Little Cottonwood Transportation Co.

RAILROADS OF LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON

Compiled By Don Strack

This page was last updated on May 19, 2007.

Additional Sources:

General description of branch, from the 1937 D&RGW Branchline summary:

LITTLE COTTONWOOD BRANCH - SALT LAKE DIVISION
3.41 Miles
Purchased narrow gauge 1881
Standard gauged to Sandy 1890 - to Wasatch 1913.
The upper part of the branch from Sandy to Wasatch was built by the Wasatch & Jordan Valley Railroad Company in 1873 and extended to Alta in 1876, primarily to reach the rich gold mines at Alta, bringing the ores from those mines to the old smelter at Sandy. Soon after the construction of the branch, granite quarries were opened at Wasatch from which granite for the Mormon Temple and other important buildings was obtained. While the narrow gauge track was built from Wasatch to Alta, it was found impossible to operate the upper part of the line successfully with steam power, horses being substituted as motive power for operating the track as a tramway from Wasatch to Alta.
In 1881, the branch and tramway were acquired by our predecessor, The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway Company, but operation of the upper part of the branch was soon discontinued.
The lower part, from Midvale to Sandy, was originally a part of Bingham Canon and Camp Floyd Railroad which was acquired by the Denver & Rio Crande Western Railway Company in 1881.
After many years of inoperative ownership, during which the upper part of the branch was leased to the Little Cottonwood Transportation Company; the track was removed above Sand Pit in 1934.
The rail in this line is 90 pound, laid in 1937. It is on natural dirt and sand.
There are approximately 3,200 ties per mile, 90 percent of which are treated.
Maximum grade 4.2 percent.
Maximum curvature 16 degrees.
The only natural resource of any consequence remaining on this branch is a sand and gravel pit located at Sand Pit, Utah. A movement of ore and concentrates from points adjacent to the branch has been discontinued, with no possibility of movement in the future.
The Ideal Sand Company, located at Sand Pit, Utah, ships sand, gravel and engine sand. During the year of 1937, 50 cars of commercial sand and gravel, and 267 cars of engine sand for the Union Pacific Railroad were shipped from Sand Pit. At Sandy, Utah, we have one coal and lumber dealer and one retail gas and oil dealer.
Irregular service - operated as required - average service about one trip per week which is made by the "Ping-Pong" crew. This crew handles all industry work at Sugar House, between Roper and Midvale, and on Little Cottonwood Branch.
Our conclusions are that that portion of the branch beyond the spur serving the Superior Oil Company at Mile Post 1.4 be abandoned. (Mile Post 1.4 was east of the UP/D&RGW gantlet crossing of State Street, and west of the crossing of UP at Sandy.)

The branch was built in 1872-1873 as a 3-feet narrow gauge line by the Wasatch & Jordan Valley Railway. W&JV was controlled by D&RG after 1881. The above branchline summary shows that the line above the granite quarries went out of operation in the 1880s, suggesting that the mies at Alta had played out. (see also Clarence Reeder's research) The rails likely remained in place, explaining the interest in 1902-1907 (below) about the horse tramway along the same route.

An article about Alta mentioned railroad service to Little Cottonwood Canyon. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 4, number 9, August 15, 1902, pp.15-18)

C. D. Rooklidge, of Salt Lake City, obtained a lease on the RGW tramway between Alta and Sandy. He was to reconstruct and equip the line for electric operation, at a cost of $100,000.00. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 5, number 15, November 15, 1903, p.23)

Article about Alta, with photograph of "horse tramway" and brief mention of railroad service to Alta. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 6, number 14, October 30, 1904, pp.16,17)

Article about Alta, with photograph taken on "old Alta tramway". (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 8, number 4, May 30, 1906, pp.17-21)

Article about Alta, past, present and future, with photographs. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 9, number 10, August 30, 1907, p.19)

News item about D&RG planning to rebuild the Alta Branch. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 14, number 19, January 15, 1913, p.35, "Construction Notes")

From Clarence Reeder:

The Wasatch and Jordan Valley Railroad did not remain in existence long after the consolidation of 1879. The road, as may be seen from the financial statements, was able to show a profit after expenses and interest payments on its bonds through 1878. In 1879, however, the mines of Alta on which the road was dependent for its income began to fail. Income during 1879, 1880 and 1881 was large enough to meet operating expenses; but interest on bonds could not be paid, and foreclosure action was taken in August of 1881. The road was sold to the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad on December 31, 1881. The portion of the road between Sandy and Alta was closed sometime in the 1880's because of the failure of the mines, but the Sandy to Bingham portion was made standard gauge and remained in profitable operation until the 1950's.

Wasatch & Jordan Valley Railroad/D&RGW

Other W&JV links:

George Pitchard's research (mostly about the locomotives) (Removed at author's request) [#]
Clarence Reeder's research

Wasatch & Jordan Valley became part of a consolidation with its sister railroad, Bingham Canyon & Camp Floyd Railroad, from a shared terminal at Midvale and the mines in Bingham Canyon. According to Clarence Reeder, citing (??), soon after D&RGW took control of the consolidated railroads in 1881, the mines at Alta began to fail and the W&JV above the granite quarries was removed from service.

However, it must be noted that according to a D&RGW branch line summary, and as part of its overall surveying effort for its entire line in Utah, D&RGW completed a complete survey of the entire 16.7 miles of line from Sandy to Alta in November 1882. A filing map was accepted by the U. S. Land Office on September 14, 1883. Further, in September 1925, D&RGW later provided, and the Land Office accepted, a formal proof of construction. (U. S. Interstate Commerce Commission, Valuation Report, Denver and Rio Grande, pp. 806, 896, 901; Robert v. Sloan, ed., Utah Gazetteer and Directory of Logan. Ogden, Provo, and Salt Lake Cities for 1884, pp. 107, 110; J. Cecil Alter, Utah the Storied Domain, 1932, pp. 498, 499.)

***