D&RGW Utah Branch Lines

Index For This Page

This page was last updated on November 16, 2024.

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(Listed Alphabetically)

Ballard & Thompson Branch

D&RGW operated the Ballard & Thompson Railroad from 1912 to 1950, under contract to the owning coal company. After May 1948, D&RGW used the name "Neslen Spur" in its employee timetables.

The branch was abandoned and removed in 1951.

(Read more about the Ballard & Thompson Railroad)

Bennett Branch

D&RGW Bennett Branch -- A Google Map of the Bennett Branch in north Davis County, built to serve the sugar beet growing area surrounding the Layton Sugar company's sugar plant. (map zoomed to show the Bennett Branch portion of the larger map of Syracuse railroads)

Also known as the South Syracuse Branch, the Bennett Branch ran due west from Layton, to a sugar beet dump in Syracuse (right where today's Smith's grocery store is). Since the branch is not listed in any D&RGW summary of branches, it was apparently operated by D&RGW but built and owned by Layton Sugar Co. for sugar beet loading.

Rio Grande operated a spur in South Syracuse, straight west of the Layton sugar factory. The spur served Layton Sugar Company's beet dump that was built along 1000 West, just five hundred feet south of 2700 South. The line was called the Bennett Branch and angled southeast from the beet dump across Bennett's field until it was a half mile south of 2700 South and then headed due east to the sugar factory of the Layton Sugar Company.

The Bennett Branch was built and owned by the Layton Sugar Company to serve their beet dump in South Syracuse. Property for the spur was purchased in October 1926, although the spur may already been built.

The Bennett Branch was built due west along the half section line of Section 19 of T4N, R1W and Sections 24 and 23 of T4N, R2W. At the center of Section 23 the line turned northwest towards the northwest corner of section 23, ending at a beet dump on 1000 West, 500 feet south of 2700 South (on the site of today's Smith's grocery store).

The Rio Grande's Bennett Branch was built and owned by the Layton Sugar Company to serve their beet dump in South Syracuse, near present day 2700 South and 1000 West. Property for the spur was purchased in October 1926, although the spur may already been built. (Davis County Book of Deeds 1‑H, pp.181, 183)

March 1952
The beet dump and spur was removed by 1952. In March 1952 the sugar company sold a parcel of land in section 24, 33 feet wide by 2,651 feet long to Allen A. Adams. James E. Ellison was President and J. B. Cooley was Secretary of the Layton Sugar Company. (Davis County Book of Records 36, p.96)

In January 1955 Layton Sugar Company sold a 1.97 acre (577.5 feet by 149 feet) parcel to George H. Bennett Jr. The parcel was located along 1000 West, 509 feet south of 2700 South and was the typical size for a beet dump. (Davis County Book of Records 178, p.63)

In June 1955 the Layton Sugar Company sold a 2.89 acre (33 feet by 3,809 feet) parcel to the Ellison Ranching Company. The parcel ended at the west line of the Denver and Rio Grande mainline and included a 12 degree curve in the description. (Davis County Book of Records 88, p.435) This is interpreted to be the connection of the Bennett Branch with the D&RG mainline.

From a history that I did for Syracuse:

"Three people have told me about a rail line in South Syracuse that went due west from the Layton sugar factory. Apparently the branch went due west along the half section line of Section 19 of T4N, R1W and Sections 24 and 23 of T4N, R2W. At the center of Section 23 the line turned northwest towards the northwest corner of section 23, ending at a beet dump on 1000 West, 500 feet south of 2700 South.

"The Rio Grande's Bennett Branch was built and owned by the Layton Sugar Company to serve their beet dump in South Syracuse, near present day 2700 South and 1000 West. Property for the spur was purchased in October 1926, although the spur may already been built. (Davis County Book of Deeds 1‑H, pp.181, 183)

"The beet dump and spur may have been removed by 1952. In March 1952 the sugar company sold a parcel of land in section 24, 33 feet wide by 2,651 feet long to Allen A. Adams. James E. Ellison was President and J. B. Cooley was Secretary of the Layton Sugar Company. (Davis County Book of Records 36, p.96)

"In January 1955 Layton Sugar Company sold a 1.97 acre (577.5 feet by 149 feet) parcel to George H. Bennett Jr. The parcel was located along 1000 West, 509 feet south of 2700 South and was the typical size for a beet dump. (Davis County Book of Records 178, p.63)

"In June 1955 the Layton Sugar Company sold a 2.89 acre (33 feet by 3,809 feet) parcel to the Ellison Ranching Company. The parcel ended at the west line of the Denver and Rio Grande mainline and included a 12 degree curve in the description. (Davis County Book of Records 88, p.435) This is interpreted to be the connection of the Bennett Branch with the D&RG mainline."

Bingham Branch

(Read more about the D&RGW's Bingham Branch)

Cane Creek Branch

(View a Google map of the Cane Creek Branch)

More Information

(Read more about D&RGW's Cane Creek Branch)

(Read more about moving the Moab tailings)

Castle Valley Branch

The original Castle Valley Railway was organized in 1901 by D&RG (not RGW) interests to build a line through Salina canyon.

(Read more about Castle Valley Railway and the later D&RG/D&RGW Castle Valley Branch)

Diamond Quarry Spur

Farnsworth Spur

(Google Map; all Syracuse-area Branches)

Farnsworth was the site of a beet dump owned by Interstate Sugar Co., and a cannery owned by West Point Canning Co.

Rio Grande had a spur to the West Point Canning Company, at 3200 West and the West Point Road (300 North). The spur was built in 1923 as a private rail line owned by the Interstate Sugar Company, which operated the sugar factory at Hooper.

The spur was built south from the siding that Rio Grande called Kingsville, at about 3000 West and 1800 North, named after James King who sold the land to the railroad in 1917. King also sold property to the Amalgamated Sugar Company, which completed a beet dump at Kingsville in 1918.

The Interstate Sugar Company constructed the line to serve the beet dump that was built at Farnsworth, at the end of the line on the north side of the West Point Road (at about 3200 West). Farnsworth was named after Lou Farnsworth, one of the officers in the Interstate Sugar Company.

The sugar company constructed the line to serve the beet dumps that were built at Farnsworth, at the end of the line on the north side of the West Point Road (300 North at about 3200 West). Farnsworth was named after Lou H. Farnsworth, one of the officers in the Interstate Sugar Company.

1923
Interstate Sugar built its railroad south from Kingsville on the D&RG to Farnsworth in 1923. In June 1923 the sugar company bought 4.25 acres of land (SEQ, Sec 32, T5N, R2W) from William H. Dalton and Oly C. Oelson to be used for a beet dump and a railroad right of way at Farnsworth. The property for the entire rail line was purchased from the adjacent land owners, Julia A. Davis, Hannah S. Stokes, Brigham Hartley, and Oly C. Oelson. (Davis County Book of Abstracts 5, pp. 150, 153)

The Farnsworth Spur was built from where it joined with D&RG's Kingsville Spur just north of Kingsville and headed southwest to about 3200 West then due south to the Interstate's beet dump at Farnsworth, at about 3200 West on the north side of 300 North. (Davis County Book of Abstracts 5, p.175, lines 4 and 26)

The spur to the West Point cannery at Farnsworth began at Station 78+23 of the Interstate Sugar Company's railroad and headed southeast and south one hundred feet east of the sugar company's railroad for a length of 765 feet.

The railroad was 1.6 miles long with a 647 foot spur. Consolidated Assets was a Utah corporation based in Ogden. James E. Ellison was vice president. (Davis County Book of Deeds 1J, p.569) The Ellison family also owned the Layton Sugar Co.

The West Point Canning Company was served by the 765-foot Dalton Spur at Farnsworth.

The West Point Canning Company's cannery was located about a hundred feet east of the beet dump at Farnsworth. The canning company began business in 1925 and Rio Grande built a spur to the cannery in May. The canning company went bankrupt in 1936.

In 1925 the West Point Canning Company built a cannery on the east side of the spur on land purchased from William H. Dalton in February 1925. The canning company sold a right of way to the D&RG for a spur, "as now constructed", in April 1925. (Davis County Book of Abstracts 5, p.175, lines 4 and 26)

In 1930, after the Interstate Sugar Company went bankrupt in 1927, the Rio Grande bought mile and half long spur and called it the Farnsworth Extension. The railroad bought the spur to maintain service to the beet dump which was taken over by the Amalgamated Sugar Company.

October 14, 1930
The "Interstate Sugar Company's Railroad" from Kingsville to Farnsworth was sold by Consolidated Assets to the Denver and Rio Grande Western on October 14, 1930. (Davis County Book of Abstracts 5, p. 176, line 35)

(The cannery building still stood as late as 1991, being used as a horse barn.)

Garfield Branch

March 29, 2007
Union Pacific sold to Savage Bingham & Garfield Railroad, portions of the former D&RGW Bingham and Garfield branches.

Savage Bingham & Garfield operations started on October 1, 2007.

Goshen Valley Branch

(Read more about D&RGW's Goshen Valley Branch, as part of the Tintic area branches; includes maps)

Heber Branch

(see Provo Canyon Branch)

Hooper Branch

(Google Map; all Syracuse-area Branches)

D&RGW's Hooper Branch began at the mainline, at about 5700 South in Roy. The curve was a 350 foot radius from the north to the west. The branch proceeded west along 5700 South to about 3900 West where it started a gradual turn to the north. At about 4925 West the branch turned due west again to Hooper, along 5600 South. The Hooper Road is 5500 South.

At about 5500 West the spur to the sugar factory turned north for about a quarter mile. The sugar factory was located at about 5400 South just west of 5500 West. The Hooper cannery was located about a half block south of 5500 South at about 5700 West. Apparently the Cox Extension continued west along 5600 South to a beet dump at about 7000 West. The station at Cox was the off‑loading station for a Conservation Corps camp in the 1930's, used to make improvements to the Howard Slough Bird Refuge. The same camp was used as a POW camp during World War Two.

D&RGW's Hooper Branch ran west, paralleling today's 5600 South (Hooper Road) at about 5650 South, to Hooper, at about 5700 West. The Cox Extension was built further west to about 6700 West where a beet dump for Interstate Sugar Company was located (just south of Thorald Cox's home). The station at Cox was also the off‑loading station for a Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the 1930s. The CCC were used to construct the Howard Slough Bird Refuge. The same camp was used to house a limited number of Italian POWs during World War Two. The beet dump at Cox was closed in about 1953, at which time the beets were piled at Amalgamated Sugar's Hooper beet dump, on the site of the old Interstate Sugar Company's sugar factory. (part from Garth Moore interview, September 1994)

Initial construction in 1905 by D&RG.

March 1905
RGW bought land for a sixty‑six foot right of way through several sections for use as a spur to Hooper in March 1905. (Weber County Book of Deeds G, p.67)

April 1905
RGW bought land in Hooper in April 1905 for use as a spur to the sugar factory, connecting with the Hooper Spur. (Weber County Book of Deeds G, p.86)

Barton, on Hooper Branch, was at the section line between Sections 21 and 22, T5N, R2W (D&RG Valuation Map)

January 1918
D&RG bought more land in Hooper from Amalgamated Sugar in January 1918. (Weber County Book of Deeds J, p.108, lines 6, 7, 8)

Iron King Branch

(Google map; D&RGW Tintic Branches)

August 2013
A section of the abandoned track was destroyed when Bureau of Land Management contractors used large chains pulled between bulldozers to remove invasive plant species. The chaining ripped up the rails and track structure in several places. (Information and photos from Pete Maxfield)

Jenning's Spur (Potter's Spur)

Initial construction 3 miles to Jennings Quarry in 1892; extended to 4.97 miles to Potter's Quarry in 1900; removed in 1917.

Shown in employee timetables as "Jenning's Quarry Spur" and as "Potter's Greystone Quarry," and later as "Jenning's and Potter's Quarry Spur."

(View a Google Map of Jenning's Spur, also known as Potter's Spur)

The Jenning's and Potter's Spur left the mainline at or very near to West Kyune. The spur was 4.97 miles long and headed almost due east to the quarries. The present-day Emma Park Road is on most of the roadbed. At a spot today known as Matts Summit, the spur turned due north for about a mile and ended at the quarries. Most of the roadbed not used by the Emma Park Road is visible in the TerraServer photos, especially where it crossed Horse Creek on an 'S' curve, while the present day road is straight. There was not a wye at Jennings Junction, where the spur left the mainline. (telephone conversation with Jim Ozment, retired D&RGW Utah Division Engineer, November 2, 2004)

1892
RGW completed a new three-mile spur between Jenning's Junction and the Jenning's stone quarry. Jenning's Junction was located east of Pleasant Valley Junction, later known as Colton. (LeMassena, p. 101)

1900
RGW completed a two mile extension of the Jennings Quarry Spur, extended to another stone quarry at Potters. (LeMassena, p. 109)

1917
D&RG removed the five mile stone quarry spur from Kyune to Potters. The spur was constructed in 1892 from Kyune on the mainline (known then as Jennings Junction) for three miles to the Jennings quarry, then extended for two miles from Jennings to the Potters Quarry in 1900. The combined spurs were removed in 1917 after the closure of both stone quarries. (LeMassena, p. 131)

Kenilworth Branch

Replaced Kenilworth & Helper Railway, which connected with D&RGW at Spring Glen, east of Helper.

1926
The following comes from various issues of Railway Age magazine:

DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN. -- This company has applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission for a certificate authorizing the construction of a line of 6.28 miles from Spring Canyon Junction, Utah. (Railway Age, February 6, 1926, page 409)

DENVER & RIO GRADE WESTERN. -- Improvement program for this year calling for an expenditure of more than $9 million, includes "an extension from Helper, Utah, to Kenilworth, a distance of six miles." All of the other projects were in Colorado. (Railway Age, March 13, 1926, page 833)

DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN -- Abandonment. -- The Interstate Commerce Commission has issued a certificate authorizing the Kenilworth & Helper and the Denver & Rio Grande Western, lessee, to abandon the line of the Kenilworth & Helper, which extends from Kenilworth Junction, Utah, to Kenilworth, 3.75 miles. Similarly a certificate has been issued authorizing the Denver & Rio Grande Western to construct a new branch line from Spring Canyon Junction in a general easterly direction, 6.28 miles. The Kenilworth is leased by the Denver from its owners, the Independent Coal & Coke Company, which purposes to open up new coal operations which the present line will not be adequate to serve. (Railway Age, April 10, 1926, page 1039)

DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN. -- A contract has been awarded to the Utah Construction Company, San Francisco, Cal., for the grading of a six-mile extension from Helper, Utah, to Kenilworth, reported in the Railway Age of March 13. (Railway Age, May 22, 1926, page 1415)

December 1971
D&RGW received federal ICC approval to abandon its Kenilworth Branch, Helper to Kenilworth, 6.23 miles. (Railroad magazine, April 1972, page 65)

See also: Utah Coal, Kenilworth Mines.

Kingsville Spur

(Google Map; all Syracuse-area Branches)

Kingsville was the site of a beet dump owned by Amalgamated Sugar Co.

D&RG's Kingsville Spur was built in late 1917 and early 1918. The branch started with a 12 degree curve to the south from the Hooper Spur, at a point 458 feet east and 414 feet south of the NW corner of Section 21, T5N, R2W. The land for the entire spur was purchased in December 1917.

The D&RG station at Kingsville was named after the original land owner, Joseph S. King, and was located at about 3000 West on the north side of 1800 North (Clinton Road). King sold a right of way for the D&RG spur, which had already been graded, in December 1917. At the same time King also sold two acres to the Amalgamated Sugar Company for use as a beet dump. The land for the beet dump was 665 feet north to south and 128 feet wide along the east side of the D&RG spur. D&RG purchased additional land from Amalgamated Sugar in January 1918, at which time the spur had been completed. (Davis County Book of Abstracts B, p.19, and Book of Deeds 1‑A, pp.437 and 478)

Amalgamated Sugar bought land for use as a beet dump at Kingsville in November 1917. (Weber County Book of Deeds J, p.79)

Lake Park Branch

(Read more about RGW's Lake Park Resort and Branch)

Lark Branch

Originally known as the Dalton & Lark Spur.

Constructed in 1901. Paid for by, and for the exclusive use of, the Bingham Consolidated MIning & Smelting company to serve its Bingham Tunnel at the new location named Lark. The branch was sold to RGW in 1903.

A new spur connecting to the original Lark Branch was completed in 1952 to serve a new ore loading station at Lark, which received ore from the new Bingham-Lark tunnel that replaced the original Mascotte Tunnel.

The north end of the Lark Branch was changed when the Bingham Branch itself was realigned north, to allow Kennecott to do the needed environmental mitigation of Bingham Creek. The portion of the Bingham Branch east of the original connection at Dalton, remained in place and became an additional 1.4 miles of the Lark Branch, connecting with the Bingham Branch at a new Dalton siding.

(Research has not yet found when the Lark Branch was abandoned.)

D&RGW Lark Branch Map -- A Google map showing the D&RGW Lark Branch, built in 1903 as the Dalton & Lark Branch; partially changed in 1955 to serve the new Bingham-Lark tunnel.

Little Cottonwood Branch

Midvale to Sandy, then eastward to Wasatch.

Wasatch to Alta.

April 24, 1960
The D&RGW Little Cottonwood Branch was shown in D&RGW Employee Timetable No. 142, dated April 24, 1960.

October 14, 1960
D&RGW agreed to abandon and remove the tracks of its Little Cottonwood Branch between Midvale and Sandy, along Midvale's Center Street, eastward to the State Street crossing and into Sandy. This was to be done prior to the start of Interstate 15 construction. (Midvale Sentinel, October 14, 1960)

In April 1957 the state road commission had asked that the tracks along Center Street in Midvale be removed to allow widening of Center Street. The request was to the railroad itself, but was not approved. The state then sued in Third District Court in October. Only four customers were being served by the Little Cottonwood Branch at the time. (Deseret News, April 24, 1957; October 12, 1957)

March 1, 1965
The D&RGW Little Cottonwood Branch was officially closed to rail traffic on Monday March 1, 1965. The rails immediately east of the main line were in the way of construction of the Interstate 15 overpass over Center Street, and were to be removed within 30 days. D&RGW had agreed to abandon and remove the tracks leading to Sandy when they became an obstacle to the completion of I-15 through Midvale. (Midvale Sentinel, March 5, 1965)

July 9, 1965
D&RGW removed the tracks of its Little Cottonwood Branch along Center Street in Midvale, east of the D&RGW mainline, "last week." The connection between the mainline and the branch had been cut (in March) with the construction of Interstate 15 between the mainline at Midvale, and the crossing of State Street. The tracks through Midvale were commonly known by residents as the "Shay tracks" because of the type of locomotive once used along them. After the tracks and sub-roadbed of the branch were removed, a new base up to 24 inches deep was put into place, and the area was paved, making Center Street wider. (Midvale Sentinel, July 9, 1965; July 16, 1965)

(Read more about D&RGW's Little Cottonwood Branch)

Marysvale Branch

(Read more about D&RGW's Marysvale Branch, includes a map)

Mammoth Branch

Joint operation with OSL, then with UP, to provide access to the mill of the Mammoth Milling Co.

Morrison Branch

Former San Pete Valley Railway

See also: a History of Railroads in San Pete Valley.

Ogden Sugar Works Branch

Orem Branch

Purchased from the bankrupt Salt Lake & Utah Railroad in 1946.

(Read more about D&RGW's Orem Branch)

Park City Branch

(Read more about D&RGW's Park City Branch)

See also: the railroad portion of History of Transportation in Parley's Canyon.

Pleasant Valley Branch

(Read more about the D&RGW's Pleasant Valley Branch)

Potter's Spur

(See Jennings Spur, above)

Provo Canyon Branch

D&RGW's Provo Canyon Branch extended from downtown Provo, north and northeast for 28 miles to Heber, by way of Provo Canyon.

The upper portion became the current tourist railroad known as the Heber Creeper (Heber Valley Historic Railroad).

(Read more about D&RGW's Provo Canyon Branch)

(Read more about the Heber Creeper, today known as the Heber Valley Historic Railroad)

San Pete Valley Branch

Additional Information

December 2, 1947
D&RGW received ICC approval to abandon 23.21 miles of the San Pete Branch, between Moroni and Nephi. (ICC Finance Docket 15476, in 267 ICC 807)

(LeMassena, p. 163, says that the portion of the San Pete Valley Branch from Moroni to Gypsum Mill, 32.8 miles, was removed in 1948.)

(The portion at the western end, from Nephi to Gypsum Mill to Nephi, 1.9 miles, was sold to Union Pacific's LA&SL subsidiary. UP operated the line as its Nephi Plaster Mill Spur until October 1953, when it was retired and removed. The spur ran down the middle of Nephi's main east-west thoroughfare, First North Street, which was also designated as Utah Highway 132. The state highway department wanted the tracks removed to allow improvements along the state highway.)

See also: a History of Railroads in San Pete Valley.

Spring Canyon Branch

Timeline:

Spring Canyon Branch shown in D&RGW Salt Lake Division employee timetables as late as No. 139, dated September 22, 1957

D&RGW Spring Canyon Branch possibly abandoned in 1954 in ICC Finance Docket 18361, decided 2/16/54. (282 ICC 810)

D&RGW Spring Canyon Branch -- A Google Map of D&RGW's Spring Canyon Branch, west of Helper; also shows Utah Railway Spring Canyon Branch and coal mines.

See also: Utah Coal, Spring Canyon Mines

Sunnyside Branch

(Read more about the Sunnyside Branch)

Tintic Branch

Built in 1891 by the Tintic Range Railway; part of D&RG consolidation in 1908

(Read more about D&RGW's Tintic Branch)

Sources

D&RGW April 1884 passenger timetable, showing distances from Denver via the original narrow gauge

D&RGW Salt Lake Division timetable 117, December 4, 1938 (from Scott Meier's web site)

D&RGW Grand Junction Division timetable 119, June 2, 1940 (from Scott Meier's web site)

Maps in LeMassena's Rio Grande to the Pacific

D&RGW 1934 Condensed Profiles

John B. Charles email to D&RGW group at YahooGroups, July 22, 2003; information taken from Salt Lake Division timetable No 95, June 1, 1924.

Scott Meier email to D&RGW group at YahooGroups, July 23, 2003; information taken from Salt Lake Division timetable No. 102, June 9, 1929.

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