Union Pacific Locomotive Information From Newspapers
This page was last updated on July 6, 2011.
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April 27, 1877
A. A. Egbert, lately assistant superintendent of the A. T. & S. F., has been appointed superintendent of the Union Pacific's Western Division. (Salt Lake Herald, April 27, 1877)
16 May 1880
Another letter from Ogden: "The Union Pacific Railroad Company is now engaged in renumbering the cars used by the different roads belonging to the company. All cars on the main line are to be numbered with even numbers, and such letters as U., T., C., etc., to designate the particular road they belong to." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 16 May 1880)
July 13, 1881
George E. Stevens is Master Car Builder at Omaha, Union Pacific. (Ogden Herald, July 13, 1881)
October 31, 1882
The Union Pacific is putting up a new car shop at Evanston. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, October 31, 1882)
November 3, 1882
Robert Blickensderfer is division superintendent of U&N and OSL, and in charge of construct ion for past two years. W. B. Doddridge is General Supt of Utah and Idaho Divisions. E. Dickenson just made superintendent of Wyoming Division, account Robert Law has resigned. The Wyoming Division includes the Echo & Park City line. (The New North West, Deer Lodge, November 3, 1882)
January 9, 1883
"Fatal Railway Accident" on Sunday, 7th, as the tea train which left Ogden eastbound at 8:15 p.m. neared Evanston ran into a cut of runaway cars; engineer and fireman killed, and 'a total wreck' made of Eng. 68. (Salt Lake Evening Chronicle, January 9, 1883) (UPRy 68 was a Rogers 4-4-0 built in February 1868, it was repaired and later became UP 500, and was retired in 1901.)
January 28, 1883
UP has received at Omaha two engines from Taunton, No's 263 and 264. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 28, 1883)
May 2, 1885
J. P. Pringle, chief storekeeper for Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado Divisions of the Union Pacific, has his office in Denver. (The Utah Journal, Logan, May 2, 1885)
January 20, 1887
A 'mammoth' rotary snow plow is at the Omaha shops, the only one in the country, sent out from Paterson for trial. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 20, 1887)
July 17, 1887
Wyoming Wisps. "A couple of massive new Grant locomotives, Nos. 750 and 753, reached Laramie on the 13th, in charge of Engineer Charles Sweezy and Mr. Andrews, of Omaha. They left Omaha at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and arrived in Laramie at six o'clock the next evening, having made no stops en route except for coal and water. The engines are what are known as 'dust burners' and will be used on the passenger runs out of Green River, for which place they started at 8 o'clock this morning." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, July 17, 1887)
August 19, 1887
"Local Railway Notes." "The Union Pacific is having three rotary snow plows built, and will thus have four such plows to fight snow with next winter. The one used last winter is at Cheyenne." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, August 19, 1887)
October 13, 1887
"Local Railway Notes." "The Union Pacific's master mechanic has decided to give up the straight stack for the old 'diamond' style on the road's locomotives, on the ground that the straight stack destroys fire boxes, which the 'diamond' does not. The many other roads that have adopted the straight stack do not agree with the Union Pacific." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, October 13, 1887)
April 4, 1889
The U.P. has just received engines 626 and 627 from Schenectady. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, April 4, 1889)
May 9, 1890
Union Pacific has placed orders for 131 locomotives, including 16 narrow gauge 2-8-0 types. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 9, 1890)
May 15, 1890
U.P. 988's pilot, being low, picked a rail at a crossing, doubled under the engine, and made a fine mess. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 15, 1890)
December 16, 1890
Union Pacific engine No. 319 is getting an extended front end and a straight stack; and mogul 973 is in shops for general overhaul. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, December 16, 1890)
January 17, 1891
Effective February 1, 1891, Joseph H. McConnell will be Superintendent of Motive Power and Machinery, at Omaha, replacing Harvey Middleton. Up to this time, McConnell has been the Master Mechanic at the North Platte shops. (Salt Lake Daily Herald, January 17, 1891)
February 11, 1891
The second 'turtleback' switcher, U.P. No. 1104, has been received and is now in service. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, February 11, 1891)
September 17, 1891
In the U. P. shops at Salt Lake City at present, engines 487 and 562 have just been painted, and engine 1029 is in for repairs as a result of a wreck at Beck's Hot Springs last Friday. (Salt Lake Daily Herald, September 17, 1891)
August 7, 1894
Union Pacific engine 1027 is being rebuilt -- will get new cylinders, firebox, and so forth. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, August 7, 1894)
August 10, 1894
U. P. Engine 1107 in for heavy repairs, is a camelback switcher, one of two assigned to the Utah Division in February 1891 -- this is first major overhaul for the 1107; 1104 is the other of the pair, and both are assigned switchers in SLC yards. (see 11 February 1891 for when 1104 arrived). U. P. Engines 486, 487 and 491 ordered back to Omaha from SLC. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, August 10, 1894)
August 15, 1894
Sup't. J. H. Young, of the U. P. has gone off to Soda Springs and other points in his car, the 022. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, August 15, 1894)
August 27, 1894
U. P. Auditor Erastus Young in SLC on special car 09. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, August 27, 1894)
October 1, 1894
U. P. 1107 is out of the shops after overhaul. (see August 10th) (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, October 1, 1894)
November 10, 1894
U. P. Engine 955 in to replace 986, which is to be scrapped. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, November 10, 1894)
November 12, 1894
U. P. switch engine 1104 out of shops yesterday after overhaul, and today 1029 comes out. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, November 12, 1894)
November 13, 1894
Receivers of U P going over the line in a special train of one baggage car and four special cars; one of the cars,012, is for train and engine crew; another of the cars, U P number not given, is S. H. H. Clark's car, and is former Missouri Pacific car 100; Clark had been a V.P. on the MoPac before coming to the U P, and he apparently brought the car with him. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, November 13, 1894)
December 16, 1894
Union Pacific Timetable No. 21 in effect 12:05 am this date; and a reference made to engines 588, 591 and 1030. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, December 16, 1894)
March 26, 1895
U. P. engines 1027 and 1028, ten-wheelers, in the shops for repair; engines 1400 and 1416 likely to be used on line to Eureka. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, March 26, 1895)
March 30, 1895
U. P. engine 1740 received here yesterday, another ten wheeler, and also slated for use on the line to Eureka. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, March 30, 1895)
September 4, 1895
The U. P. is now lettering freight engines with aluminum leaf; the passenger engines remain in gold leaf. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, September 4, 1895)
December 17, 1895
A new rotary went west over the U. P. on the 15th, one built by Cooke. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, December 17, 1895)
July 10, 1899
U.P. 931, at Denver, has been given a straight stack; all motive power to be so equipped soon. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, July 10, 1899)
June 25, 1900
J. H. McConnell, Union Pacific's Superintendent of Motive Power and Machinery, retired this past week. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, June 25, 1900)
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