Utah Fuels the West

Index For This Page

Utah's coal industry and the railroads that served it

This page was last updated on September 8, 2023.

Overview

Introduction -- General information and background for Utah's coal industry.

Thirty Years of Coal Mining -- A digital version of a book about coal mining, published in July 1946 by United States Fuel Company. (PDF; 32 pages; 7.2MB)

United States Fuel -- Information about the mines of United States Fuel Company, the 1916 merger of Consolidated Fuel, Castle Valley Coal and Black Hawk Coal companies, served by Utah Railway after 1914.

Utah's Coal Companies -- An alphabetical listing of known coal companies in Utah (both retail and wholesale companies), along with the coal mines and their locations. Both railroad and wagon/truck mines are included.

Utah Coal Men -- Biographical summaries of the men who created Utah's coal industry. (incomplete, more to come)

Utah Fuel Company -- Information about Utah Fuel Company, later operating as Kaiser Coal Company.

Utah Fuel Company was an unorganized subsidiary of Denver & Rio Grande railroad from 1883 until about 1899, operating as the Pleasant Valley Coal Company, or as the Utah Coal & Coke Company. It was formally organized in 1899, and separated from D&RG in 1918, during the railroad's receivership and reorganization that ended in 1921. Utah Fuel was sold to Kaiser Steel in 1950, and portions were sold to Independent Coal & Coke in 1951.

Utah Railway -- Information about Utah Railway as part of the coal mines that the company served beginning in 1912.

Miscellaneous Utah Coal Notes -- Miscellaneous notes about coal mining and proposed railroads.

HAER, Kenilworth -- Web page version of the Historic American Engineering Record report for Kenilworth and Independent Coal and Coke company (HAER; UT-31).

Early Utah Coal Mines

Early Coal Discoveries -- Information about Utah's early coal mines from the 1840s to the late 1890s, including the early mines in Coalville, San Pete, and the original Winter Quarters mine. Also includes information about the formation of the Price and Helper town sites and Pleasant Valley Coal Co.

Carbon County Coal Mines

(Sorted alphabetically)

Andalex Resources -- Information about Andalex Resources, Inc., and its coal mines (and Wildcat Loadout) in Utah. Includes a very brief summary of Andalex's proposed mine on southern Utah's Kaiparowits Plateau.

Amax, Cyprus Amax and RAG American Coal -- Information about the Amax, Cyprus Amax and RAG American Coal ownership of the Wattis and Willow Creek coal mines.

Banning Coal Loadout -- Information about the Banning coal loadout at mile post 5.5 on D&RGW's Sunnyside Branch, where the branch passes under U.S. Highway 6 at what is known on the highway as Sunnyside Junction. Completed in 1979 and operated by the Soldier Creek Coal Company until 2000.

Black Hawk Coal Company -- Information about the Black Hawk Coal Co. mine at Black Hawk, later known as Hiawatha or King Mine, sold to United States Fuel Company, served by Utah Railway.

Bowie Resources -- Information about the coal properties operated by Bowie Resource Partners from 2013 to 2018, then by Wolverine Fuels (Dugout Canyon, Skyline Coal Project, Soldier Creek, SUFCO)

Bronco Utah Coal -- Information about the coal mines of the Bronco Utah Coal company, which include the Columbia mine (after 2005) and the Emery Deep Mine (after 2015).

Canyon Fuel Company -- An index page and brief summaries of the properties of Canyon Fuel Company (former Coastal States Energy), including the Sufco, Skyline, and Dugout mines.

Carbon County Newspapers 1904-1946 -- an index of research in the various newspapers of Carbon County, including entries from the University of Utah Special Collections Coal Index, compiled by Floyd A. O'Neil and his staff at the university's American West Center.

Carbon County Railway Mines - Information about the Columbia Steel (later U. S. Steel) mines at Columbia and Horse Canyon, including Carbon County Railway.

Carbon Fuel Company -- Information about the coal mine in Hardscrabble Canyon, first known as Hardscrabble Coal Company, then after about 1950, as the Carbon Fuel Company.

Castle Gate Mines -- Information about the Utah Fuel Company coal mines in the area of Castle Gate, including the Willow Creek, Panther, New Peerless, Rolapp, Cameron, and Hardscrabble mines.

Coastal States -- An index page and brief summaries of the properties of Coastal States Energy, later Canyon Fuel, including the Sufco, Skyline, and Dugout mines.

Columbia Coal Mine -- Information about the Columbia mine, served by Carbon County Railway.

C. V. Spur -- Information about the coal preparation and unit train loading site southeast of Price, Utah.

Dugout Canyon -- Information about the coal mines in Soldier Creek and Dugout Canyon, northeast of Price, Utah; includes information about the rail car loading facility at Banning on the D&RGW Sunnyside Branch.

Geneva Mine -- Information about the Geneva mine in Horse Canyon, operated by U. S. Steel and served by Carbon County Railway.

Gordon Creek Canyon  -- The coal mines in Gordon Creek canyon, and the railroad that served them, originally known as the National Coal Railway (later Utah Railway).

Hardscrabble Coal Company -- Information about the coal mine in Hardscrabble Canyon, first known as hardscrabble Coal Company, then after about 1950, as the Carbon Fuel Company.

Hiawatha Mines -- Information about the mines in Miller Creek Canyon, 1907-1916, including the original Consolidated Fuel mine at East Hiawatha or Old Hiawatha, and Southern Utah Railroad. (Read about United States Fuel after the 1916 merger)

Horse Canyon Mine -- Information about the Geneva mine in Horse Canyon, operated by U. S. Steel and served by Carbon County Railway.

Island Creek Coal Company -- Information about the purchase of the coal leases in Utah's Dugout Canyon by Island Creek Coal company (1968 to 1982).

Kaiser Coal Company at Sunnyside -- After Kaiser bought the Sunnyside mine in 1943, it became a dedicated coal mine that furnished coal solely to Kaiser Steel Company.

Kaiser Unit Coal Trains -- Information about the unit coal trains operated from Kaiser's Sunnyside coal mine, to Kaiser Steel Corporation's steel plant in Fontana, California.

Kenilworth Mines -- Information about the mines at Kenilworth, served by Kenilworth & Helper Railway and D&RGW.

Knight-Ideal Coal Company -- Information about the Knight-Ideal Coal company's mines in Coal Creek canyon, and in Dugout canyon, along with its coal processing plant and tipple in Wellington. Includes a brief summary of the Knight-Ideal Loadout site reclamation completed in 2014.

Lila Canyon -- Information about the Lila Canyon mine, south of the former Geneva mine in Horse Canyon.

Mohrland Mine -- Information about the mines in Cedar Creek Canyon, 1906-1916, including the original Castle Valley Coal Co. mine at Mohrland, and Castle Valley Railroad (later Utah Railway). (Read about United States Fuel after the 1916 merger)

Murray Energy -- Information about Murray Energy Corporation and its mines in Utah; bankrupt in 2019, reorganized as American Consolidated Natural Resources.

New Peerless -- Information about the New Peerless coal mine, near Castle Gate. (Not to be confused with the Peerless mine in Spring Canyon)

Panther Mine -- The coal mine at Panther, near Castle Gate; opened in 1912, closed in 1937.

Pleasant Valley Coal Mines -- Information about the Utah Fuel Company coal mines in Pleasant Valley, including Scofield, Winter Quarters, and Clear Creek, also the later Skyline Mine, served by D&RGW.

Rolapp (Royal) Coal Mine -- Information about the Royal coal mine near Castle Gate, built as the Cameron Coal Company, sold to H. H. Rolapp as the Royal Coal Company, and sold again to Spring Canyon Coal Company.

Savage Coal Terminal -- Information about the coal preparation and unit train loading site located on C. V. Spur, southeast of Price, Utah.

Sego Mine - Information about the Sego Mine at Ballard in eastern Utah, served by Ballard & Thompson Railroad and D&RGW.

Soldier Creek -- Information about the coal mines in Soldier Creek Canyon, northeast of Price, Utah; includes information about the rail car loading facility at Banning on the D&RGW Sunnyside Branch.

Spring Canyon Mines -- Information about the mines in Spring Canyon, served by D&RGW and Utah Terminal Railway (later Utah Railway).

Star Point Mine -- Information about the former Wattis mine, changed to the Star Point mine in 1967. A new flood loader was completed in mid 1985 on the adjacent Utah Railway minline.

Sunnyside Mines -- Information about the mines at Sunnyside, served by D&RGW; owned by Utah Fuel from 1899 to 1943, then by Kaiser Steel from 1943 to 1991.

Wattis Mine -- Information about the Lion Coal Co. mine at Wattis, served by Utah Railway.

Wellington Coal Wash Plant -- Information about U.S. Steel's coal washing plant at Wellington, Utah.

Wildcat Loadout -- Information about the coal loadout at Utah Railway's Wildcat Siding.

Wolverine Fuels -- Information about the coal properties operated by Wolverine Fuels (former Bowie Resource Partners) from 2018 (Dugout Canyon, Skyline Coal Project, Soldier Creek, SUFCO).

Utah Coal Mines Not In Carbon County

Atlas-Dirty Devil Mine -- Information about the failed Atlas-Dirty Devil coal mine at Factory Butte in the Henry Mountains. (Atlas Loadout served by D&RGW)

Bear Canyon Mine -- Information about the mines in Bear Canyon, located about six miles north of the Huntington power station in Emery County. Always a truck mine, without direct rail service, the Bear Canyon mine was opened in the late 1930s as the Co-Op Mining company, and remains in operation mining different coal seams during early 2021.

Deserado Coal Mine -- Information about the Deserado coal mine in western Colorado that furnishes coal to the Bonanza Power Station in eastern Utah. The coal is transported via the Deseret Railway, formerly known as the Deseret Western Railway.

Emery County Mines -- Information about the coal mines of Emery County, west of Huntington and west of Castle Dale. These smaller mines, all of which were truck mines without access to rail transportation, were purchased by Utah Power & Light and used to supply coal to its Hunter, Huntington, Carbon, and Gadby coal-fired power plants. (Information is confusing and incomplete; research continues)

Emery Deep Mine -- Information about the Emery Deep Mine, located four miles south of Emery, in Emery County, Utah. Operated by Consolidation Coal Co. (Consol Energy) from 1968 to 2010, then by Bronco Utah.

Intermountain Power Project -- Information about the history and organization of the Intermountain Power Agency and its Intermountain Power Project power plant near Delta, Utah, and its rail operations.

Salina Canyon Coal Mines -- Information about the coal mines in Salina Canyon in Sevier County, Utah; includes links to more additional information.

Sevier Valley Coal Company in Salina Canyon -- Information about Sevier Valley Coal company in Salina canyon, as part of the D&RGW's Castle Valley Branch.

Sufco -- Information about the mine of the Southern Utah Fuel (SUFCO) mine in Salina Canyon.

Sufco in 2003 -- Text of an online article at MiningTechnology.com, July 25, 2003

Summit County Coal Mines -- Information about the coal mines at Coalville and surrounding Summit County; from research in the Summit County courthouse.

Carbon County Local Histories

A Brief History Of Carbon County, 1930, Chapter 1-3 -- Scanned version of a history of Carbon County, completed in 1930. (PDF; 34 pages; 27MB)

A Brief History Of Carbon County, 1930, Chapter 4, Town Histories -- Scanned version of a history of Carbon County, completed in 1930. (PDF; 34 pages; 27MB)

Carbon County, A History -- Scanned version of a history of Carbon County, compiled by C. H. Madsen in 1947. (PDF; 62 pages; 44MB)

Centennial Echos from Carbon County -- Scanned version (selected pages only) of a history of Carbon County, published in 1948 by the local Daughters of Utah Pioneers camp. (Text only; no photos; includes large portions of Madsen's 1947 histories, above)

Driving Tour Guide, Castle Coal Country -- Scanned version of a tour guide produced in 1990.

Other Information

Loading Coal -- Brief comments about the methods of loading coal into rail cars.

Utah Coal Production in 1935 -- A list of Utah coal mines taken from Bureau of Mines Information Circular 6837.

Utah Coal Production in 1948 -- A list of Utah coal mines taken from an article in the Helper Journal newspaper of March 3, 1949.

Scofield Dam -- Text of an article about the Scofield Dam, from the July 22, 2003 issue of the Sun Advocate newspaper.

Kay Moor Mine -- Information about the Kay Moor Mine in West Virginia. A series of excellent drawings showing coal mining, coal preparation, and coal loading very similar to coal mining in Utah.

Maps

Utah Coal -- Google map of the sites and locations for Utah coal mines and rail loadouts.

Utah Coal -- Public records map compiled by the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining.

Utah Coal -- Interactive map of coal mine location, with links to permit files, maintained by Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining.

Bibliography

Utah Coal Bibliography

More Information

Utah Railway -- Information about Utah Railway, known as Utah Coal Railway for a very brief time.

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