr Fork in December 1975 -- Kennescope magazine, January 1976)

September 1973
According to an article in the September 1973 issue of Kennescope magazine, Kennecott stopped dumping molten slag from its nine converters at its Garfield smelter, and instead, began allowing the slag to cool in an impoundment area. After cooling, the slag (which still held 4 to 8 percent copper) was crushed and used as a flux that was reintroduced in the converters at the smelter. Kennecott had previously, in August 1967, stopped dumping molten slag from its three reverberatory furnaces, changing to a new process that cooled the molten slag with water, which caused the slag to form granules. The slag granules were then hauled by 35-ton trucks to the slag dump north of the smelter. (Kennescope, September 1973; Salt Lake Tribune, August 27, 1967)

November 17, 1974
Kennecott completed the construction of the new smokestack at its Utah smelter. Construction started on August 26, 1974. At 1,215 feet high, the smokestack is the tallest man-made structure in Utah, as well as the tallest free-standing structure west of the Mississippi. The extra height was needed to meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act of 1970, to disperse waste gases according to the new standards. The new smokestack replaced several earlier smokestacks, the tallest of which was 413 feet high. The old smokestacks were demolished upon completion of the new smokestack. (Deseret News, November 15, 2009, upon the 35th anniversary of the completion of the smokestack)

The new smokestack is 1,215 feet high. It sits on a base reported to be 80 feet deep of concrete, allowing the smokestack to float during any earth movement. The smokestack is equipped with four 1,250 horsepower fans at the bottom of the stack that move the smoke to the top of the stack. The stack is lined with fiberglass. There is an elevator that is attached to the inner wall of the concrete shell, outside of the fiberglass lining. Employees have reported that the fiberglass has a lot of static electricity associated with it because of that static electricity, and at times it has been reported that you can see the most incredible lightening show. To give some perspective, the black rim at the top of the stack is about 75 feet tall.

(Read the Wikipedia article about Kennecott's Garfield smokstack)

December 1975
The Gemmell building remained until it was demolished to make way for a new road in Carr Fork in December 1975. (Kennescope magazine, January 1976, courtesy of Tim Dumas)

("Ground is being broken for the erection of a clubhouse by the Utah Copper company at Bingham on the site of the old Shawmut mill near the present tramway terminus. The building, 120 by 80 feet, which will be one of the finest of its kind in the west, will be called the Robert C. Gemmell Memorial in honor of General Manager Gemmell, who died recently. The Gemmell Memorial, to be erected at a cost of over $125,000, is but part of the building program now being executed by the Utah Copper company in retaining its position as one of the best equipped mines in the world." -- Salt Lake Mining Review, July 30, 1923)

(The building was named for Robert C. Gemmell, who had passed away on October 22, 1922.)

April 20, 1977
Baldwin number 901 transferred to mine; renumbered to Kennecott number 734. (Kennecott notes)

November 1977
Kennecott tested a General Electric 144-ton center cab in Bingham Mine service during November 1977. The test was a failure, with the GE taking 28 minutes to move the same train that the then-new 779-789-class high cab GP39-2s took only eight minutes to move.

July 1978
The 6190 yard was in place until July 1978, when it moved about 2,000 feet down-canyon, with the tracks roughly parallel with the direction of the canyon, instead of its earlier location that crossed the canyon at the north edge of the pit. There were four tracks in the old 6190 yard, and there were four tracks in the new 6190 yard.

August 1978
The following comes from the August 1978 issue of Pacific News:

More Electro-Motive Diesels For Kennecott -- The Kennecott Copper Corporation at Bingham, Utah will receive twenty-two new Electro-Motive diesels for its copper mining operations starting in October of this year. The order involves three models, with the last units scheduled to be delivered to Kennecott this coming December. The locomotives will allow even further reductions in actual electric operations on the railroad which serves both the huge pit at Bingham and the main-line haul to the smelter.

Ten GP39-2 units are to be delivered in October, numbers 790-799, following in sequence the 1977 order for twelve of these unique high-cab units (PACIFIC NEWS, January, 1977). The new units will be EMD serial numbers 776116-1 through 776116-10.

Seven SD40-2 units are on order for delivery in November, road numbers 101-107, and these will be EMD serial numbers 776129-1 through 776129-7. Five MP15AC units will complete the new-unit acquisitions in December. Two, EMD serial numbers 776117-I and 776117-2, will be conventional, while the other three, 776128-1 through 776128-3, road numbers 120-122, will feature a special "wide cab." (Pacific News, August 1978, page 24)

December 4, 1978
The first of Kennecott's eight new EMD SD40-2 locomotives went into service on the rail line between Copperton and Magna. The first two units were received and put into service. Ten days later, two additional units were delivered and entered service the next day. The remaining three units were delivered very soon after, and entered service immediately.

1979
The production for 1979 could be the best since 1974. (Deseret News, May 2, 1978)

January 12, 1979
Electric power was cut off to the Ore Haulage catenary; dumpers and road trains were completely dieselized. (Ore Haulage logbook)

(The author was employed by Kennecott from early March to late April 1979 as a railroad brakeman. Several tours of duty were spent as a flag man protecting the crews of Wasatch Electric as they removed the catenary the tracks of the Ore Haulage department between the Bingham mine and the mills at Magna (Fogarty), Arthur, and Bonneville.)

March 1979
Kennecott's Utah Division witnessed the end of main line electric operations between Copperton and Magna on a regular basis, a distance of fifteen miles, in mid-December, when delivery of seven EMD SD40-2's, numbers 101-107 relegated the seven 3000-volt DC electric locomotives to service at the Magna mill or as a parts source for Bingham pit's electric motors. Ten new GP39-2's, 790 through 799, have joined Kennecott's older GP39-2's hauling waste from the lower levels of the the Bingham pit to the waste dump, located outside the pit. New MP15AC's 120-122 are equipped with a special wide cab and are used to work the rotary dumps at the Magna site. Work is under way on a new diesel maintenance shop, being built south of Magna. When completed it will handle all heavy repairs for Kennecott's diesel locomotives, replacing the shops at Magna. There is still a large number of electric motors in service on Kennecott's Utah Division and although long-range plans call for a complete replacement with diesels, this process is expected to take several years due in part to a low diesel fuel allotment. (Pacific News, March 1979, page 24, reported by Ken Meeker)

September 1979
Wasatch Electric completed removal of the overhead catenary on the Copperton low line. The project had been started in March. (Interview with Bruce Morrison, 1979)

1979 production
38 million tons of ore mined in 1979 by Utah Copper Division of Kennecott Copper Corporation. 160 million tons of overburden removed. 12 pounds of copper per ton of ore. 206,000 tons of copper produced; 120,000 tons of copper produced in 1978. New smelter went on line in 1977-1978. (Salt Lake Tribune, March 2, 1980)

Between 1978 and 1981, Kennecott corporate management was distracted by an attempted hostile takeover by Curtiss-Wright Corporation. All of the activity seems to have taken place in the corporate boardrooms and courtrooms of New York City. The result was that in 1981, Kennecott Corporation's financial condition was so weakened that another corporate takeover, by Standard Oil of Ohio, changed the company and its ability to remain as the nation's foremost supplier of copper. (Read more about the attempted takeover by Curtiss-Wright)

May 6, 1980
Kennecott Copper Corporation changed its name to Kennecott Corporation at its 65th annual stockholder's meeting. (Deseret News, May 7, 1980;  Salt Lake Tribune, May 7, 1980)

At the same time, Kennecott reorganized its major business units. The mining operations and mineral interests were organized as Kennecott Minerals Company. A second unit was called Kennecott Engineered Systems Company, and a third unit was called Kennecott Development Company, which was sold to Kennecott's subsidiary Carborundum Company in September 1980. (part from New York Times, May 16, 1980 and September 10, 1980)

(The earliest reference to Kennecott Minerals Company in agreements and contracts was in July 1979.)

(The first locomotives with the KMC name were two GP39-2s delivered in February 1982.)

(Read more about the names and initials used by Kennecott: KCC, KMC, KUC)

July 1, 1980
Operations shut down due to strike. (Ore Haulage logbook)

September 1980
Work began on the North Ore Shoot Extension, mining ore for the production of copper, gold, silver, and molybdenum. A study completed in 1980 projected that the Bingham Mine would have to convert partially to underground operations and build new concentrators. Development of the North Ore Shoot included a new headframe and a 4200-foot vertical shaft. (Salt Lake Tribune, November 19, 1980; March 18, 1981)

(Read more about Kennecott's North Ore Shoot Extension)

September 9, 1980
Strike over, operations start up. (Ore Haulage logbook)

September 10, 1980
A strike at Kennecott ended; the strike had lasted 71 days (10 weeks); workers returned for morning shift on September 10, 1980. Strike began on July 1, 1980; 40,000 workers from 11 companies in nine states; Kennecott was the largest company. Other strikes: eight months in 1967; 29 days in 1971; six days in 1974; 19 days in 1977. (Deseret News, September 10, 1980;  Salt Lake Tribune, September 10, 1980)

October 14, 1980
The first units of the third order of seven high cab GP39-2 locomotives arrive at Dry Fork shops. (Road numbers 705-711)  (Interview with Mike Minor, 1983)

The last electrics were removed from ore haulage service in the Bingham pit with the arrival of the third order of seven high-cab GP39-2s in October 1980. After that, the last 13 electric locomotives (85-ton electrics 700 and 703, 90-ton electrics 761 and 762, and 125-ton electrics 766-773, and 778) were only used occasionally as standby units, and for maintenance trains until late 1982 or early 1983. All were either retired and scrapped by late 1983, or donated to museums for preservation.

November 1980
Kennecott is nation's largest copper producer. (Deseret News, November 11, 1980)

March 2, 1981
Mitsubishi of Japan took a one-third interest in Kennecott's Chino Mines Division in New Mexico. The agreement giving Mitsubishi one-third interest in Chino was signed on March 2, 1981. (Deseret News, March 2, 1981) Kennecott Corporation announced in December 1980 its intent to form a partnership with Mitsubishi for Chino Mines Division. Mitsubishi was to acquire a one-third interest in Chino, which produced 62,000 tons of copper in 1979, compared to Utah Copper Division production of 206,000 tons of copper in same year. (Salt Lake Tribune, December 23, 1980)  Mitsubishi's one-third interest in Chino is $116 million, to pay for modernization. One-third of copper production to go to Mitsubishi. No change in name, all 1,800 employees will remain as Kennecott Minerals Company. (Salt Lake Tribune, March 3, 1981)

June 2, 1981
Kennecott announced that a new visitors center would be built at a new location overlooking the Bingham mine. The current site is closed during the winter and the new location would allow year-around use. Plans called for the new location to be open to the public on May 1, 1982. (Tooele Bulletin, June 2, 1981) (The new visitors center overlooked the 6190 truck shop, which had been built in July 1978. The 6190 rail yard was also moved in summer and fall 1978, along with a new employee parking lot.)

June 4, 1981
Standard Oil Company of Ohio (Sohio) bought Kennecott Minerals Company (KMC); British Petroleum (BP) owned 53 percent of Sohio; British government owned 25 percent of BP, Bank of England owned 20 percent. (Salt Lake Tribune, September 24, 1981)

(Read more about Sohio as a parent company of Kennecott)

By this time, Kennecott was in a weakened financial state, and needed cash to modernize its operations. Its management had been distracted after the 1977 forced sale of Peabody Coal, and using the proceeds of that sale in 1978 to buy Carborundum Corporation, rather than using the money to start a modernization program for its copper mines. The facilities at the Bingham canyon mine needed to be upgraded to take advantage of a recently discovered high-grade body known as the North Ore Shoot Extension. Kennecott had been seeking to develop this new ore body through a joint venture with Fluor Corporation. "Kennecott has suffered from the neglect of its facilities. Over the last decade and a half [since 1966], management energy and cash flow was devoted to acquisition battles and to the protection of Peabody Coal, which they had to give up." The sale to Sohio gave Kennecott the cash to modernize. For Sohio, the Kennecott purchase gave the oil company a natural resource with a longer life span, and an outlet for the large amount of cash generated by its Prudhoe Bay reserves in Alaska. As of December 31, 1980, Sohio had cash reserves and marketable securities totaling $3.82 billion. (New York Times, March 14, 1981)

(The story continues after 1981 with Sohio and Kennecott)

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