Montana Union Railway

By Don Strack

The page was last updated on July 31, 2011.

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Locomotives

Montana Union Railway operations started between Butte and Garrison, Montana on August 1, 1886, and consisted of the 51 miles of standard gauge trackage (newly converted from three-feet gauge) between Butte and Silver Bow on the south end and Garrison on the north end. Silver Bow was where MURy connected with the still-narrow-gauge Utah & Northern, and Garrison was where a connection was made with Northern Pacific's transcontinental line. Utah & Northern converted its line between Silver Bow and Pocatello, Idaho from three-feet narrow gauge to standard gauge on July 24, 1887.

Montana Union Railway was jointly owned and operated by Union Pacific and Northern Pacific Railway, with Montana Union continuing as a joint company for another 12 years until March 1898 when the assets of Montana Union were divided between UP and NP as part of the reorganization of Union Pacific.

In October 1897, two Montana Union 0-6-0s were sold to OSL.

In October 1898, three Montana Union 2-8-0s were sold to UP.

Montana Union Railway also had Lima Shay serial 313; numbered as Montana Union Railway number 75.

November 1897
The OSL has purchased two switch engines, 107 and 108, from the Montana Union; the 107 is here and the 108 in Pocatello. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, November 13, 1897)

April 1899
"Turtleback 551, from Pocatello, a switcher bought from the Montana Union, is in the Salt Lake shops for repairs." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, April 1, 1899)

Roster Listing

Montana Union 0-6-0 -- 2 locomotives

MURy
Number		 Builder Builder
Number		 Date
Built		 Date To
OSL		 1897 OSL
Number		 1915 OSL
Number		 Notes
MURy 107 New York 504 Sep 1889 Oct 1897 OSL 550 OSL 4700 1
MURy 108 New York 505 Sep 1889 Oct 1897 OSL 551 OSL 2044 2

Description:

  • Drive Wheel Diameter: 51 inches
  • Cylinders: 18x26 inches
  • Valve Gear: Stephenson
  • Maximum Tractive Effort: 19,656 pounds
  • Weight on Drivers: 100,800 pounds
  • Weight in Working Order (Engine Only): 100,800 pounds
  • Weight in Working Order (Engine and Tender): 166,300 pounds
  • Fuel: Coal

Notes:

  1. Built as Montana Union Ry 107 in 1889; to OSL 550 in 1897; to OSL 4700 in 1915; rebuilt to 0-6-0T 010998 in October 1924, used Las Vegas then Pocatello; scrapped in March 1947
  2. Built as Montana Union Ry 108 in 1889; to OSL 551 in 1897; rebuilt in 1914 to OSL Roadway Equipment 0-6-0T 2044; renumbered in 1922 to OSL shop switcher 02089, assigned to Pocatello, Idaho; scrapped in April 1940.

 

Montana Union 2-8-0 -- 3 locomotives

MURy
Number		 Builder Builder
Number		 Date
Built		 Date To
UP		 1898 UP
Number		 1915 UP
Number		 Notes
MURy 161 New York 513 Nov 1889 Oct 1898 UP 1615 UP 141 1
MURy 162 New York 514 Nov 1889 Oct 1898 UP 1616 UP 142 2
MURy 163 New York 515 Nov 1889 Oct 1898 UP 1617 UP 143 3

Description:

  • Drive Wheel Diameter: 51 inches
  • Cylinders: 22x28 inches

Notes:

  1. Built as Montana Union Ry 161 in 1889 (received by MURy in July 1890); to UP 1615 in 1898; to UP 141 in 1915; vacated in September 1921
  2. Built as Montana Union Ry 162 in 1889 (received by MURy in July 1890); to UP 1616 in 1898; to UP 142 in 1915; vacated in February 1916
  3. Built as Montana Union Ry 163 in 1889 (received by MURy in July 1890); to UP 1617 in 1898; to UP 143 in 1915; vacated in October 1927

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