Utah Northern Railroad (1871-1874)
This page was last updated on December 13, 2007.
Utah Northern Railroad existed from 1871 through to its reorganization as Utah & Northern Railway in 1878. U&N was a UP-controlled company and became part of UP's roll-up in 1889 of its controlled companies in Utah and Idaho as the newly organized Oregon Short Line & Utah Northern Railway.
Locomotive Roster
George Pitchard's research shows that UN/U&N operated a total of 52 locomotives, all three-feet narrow gauge. The first five were from the original Utah Northern Railroad. the other 47 locomotives came as Utah & Northern. After U&N converted a large part of its line to standard gauge, UP sent some of the surplus locomotives to its Utah Western/Utah & Nevada line west of Salt Lake City. UP continued to dispose of the surplus locomotives as its narow gauge railroads continued to shrink. The last locomotives remained in service as late as 1903, when OSL shut down the old UW/U&N line as it reconstructed the line as a more direct route for its expansion toward California.
Utah Northern Railroad
| UN No. |
Name | Type | Builder | Builder Number |
When Built |
U&N Number |
Disposition | See Note |
| 1 | John W. Young | 2-4-0 | Grant | Oct 1871 | U&N 1 | |||
| 2 | Utah | 2-6-0 | Grant | Sep 1872 | U&N 2 | Sold September 1881 | 2, 3 | |
| 3 | Idaho | 2-6-0 | Grant | Sep 1872 | U&N 3 | 1885 No. 297; declared vacant in May 1886 | 2, 4 | |
| 4 | Logan | 4-6-0 | Grant | Apr 1874 | U&N 4 | 1885 No. 285; declared vacant in May 1886 | 5 | |
| 5 | Franklin | 4-6-0 | Grant | Jun 1874 | U&N 5 | 1885 No. 286; declared vacant in May 1886 | 6 |
General Notes:
| a. | All of the five locomotives above were built by the Grant Locomotive Works, of Paterson, New Jersey; with no known construction numbers assigned. |
| b. | Tenders on the Grant locomotives were of two types - those on engines 1, 2 and 3 were of a six-wheel type, with one fixed wheelset at the front (having inside bearings), and one ordinary four-wheel truck at the rear, while the tenders on Nos. 4 and 5 were of the usual two-truck style. In the June 1, 1885 roster, the tender of the old No. 3 is shown as holding 584 gallons water and 2 tons coal; those of old No. 4 and No. 5 are shown as holding 900 gallons water and 2-1/2 tons of coal. The low capacity of No. 3's tender would seem to indicate it still had its original tender - at least above the frame. |
| c. | UN 1, "John W. Young", was received at Ogden on 30 October 1871; first known operation in early April of 1872. Believed to be out of service and 'retired' not later than September 1880 (allowing Summit County Railroad No. 2 to be numbered as U&N 2nd No. 1). |
| d. | UN 2 and 3, "Utah" and "Idaho", were received 13 or 14 October 1872; placed in service on 18 October and 20 October 1872. Names as shown in roster are correct for these two engines, but nothing has surfaced to connect specific name with number - the assignment given here is merely conventional, and could possibly need to be reversed upon discovery of new information. |
| e. | No. 3 remains on the roster, renumbered to No. 297, dropped from equipment in May 1886, and apparently put to use as shop steam boiler at the South Butte shops of the U & N Ry - see Salt Lake Herald of 5 November 1885; if so, date of retirement as shop boiler is not known (however, it is known that the South Butte shops, together with all other U&N property between Butte and Garrison, Montana, were transferred to the Montana Union Ry. in mid-1886). |
| f. | "Logan" received at Ogden on or about 25 May 1874, trial run made on 27 May 1874; the engine "Franklin" received at Ogden on 7 July 1874. Renumbered from U&N Nos. 4 and 5 to 285 and 286 in 1885. Both noted as 'condemned' by March 1886, and dropped from equipment in May 1886, and subsequently scrapped. |
| g. | Tenders on the Grant locomotives were of two types - those on engines 1, 2 and 3 were of a six-wheel type, with one fixed wheelset at the front (having inside bearings), and one ordinary four-wheel truck at the rear, while the tenders on Nos. 4 and 5 were of the usual two-truck style. In the June 1, 1885 roster, the tender of the old No. 3 is shown as holding 584 gallons water and 2 tons coal; those of old No. 4 and No. 5 are shown as holding 900 gallons water and 2-1/2 tons of coal. The low capacity of No. 3's tender would seem to indicate it still had its original tender - at least above the frame. |
| h. | Description: |
| Number | Cylinders | Drivers | Engine Weight |
|
| UN 1, "John W. Young" | 9x16 | 48" | 11 ton | |
| UN 2, "Utah" | 10x16 | 42" | 14 ton | |
| UN 3, "Idaho" | 10x16 | 42" | 14 ton | |
| UN 4, "Logan" | 12x18 | 44" | 17 ton | |
| UN 5, "Franklin" | 12x18 | 44" | 17 ton |
In the 1989 revision of his 1987 original "Utah Railroad Scrapbook," George Pitchard's research for the five Utah Northern locomotives was as shown below.
The wheel arrangements (except for the 'John W. Young' are taken from the newspaper items, and the 1885 Union Pacific roster, as well as the builder's photograph of 4-6-0 'Franklin;' the cylinder and driver figures on the first three engines are from the newspapers; and the engine weight of the moguls, as well as all such data on the two 4-6-0 engines, are from the 1885 Union Pacific system roster.
Some of the newspaper items used were:
- Arrival of the 'John W. Young' - Ogden Junction, 4 November 1871
- Specifications of the 'John W. Young' - Deseret Evening News, 12 April 1872
- Date of construction, #3 (& so #2) - Salt Lake Herald, 5 November 1885
- Date in service for #2 & #3 - Deseret Evening News, 23 October 1872
- Name 'Idaho' on an engine in use - Deseret Evening News, 1 October 1873
- Name 'Utah' on an engine in use - Daily Ogden Junction, 6 February 1874
- 'Logan' arrived, & trial trip run - Daily Ogden Junction, 27 May 1874
- 'Franklin' received on 7th; and identifies 'Logan' and 'Franklin' as Grant engines - Daily Ogden Junction, 8 July 1874
Some of the data derived from letters, etc., relating to this subject, which proved to be of use, as follows:
- Telegram, J. N. Pike to J. W. Young, 2 November 1871 - "Give point to unload engine at once & if to be set up."
- Telegram, Pike to Young, dated 9 October 1872 - send extra spring, pony truck, for no. one, and "answer when locomotives were shipped."
- Letter, W. W. Riter to Young, 14 Oct. 1872 - "The two engines have arrived."
- Letter, W. W. Riter to Young, 21 Oct. 1872 - "…the new engines … work admirably."
Some of the other sources used included:
- "Union Pacific Railway Company. Locomotives, Snow Plows, Flangers and Passenger and Freight Car Equipment. Omaha, Neb., June 1, 1885." Pages 24 and 25 show the locomotives of the Utah & Northern, which at that date still includes old No.'s 3, 4 and 5, renumbered to 297, 285 and 286, respectively.
- Builder photograph of Utah Northern engine 'Franklin,' a 4-6-0.
- Tradition - I have no other 'original' source for the 'John W. Young' being a 4-4-0, beyond what is published.
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