Ogden Military Facilities

This page was last updated on December 21, 2017.

Hill Air Force Base

Ogden Arsenal

April 30, 1920
"Proposed government depot near Ogden; Arsenal." (UP correspondence file index)

Utah General Depot/Defense Depot Ogden

On Monday September 15, 1965 an 80-ton locomotive built in 1953 was removed from its storage cocoon at Defense Depot Ogden, seeing the light of day for the first time since it was placed in protective storage shortly after being built. It was one of 86 locomotives still stored under special cocoons at the site. The locomotives, built at a time of national emergency in the early 1950s, were stored as a hedge against another time of emergency. By storing these locomotives, the Department of Defense saved taxpayers dollars and provided for increased response time in an emergency by having a fleet of operable railroad locomotives within 24 hours after removing them from storage, compared to a possible 6 months if built at the time of need. Originally 119 locomotives were stored at Ogden in their large silver storage cocoons, and were a landmark for travelers along 12th Street during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. (part from Deseret News, Wednesday September 15, 1965)

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