Signals on Union Pacific

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This page was last updated on September 20, 2024.

UP In Nebraska and Kansas

(all from an unsourced text file dated 1997)

From 1869 to 1900, UP added only about 17 miles of second track. With increased traffic and the leadership of Harriman the railroad transformed the single track Overland Route to mostly double track by the end of 1918. Double track was extended west from Kearney to Julesburg around 1912.

The first mention of automatic block signals on the UP was in 1898. Block signals were spaced 1-1/4 miles before a switch and up to three miles apart on open stretches.

In January 1908, UP had 1,189 miles of automatic block signals, plus 694 miles on the Oregon Short Line and 352 miles on the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.

In 1909, UP installed automatic block signals from Columbus to Silver Creek.

At the end of 1914, it had automatic block signals on 653 miles of single track and 818 miles on double track east of Salt Lake City, plus 520 miles on single track and 107 miles on double track on the OSL, plus 603 miles on single track and 23 miles on double track on the OWR&N.

In 1930, UP added an electric interlocking at Julesburg, Colorado to control 3 power switches and 8 signals.

In 1936 UP was in a program to replace semaphore signals on the double track main line between Ogden and Omaha. UP installed 34 US&S color light signals Waterloo to Ames and 11 US&S color light signals Richland to Columbus. Most of the semaphore signals had been installed around 1905. At the time traffic was 18 passenger and 18 freight trains a day.

During 1942 UP did extensive work replacing semaphore signals with US&S color light signals. North Platte to Cheyenne got 298 signals on 224 miles of double track. Kansas City to Topeka got 125 signals on 65 miles of double track. Topeka to Manhattan, Kansas got 76 signals on 50 miles of single track.

In August 1999, with the dramatic increase in coal traffic from the Powder River Basin, triple track between O'Fallon and Gibbon was completed.

UP In Utah

With increased traffic and the leadership of Harriman the railroad transformed the single track Overland Route to mostly double track by the end of 1918.

In 1909 the UP began installing block signals between Ogden and Salt Lake City on 30 miles of single track and 7 miles of double track. Also in 1909, it was adding a second track between Rock Springs and Green River, Wyoming. The single track already had signals. The single arm signals were converted to double arm and used on the second track. Signals were spaced about a mile apart.

In 1916 UP added a second track between Ogden and Devil's Gate.

In 1917 a second track was added from Emory to Wahsatch.

In 1923, UP installed 25 US&S style B lower quadrant semaphore signals between Emory and Echo on 10 miles of double track.

In 1926 double tracking was completed from Ogden to Green River. The original mainline through Weber Canyon was 1.72 percent. The newer track was added on a slightly different alignment and was only 1.14 percent. The new track became the eastbound line and the original mainline was then used for westbound trains.

During 1942, UP did extensive work replacing semaphore signals with US&S color light signals. Green River to Ogden got 279 signals on 176 miles of double track

In 1974, Union Pacific installed CTC from Ogden 20 miles east to Strawberry.

UP In Wyoming

In 1901 the UP completed the first tunnel at Hermosa, built a new line three miles to the south of the original summit and added a second line between Laramie and Hermosa. UP then abandoned the original line over the summit. The new line not only lowered the maximum elevation to 8,015 but also allowed the railroad to abandon the Dale Creek bridge that had a four mile per hour speed restriction on it. The new line out of Laramie lowered the eastbound ruling grade from 1.9 percent to 0.8 percent between Laramie and the Hermosa Tunnel.

Early semaphore signals were installed between 1906 and 1917.

The original semaphore signals between Cheyenne and Sherman Hill were installed in 1908.

In 1909 the railroad was installing a second track on the 15 miles between Rock Springs and Green river, Wyoming. UP moved and converted the automatic block signals from one arm lower quadrant to two arm lower quadrant for double track operations. UP also installed automatic block signals from Riner to Wamsutter that same year.

In 1909 UP was installing automatic block signals Cheyenne south to LaSalle, Colorado (60 miles) and ordered automatic block signals for La Salle, Colorado to Sand Creek (45 miles).

In 1917 UP was installing GRS Model 2 lower quadrant 2 arm semaphore signals between Pine Bluffs, Nebraska and Burns, Wyoming 17 miles, Buford to Hermosa 33 miles, and Wamsutter to Point of Rocks, 53 miles.

In 1918, it installed block signals on 18 miles of double track Burns to Archer and four miles of double track between Dale Creek and Hermosa.

By the end of 1918, with increased traffic and the leadership of Harriman the railroad transformed the single track Overland Route to mostly double track.

By the end of 1919, the UP had 641 miles of single track and 905 miles of double track with automatic block signals.

In 1920 UP was installing automatic block signals from Leroy to Evanston 27 miles. These lower quadrant semaphore signals were replaced with searchlight signals in the late 40s.

At the west end of the Wyoming, the first Aspen tunnel was completed in 1901 and the second Aspen tunnel opened in 1949. These tunnels are located about ten miles east of Evanston.

Double track east of the Hermosa Tunnel was added in stages. The first installment was between Cheyenne and Borie in 1900, Borie to Buford in 1902, and then Buford to the first Hermosa tunnel in 1917. In 1918, the UP completed the second tunnel at Hermosa. Since the second line between Laramie and Hermosa was east of the original line and was the preferred route for eastbound trains, the railroad operated left hand between those points.

In 1919 UP added a 17 lever mechanical interlocking at Granger. It was also planning to install a 20 lever mechanical interlocking at Aspen, Wyoming and 21 lever mechanical interlocking at Altamont to control traffic through the single track tunnel. The equipment was ordered from GRS in 1920 and work was completed in May 1921.

In 1923, UP added 88 signals between Granger and LeRoy 42 miles of double track.

In 1924, UP rebuilt the 29 lever mechanical interlocker at Borie, Wyoming adding 12 more levers. UP also planned to add a 32 lever GRS electric interlocker at Granger.

In 1937 UP added 8 more levers to the interlocking at Granger in 1937.

In 1941, the Hanna to Lookout semaphore signals were replaced with 70 US&S color light signals on 52 miles of double track.

In 1943 the semaphore signals were replaced on the 28 miles between Cheyenne and Buford. Buford is where helper engines were cut off westbound trains. UP installed 22 US&S color light signals on the westbound track and 11 signals on the eastbound track to maintain safe distances between slower uphill and faster downhill trains.

In 1948 UP ordered US&S cab signal equipment for Laramie to Green River, Wyoming. UP would then remove 244 semaphore signals and 15 color light signals, relocate 46 color light signals and install 189 color light signals.

The new Harriman Line was completed between Speer and Dale Junction in May 1953. This reduced the grade to 0.82 percent and became the preferred route for heavy westbound trains. CTC was installed on all three tracks. Cheyenne to Dale on 48 miles of single track and Cheyenne to Hermosa on 37 miles of double tracks was completed in 1953. The CTC machine was at Cheyenne.

In 1954 CTC between Hermosa and Laramie and the mechanical interlocker at Borie was removed. This also put that portion of the railroad into left hand operation. The dispatcher had to shift trains entering the region between Cheyenne and Laramie from right hand running on double track to left hand running and then return these trains to right hand running before they leave the region.

In 1954, UP installed CTC from Speer to Carr, 16 miles. CTC controlled eight switches and 34 signals.

In 1959 UP began the installation of CTC from Denver north to Carr 80 miles. The $2 million project lengthened seven sidings to at least 9,000 feet. The interlocking at the CB&Q crossing at Sand Creek was transferred to the CTC machine. After installing 16 power switches and 126 signals, the work was completed in 1960.

In 1974, UP installed CTC between Granger and Rock Springs.

In 1978 UP added a second track beside the eastbound track from Laramie almost to the Hermosa Tunnels. No block signals were ever added to the Coalmont Branch.

OWRR&N

Northwestern District (Oregon and Washington)

Union Pacific trackage form Portland, Oregon east to Huntington. The Oregon Railway & Navigation Company completed the first portion of this line between Portland and Wallula, Washington in October 1882. The line was extended east from Umatilla, reaching LaGrande in June 1884 and joined the Oregon Short Line at Huntington in November 1884.

In 1911 the railroad installed automatic block signals Tekoa to Spokane, Washington (50 miles) and Deshutes, Oregon to Blalock (30 miles). That same year it ordered telephone dispatching equipment for Portland to The Dalles (90 miles).

In 1916 it installed automatic block signals Hinkle to Boardman, Oregon on the Coyote Cutoff (20 miles) constructed in 1915.

During 1942 the UP did extensive work replacing semaphore signals with US&S color light signals and Portland to The Dalles got 162 signals on four miles of double track and 80 miles of single track.

In 1947 UP installed US&S CTC between La Grande and Huntington 100 miles. The machine had 87 levers controlling 38 switches.

In 1951, UP ordered US&S CTC for Reith to Hinkle, Washington, 28 miles. This territory was finished in 1952 and added to the machine at La Grande.

In 1952, UP was replacing semaphore signals and lengthening sidings between Hinkle and The Dalles. Scheduled completion in late 1953.

The dispatchers office was in LaGrande from the early 1940s until 1966 when dispatchers were moved to Portland.

Oregon Short Line

(Idaho)

The UP started building the Oregon Short Line (OSL) at Granger, Wyoming in May 1882 and crossed into Oregon near Huntington in February 1884.

In 1909 the Oregon short Line installed automatic block signals between Reverse and Nampa, Idaho (66 miles), between Pocatello and Ticeska, and between Ogden and Cache Junction 49 miles.

In 1913 the railroad installed 12 miles of double track between Diamondville, Wyoming (south of Kemmerer) to Fossil and converted the single track signals to double track directional automatic block signals. UP also installed an 8 lever interlocking at McCammon, Idaho that same year.

In 1916 UP installed GRS Model 2 automatic block signals Cache Junction to Dayton, Idaho (27 miles). In 1918, UP was installing automatic block signals Pocatello, Idaho to Fort Hull (17 miles).

In 1922, UP installed 33 US&S style B lower quadrant semaphore signals between King Hill, Idaho and Glenns Ferry 7.6 miles of double track.

At the beginning of 1923, UP was adding 30 similar signals between Glenns Ferry and Hammett on nine miles of double track. UP planned to continue adding 42 more signals up the hill from Hammett to Reverse on nine miles of double track.

At the end of 1923, UP had completed Glenns Ferry to Hammett 9 miles and Chalk to Reverse 5 miles. The Chalk to Hammett section was under going a line relocation and was still under construction at the end of the year.

In 1924, UP added 115 signals between Orchard and Nampa on the passenger line through Boise.

In 1928, after a track realignment between Dietrich, Idaho and Shoshone in 1927, UP installed 17 US&S semaphore signals and moved 13 signals between Dietrich, Idaho and Kimma 10 miles. Also in 1928, UP added 18 semaphore signals between Ticeska and King Hill on 10 miles of single track. UP also added 72 US&S color light signals for Fort Hall, Idaho to Idaho Falls 37 miles. At the time the line had a few freight trains and normally 10 passenger trains a day. This rose to 23 per day in the summer.

In 1945, UP was installing CTC between Pocatello and Glenns Ferry.

In 1952 UP was replacing semaphore signals and lengthening sidings between Glenns Ferry and Huntington. Scheduled completion in late 1953.

In 1956, major work was done between Granger and Pocatello during the CTC installation plus an 8.5 mile line change between Moyer Junction, and Fossil. Many old sidings were removed and the following sidings lengthened to at least 8,100 feet: Granger, Moxa, Nutria, Opal, Waterfall, Orr, Leefe, Beckwith, Pixley, Cokeville, Marse, Broder, Montpelier, Georgetown, Manson, Alexander, Bancroft, Pebble, Broxon, McCammon, and Inkom. The interlocking at McCammon was updated. By the end of 1956 CTC had been installed between Granger and Montpelier 108 miles of single track and seven miles of double track using 48 power switches and 278 signals plus Pocatello to McCammon on 22 miles of double track using nine power switches and 25 signals.

In 1957 UP installed US&S CTC McCammon to Montpelier 156 miles of single track and 20 miles of double track using 32 switches and 201 signals.

In 1958 UP installed US&S CTC Mountain Home to Huntington 138 miles using 49 switches and 258 signals.

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