Bamberger Equipment Rosters
Index For This Page
This page was last updated on May 16, 2024.
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(These rosters are based on information published in Ira Swett's "Interurbans of Utah", with some new and updated information added.)
Passenger Cars
| Index | |
| Car Number Series | Body Type |
| 125-129 | Brill "Bullet" Cars, Single Compartment Coach |
| 300-318 | |
| 300-306 (2nd) | |
| 320-326 | |
| 350-355 | |
| 400-405 | Trailers |
| 400-405 (2nd) | Trailers |
| 406-408 | Trailers |
| 425-438 | Trailers |
| 450-452 | Trailers |
After abandonment of rail passenger service on September 7, 1952, cars 322, 350, 351, 352, 353, 354, 355 and 434 were retained by Bamberger at its North Salt Lake Shops.
Cars 450-452 and 125-129 were never renumbered.
All cars were equipped with Westinghouse AMM brakes except cars 125-129 which had GE straight air with MD-33 valve, also magnetic track brakes. (Later research, and comparison of photos suggests that cars 125-129 may have had MD-35 brake valves.)
The original motor cars had controls at both ends but normally operated baggage end first. After one-manning, only motor 322 remained double end, although 125-129 and 303 were equipped for operating from the rear end for switching moves only.
| Body Type | Car Number Series |
| Single Compartment Coach | 125-129, 302, 322, 324-326, 352-355, 400-402, 406, 434, 436 |
| Coach with Smoking Compartment | 323, 350, 403, 404 |
| Coach with Smoking and Baggage Compartments | (none) |
| Coach with Baggage Compartment | 301, 303, 351, 405 |
Coach 125-129 -- 5 cars
These five highspeed, lightweight interurban cars were the only truly modern interurbans to operate in the western United States. They probably were the finest interurbans New York ever had, too -- for they were built for the Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad Company of Gloversville, New York.
Of the same breed as the Indiana and Cincinnati and Lake Erie lightweights, the "Bullets" were good examples of the interurban car-building philosophy of the Thirties: one-man operation, extremely light, high balancing speed, and given the creature comforts required to enable them to compete with the private automobile.
Built by Brill in 1932, the Bullets were along the same lines as the larger, double-ended "Bullet" cars built by the same builder for the Philadelphia and Western Railway.
To provide service to Schenectady, the FJ&G used trackage rights over the Schenectady Railway's Mohawk River bridge at Schenectady. In 1936, the bridge was condemned and the FJ&G found that passenger revenues soon dwindled to unprofitable levels due to competition from paralleling roads and highways. In June 1938, FJ&G abandoned their line between Gloversville and Schenectady due to the condemnation of the bridge, which had taken away direct access into Schenectady. At the same time, in June 1938, FJ&G shut down what was known as the Electric Division, which included all passenger service along their entire line, and the road became a freight-only railroad, operated by steam locomotives. (FJ&G continued operation as a freight-only road until June 1985, after operations ended in March 1984.)
Likely due to financial arrangements between Brill and FJ&G, with the abandonment of FJ&G's Electric Division, the Brill cars were returned to their builder, where they remained until being sold to Bamberger in 1939. They entered service on Bamberger at once, with the only alteration being the elimination of the lavatory and painting over the "Gloversville-Johnstown-Amsterdam-Schenectady" names on the belt rail.
Their distinguishing features include: all necessary safety devices, pneumatic door control, indirect lights, forced air ventilation (air entered at floor level along the side, passed over heaters and out via roof vents), leather air-cushioned seats, overhead baggage racks, magnetic track brakes, and field shunting which gave them a top speed of about 75 mph.
Their low seating capacity militated against them during World War Two but with the dropping of patronage in the late Forties, the Bullets saw considerable use, especially on the one hour "Flyer" schedules. At one time, Bamberger was interested in equipping the Bullets with MU controls and couplers which would undoubtedly have made them more useful.
After abandonment of rail passenger service an effort was made to sell the Bullets for continued rail use. Unsuccessful, Bamberger finally sold all five cars to the Utah Pickle Company, which used them as living quarters in the fields for laborers.
Bamberger 127 ended up at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California, and is being restored.
| Car Number |
Date Built |
First Number |
Date To Bamberger |
Notes |
| 125 | 1932 | FJ&G | 1939 | 1 |
| 126 | 1932 | FJ&G | 1939 | 2 |
| 127 | 1932 | FJ&G | 1939 | 3 |
| 128 | 1932 | FJ&G | 1939 | 4 |
| 129 | 1932 | FJ&G | 1939 | 5 |
| GENERAL INFORMATION: Cars 125-129 | |
| Number of Cars: | Five |
| Road Numbers: | 125-129 |
| Builder & Date: | J. G. Brill Company, 1932 |
| Body Type: | Single end, passenger coach |
| Length over all: | 46 feet 11 inches |
| Truck Centers: | 26 feet |
| Trucks: | Brill 89E |
| Over body posts: | 34 feet 4 inches |
| Wheels: | 28 inches |
| Height over roof: | 10 feet 6-1/4 inches |
| Wheelbase: | 6 feet |
| Width over posts: | 9 feet |
| Seats: | 54 |
| Weight: | 42,200 pounds |
| Seat Width: | 40 inches |
| Motors: | Four GE 301 |
| Aisle Width: | 24 inches |
| Gear Ratio: | 24:55 |
| Control: | K-75 |
| Color: | Orange & cream with black trimming |
Notes:
- BRR 125
- BRR 126 was built as Fonda Johnstown & Gloversville 126 1932-1939; to Bamberger 126 1939-1953; first preserved (body only) by Utah Pickle Company 1953-1972; later preserved by Trolley Square 1972-1978; sold to private owner and stored at Utah State Railroad Museum, Ogden, Utah, 1988 to present.
- BRR 127 was built as Fonda Johnstown & Gloversville 127 1932-1939; to Bamberger 127 1939-1953; first preserved (body only) by Utah Pickle Company 1953-1971; sold to Orange Empire Railway Museum, Perris, California, arrived by trucked at Perris in mid July 1971. (part from Pacific News, September 1971, page 15)
- BRR 128 was built as Fonda Johnstown & Gloversville 128 1932-1939; to Bamberger 128 1939-1953; first preserved (body only) by Utah Pickle Company 1953-1972; later preserved by Trolley Square 1972-1986; sold to Art City Trolley Restaurant, Springville, Utah, 1986 to present.
- BRR 129
The following comes from the Summer 2013 issue of Classic Trains magazine:
Cincinnati Car Co. was not alone in developing lightweight, highspeed electric railway cars--the J. G. Brill Co. of Philadelphia was also a player. The connection between Brill and Cincinnati's work was Dr. Thomas Conway. He had established his credentials in the early 1920s on the Chicago Aurora & Elgin--revenues rose 66 percent in the first four years of his time on the road--and followed this up with a 22 percent increase in revenues in his first four years on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton interurban he used as the principal component in assembling the C&LE.
The Philadelphia & Western was a third-rail-powered line that ran northwest from a terminal on the far west side of Philadelphia. Challenged by the electrification of Pennsylvania Railroad and Reading Company suburban lines to Norristown, P&W decided to drastically improve its service. It turned to Conway.
In 1930, Conway's management team at the P&W arranged for C&LE Red Devil car 127 to be tested on both the P&W and the Lehigh Valley Transit, whose trains used the P&W to reach Philadelphia. It showed what was possible, and the next step was to work on aerodynamics and conclude what else could be done to reduce operating costs. The result was the Brill "Bullet."
As developed for P&W, this was a 50-foot 6-inch, double-ended car seating 56 riders. Thanks to a liberal use of aluminum in their construction, the Bullets weighed just 261/2 tons; packing four 100 h.p. traction motors, each car offered a staggering 15.1 h.p. per ton. The 10 Bullets did the trick, saving the P&W, which survives today as SEPTA's Route 100. On top of that, most of the Bullets operated--at high speeds, over a demanding right of way, making frequent stops--for nearly 60 years.
Although Brill may have hoped to sell many more Bullets, the design came along at a time when both the economy and the interurban industry were in steep decline. In 1932, the industry experienced its peak year in terms of miles abandoned, when 1,300 miles of track ceased operations. In spite of this, the 33-mile Fonda, Johnstown & Gloversville, which ran west from Schenectady, New York, took the plunge and bought five single-end Bullets.
The FJ&G cars were slightly shorter than the P&W's, measuring 46 feet 11 inches and seating 48. With motors rated at 200 h.p. and an overall weight of 21.1 tons, these cars boasted a respectable 9.5 horsepower per ton. FJ&G was able to cut about 10 percent off the one-way running time once the Brills replaced its old wood and steel cars. However, the condemnation of a bridge into Schenectady killed most of FJ&G's traffic base, and the line ended electric operations in 1938.
FJ&G's five Bullets were returned to Brill, which sold them to Utah's Barnberger Railroad the following year. BRR had just emerged from bankruptcy, and the management's interest in the new cars was part of an overall program of modernization. This prepared the road for World War II, during which its passenger revenues increased nearly fivefold. Nevertheless, BRR ceased passenger operations in September 1952.
Two of the FJ&G/BRR Bullets survive, along with seven P&W cars.
Coach 300-318 -- 18 cars
| Car Number |
Date Built |
Disposition |
| 300 (1st) | 1910 | Renumbered to 404 (2nd), October 15, 1921 |
| 301 (1st) | 1910 | Renumbered to 407, April 29, 1928 |
| 302 (1st) | 1910 | Renumbered to 321, May 30, 1919 |
| 303 (1st) | 1910 | Renumbered to 322, July 4, 1919 |
| 304 (1st) | 1910 | Renumbered to 525, June 10, 1920 |
| 305 | 1910 | Renumbered to 403 (2nd), March 28, 1923 |
| 306 (1st) | 1910 | Renumbered to Line Car 200, September 18, 1920 |
| 307 | 1910 | Renumbered to 300 (2nd), July 3, 1923 |
| 308 | 1910 | Renumbered to 526, December 16, 1919 |
| 309 | 1910 | Renumbered to 324, March 20, 1920 |
| 310 | 1913 | Renumbered to 304 (2nd), December 1, 1919 |
| 311 | 1913 | Renumbered to 437, January 15, 1921 |
| 312 | 1913 | Renumbered to 408, December 1, 1937 |
| (313) | (Vacant, number not used) | |
| 314 | 1913 | Burned, May 7, 1918 |
| 315 | 1913 | Renumbered to 323, October 30, 1919 |
| 316 | 1913 | Renumbered to 438, February 6, 1928 |
| 317 | 1913 | Renumbered to 303 (2nd), November 15, 1919 |
| 318 | 1913 | Renumbered to 306 (2nd), November 11, 1920 |
| (319) | (Vacant, number not used) |
The 18 composite interurban motor cars of the Bamberger Railroad were constructed on two different orders, but were substantially identical. Cars 300-309 were built by Jewett in 1910, while 310-312 and 314-318 (there was never a 313) were by Niles in 1913. All were three-compartment (baggage, smoker, coach) in design, and all were equipped identically. Only in such minor details as design of steps were the Jewett and Niles cars to be distinguished one from another.
The agreement between the purchaser and the builder called for Bamberger to supply all the electric power equipment and air brakes; the builder supplied the trucks and accessories, installed the power equipment and air brakes, and delivered the cars on track at car works for transportation in steam train to Ogden.
These cars were originally painted Pullman green with gold lettering and trim. The name "Salt Lake & Ogden Railway" was spelled out in full on the letter board, and the slogan "Lagoon Route" appeared below the center windows. The car number appeared beneath each of the four end side windows and also beneath each left front window as one faced the car. Trucks and underbody detail were painted black.
The underframe was built entirely of steel and included 8-inch channel side sills and intermediate sills and channel crossings.
The baggage compartment was 11 feet long and had sliding doors at each side. Two folding seats were along the side walls. Seats were arranged as follows: the smoking compartment contained four reversible and four stationary seats; the main coach section had fifteen reversible and four stationary; the baggage compartment, two folding seats.
Although intended for single-end operation, all these cars had controls at rear end; these were mainly used when turning the trains on wye turn-around tracks.
After the Ogden car house fire in 1918, the cars became quite jumbled; those rebuilt were renumbered, many trailers were motorized and renumbered, and some motors became locomotives and even trailers. For the history of these cars after 1918, please refer to the chart on another page containing the renumbering data.
For the record, Bamberger motor cars never operated on another line. Reason, of course, was that connecting interurban lines used 1500 volts pressure, compared with Bamberger's 750.
One-man operation began in 1927 and those of the original 300s which remained motor cars were rebuilt as follows: the former front end became the rear end with vestibule closed and additional seats installed. Dead-man control was added (a safety treadle installed on the air line in such a manner that continued pressure of operator's foot was necessary to prevent brakes from applying automatically), and the old baggage compartment became a rear smoking section. After one-manning, the cars received a bright yellow outside paint job. All this cost about $800 per car.
The passing years witnessed other rebuilding: roofs were made into the arch type, steel sheathing covered sides, also upper sash, folding doors installed.
| GENERAL INFORMATION FOR COACHES 300-318 | |
| Length over buffers: | 56 feet 0 inches† |
| Gear Ratio: | 21:53 |
| Length of car body: | 44 feet 11 inches |
| Wheels: | 36 inches |
| Between seat centers: | 33 inches |
| Lights: | 60 |
| Width over all: | 9 feet 0 inches |
| Heaters: | 30 |
| Length of seats: | 37 inches |
| Sanders: | Air |
| Seating capacity: | 56 (Hinged wooden seat in baggage room increased seating capacity to 62) |
| Pilots: | Two |
| Width of aisle: | 21-1/4 inches |
| Ceiling: | Full Empire |
| Total weight: | 82,000 pounds |
| Weight of car body: | 37,140 pounds |
| Trucks: | Baldwin 78-30-A |
| Brakes: | Westinghouse AMU |
| Motors: | Four GE 205B |
| Control: | GE C-36-C |
| Underframe: | Steel |
| Body: | Steel and wood |
| Interior: | Mahogany |
| Toilet: | Water flush |
| Glass: | Plate and leaded art |
| Seats: | Hale and Kilburn 199-EE leather |
| Curtains: | Pantasote -- Forsyth |
| Couplers: | Janney |
| Buffers: | Gould, spring |
| Trap doors: | Edwards, steel |
| Hand brakes: | Two Peacock |
Coach 300-306 (2nd Series) -- 7 cars
| Car Number |
Date Built |
First Number |
Date Renumbered |
Second Number |
Date Renumbered |
Disposition |
| 300 (2nd) | 1910 | 307 | 3 Jul 1923 | Renumbered to Locomotive 530, October 27, 1929 | ||
| 301 (2nd) | 1913 | 316 | 6 Feb 1928 | 438 | 26 May 1928 | Dismantled in 1952 |
| 302 (2nd) | 1910 | 404 | 18 Jun 1920 | 435 | 5 Jan 1929 | Dismantled in 1952 |
| 303 (2nd) | 1913 | 317 | 15 Nov 1919 | Renumbered to Trailer 406, March 19, 1928 | ||
| 303 (3rd) | 1910 | 302 (1st) | 30 May 1919 | 321 | 27 Sep 1928 | Dismantled in 1952 |
| 304 (2nd) | 1913 | 310 | 1 Dec 1919 | Renumbered to 326, September 2, 1921 | ||
| 306 (2nd) | 1913 | 318 | 11 Nov 1920 | Renumbered to 405 (2nd), September 2, 1922 |
| Car Number Series | Body Type |
| 301 | Coach with Baggage Compartment |
| 302 | Single Compartment Coach |
| 303 | Coach with Baggage Compartment |
Coach 320-326 -- 7 cars
| Car Number |
Date Built |
First Number |
Date Renumbered |
Second Number |
Date Renumbered |
Disposition |
| (319) | (Vacant, number not used) | |||||
| 320 | 1910 | 403 | 18 Jan 1919 | Renumbered to 400 (2nd), March 3, 1922 | ||
| 321 | 1910 | 302 | 30 May 1919 | Renumbered to 303 (3rd), September 27, 1928 | ||
| 322 | 1910 | 303 (1st) | 4 Jul 1919 | (disposition unknown) | ||
| 323 | 1913 | 315 | 30 Oct 1919 | Dismantled in 1952 | ||
| 324 | 1910 | 309 | 20 Mar 1920 | Dismantled in 1952 | ||
| 325 (1st) | 1910 | 402 | 4 May 1919 | Renumbered back to 402, February 1, 1923 | ||
| 325 (2nd) | 1913 | 311 | 15 Jan 1921 | 437 | 19 Mar 1928 | Dismantled in 1952 |
| 326 | 1910 | 310 | 1 Dec 1919 | 304 (2nd) | 2 Sep 1921 | Dismantled in 1952 |
| Car Number Series | Body Type |
| 322 | Single Compartment Coach |
| 323 | Coach with Smoking Compartment |
| 324, 325, 326 | Single Compartment Coach |
Coach 350-355 -- 6 cars
These six big cars, the work horses of the company, began life as open trailer cars in 1916, SL&O decided to free a good share of its rolling stock from the obligations of the Lagoon resort traffic by purchasing six large open trailers which were to be used exclusively for Lagoon traffic.
The trailers were able to seat 80 people. Their dimensions: 61 feet 6-1/2 inches long, 9 feet 6 inches wide, 12 feet 7 inches high with a weight of 56,000 pounds. The body framing was entirely of steel, posts were of composite construction, with T-iron and wood fillers, and letter boards were of steel. A wood roof of the arch type had a canvas covering, while the floor was of wood, double thickness. Seats were the H&K 300A wood slat type, while vestibules were enclosed and had a train door for MU operation. The trailers had both the seven-wire GE and the eleven-wire Westinghouse control cable so they could operate in trains with SL&O cars (GE) or SL&U and/or UIC (Westinghouse). On several occasions the trailers were rented by the two connecting lines. The trailers had a heavy steel underframe; the center sill was of 8-inch I-beam, 18 pounds per foot, while the side sills were of 8-inch channel bars. Truck centers were 39 feet 2 inches, and had Baldwin 78-30 trucks with 36 inch steel wheels. The cars were built by the Jewett Car Company and were numbered originally 425-430.
All six trailers were present in the Ogden car house fire in 1918 but their high steel content minimized the damage. Rebuilding was commenced immediately and took the form of three distinct steps. First three trailers were rebuilt into the same type car as when delivered. The remaining three emerged as closed trailers; war time restrictions on the procurement of steel caused Mr. Bamberger to strip the steel lining from a flume at one of his mines -- causing the odd ridge midway down the sides of the cars. So pleased was the company with these that the first three were called back and similarly enclosed. The final step was to be expected -- all six were motorized and thus was born the very successful 350-355 Class.
As motor cars, the 350 Class saw perhaps more intensive utilization than Bamberger's car classes, due to seating capacity. In 1927 they were rebuilt for one-man operation, boosting capacity to 84 seats. Later, 350 had a partition built to provide a smoking section, cutting it to 76; 351 was given a baggage compartment and thereafter it seated but 64. As motor cars, the weights increased to an average of about 86,000 lbs. Motors were GE 205Bs, and ratio was 21:53, enabling the 350s to work MU with 300 Class motors. PC-101-A control was installed at time of motorization.
To relieve the small Bullet cars (125-129) of the "Flyer" schedules, the 350s were modernized in 1946. This included tubular-frame modern seats, bulls eye lights, high-speed gears which increased their top speed to approximately 73 mph.
After rail passenger service abandonment, the six 350s were de-motorized and retained, ostensibly for service behind diesels to Lagoon. This never materialized, the cars now awaiting disposal at North Salt Lake.
| Car Number |
Date Built |
First Number |
Date Renumbered |
Second Number |
Date Renumbered |
Disposition |
| 350 | 1916 | 426 | 28 Sep 1918 | 428 (2nd) | 22 Dec 1921 | (disposition unknown) |
| 351 | 1916 | 428 | 5 Feb 1919 | 431 | 4 Oct 1921 | (disposition unknown) |
| 352 | 1916 | 427 | 22 Aug 1919 | 432 | 20 Sep 1922 | (disposition unknown) |
| 353 | 1916 | 425 | 12 Apr 1919 | 433 | 26 Nov 1921 | (disposition unknown) |
| 354 | 1916 | 427 | 22 Aug 1918 | 429 (2nd) | 20 Sep 1922 | (disposition unknown) |
| 355 | 1916 | 430 | 5 Jan 1923 | (disposition unknown) |
| GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS, CARS 350-355 | |
| Builder & Date: | Jewett Car Company, 1916 |
| Rebuilt by: | Bamberger, 1918-1923 |
| Length: | 61 feet 7 inches |
| Width: | 9 feet 6 inches |
| Height: | 13 feet 0 inches |
| Weight: | 83,500 to 87,400 lbs. |
| Seats: | 84 (350: 76; 351: 61,) |
| Gear Ratio: | 24:50 |
| Motors: | Four GE 205B (110 hp) |
| Trucks: | Baldwin 78-30 |
| Wheels: | 36 inch steel |
| Control: | GE PC-101-A |
| Car Number Series | Body Type |
| 350 | Coach with Smoking Compartment |
| 351 | Coach with Baggage Compartment |
| 352, 353, 354, 355 | Single Compartment Coach |
Trailer 400-405 -- 6 cars
Of the six trailers, only one (401) stayed in original condition. 400, 404 and 405 were rebuilt with arch roofs and blocked upper sash and renumbered 434, 435 and 436 respectively (435 was later motorized in 1929 and renumbered to motor 302). 403 became motor 320 and later trailer 400.
The following data concerns the 56-foot steel underframe single compartment trailer coaches and is taken from a catalogue of the builder, the Niles Car and Manufacturing Company.
For train service and long distance, high speed interurban traffic in which it is important that the service be equal to or better than competing steam lines. This car is so arranged that it may be quickly equipped for motor service when so desired and is especially designed to withstand a hot, dry climate for long periods and for the comfort of passengers.
| Car Number |
Date Built |
Disposition |
| 400 (1st) | 1910 | Renumbered to 434, May 28, 1920 |
| 401 | 1910 | Dismantled in 1952 |
| 402 | 1910 | Renumbered to 325 (1st), May 4, 1919; renumbered back to 402, February 1, 1923; dismantled in 1952 |
| 403 (1st) | 1910 | Renumbered to Motor 320, January 18, 1919 |
| 404 (1st) | 1910 | Renumbered to 435, June 18, 1920 |
| 405 (1st) | 1910 | Renumbered to 436, July 23, 1921 |
| GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS, CARS 400-405 | |
| Length over buffers: | 56 feet 0 inches |
| Length over vestibules: | 55 feet 2 inches |
| Length over end sills: | 45 feet 6 inches |
| Length of vestibules: | 4 feet 10 inches |
| Width over sheathing at sills: | 8 feet 9-1/2 inches |
| Width over all: | 9 feet 0 inches |
| Width inside: | 7 feet 11-1/4 inches |
| Height, under sills to top of roof: | 9 feet 7 inches |
| Height, from track to top of roof: | 13 feet 0 inches |
| Distance between bolster centers: | 34 feet 6-1/2 inches |
| Wheel base of trucks: | 6 feet 6 inches |
| Seating capacity: | 64 |
| Length of seats: | 37 inches |
| Width of aisle: | 21-1/4 inches |
| Weight of car body, about: | 30,000 pounds |
| Weight of trucks (motors): | 20,500 pounds |
| Total weight as trailer, about: | 54,000 pounds |
Bottom Frame: An all steel underframe is riveted together before any wooden parts are bolted to same and consists of two center sills of 8-inch 18-pound I-beams, two side sills of 8-inch 13-pound channels, two intermediate or platform sills at each end of 6-inch 10-pound channels extending from buffers to first cross sills beyond bolsters, two buffers of 8-inch 18-pound channels, two end sills of 6-inch 10-pound channels with 5-inch 9-pound channels riveted on top with flanges upward, twelve cross sills of 6-inch 10-pound channels and six cross sills of 5-inch 9-pound channels, all riveted together with two steel angles at each joint. Yellow pine side sills 4-1/2 inches by 8 inches are bolted to outside of steel underframe. Wooden sills for floor and under ceiling are bolted to all steel cross sills and end sills. Oak buffers 2-1/2 inches thick are secured to 2-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches steel angles riveted to all longitudinal steel sills. Bottom frame is supported on two 10 inch steel plate truss bolsters with riveted steel channel fillers and two 8-inch, 18-pound I-needle-beams on two 1-1/2 inch truss rods with 1-3/4 inch turnbuckles.
Floor: One thickness of 13/16 inch by 3-1/4 inch yellow pine laid diagonal and one thickness of 13/16 inch by 3-1/4 inch hard maple laid lengthwise of car with waterproof tar felt between. The bottom is ceiled 1-1/2 inch beneath the under floor and this space packed with mineral wool. All flooring is thoroughly painted on both sides and edges before laid. Corrugated rubber mat 24 inches wide full length of aisle.
Body: Eight pairs of Pullman style twin windows on each side with alternate single and panel posts; sheathed outside with 3/4 inch by 2 inch poplar; inside truss bars 3/8 inch by 2 inch, thoroughly braced beneath windows and with 5/8 inch vertical tie rod at each post; 30 inch sliding door in each end bulkhead.
Roof: Monitor deck type, extending over vestibules, with 3/8 inch by 1-1/2 inch concealed steel rafters; 9/16 inch cypress roofing covered with No.8 duck laid in white lead, copper flashing and thoroughly painted.
Vestibules: Each end has enclosed vestibule with 34 inch double folding door, triple steps with malleable iron hangers, wooden treads covered with knob rubber. Swinging door for train passage in center of end.
Interior Finish: Solid mahogany with double Gothic sashes; window heads with same curvature as on outside; main panels with inlaid borders of colored woods. Full Empire ceiling of agasote painted green with gold decorations, and broad mahogany inlaid panels separating vaulted sections. Trimmings of polished bronze; 14 rod bottom parcel racks.
Seats: 28 Hale and Kilburn's No.199-EE steel slats with reversible backs, bronze grab handles, upholstered with dark green leather, spring edge cushions, automatic foot rests and mahogany aisle arm rests; also four longitudinal corner seats with stationary backs. One corner seat removable for heater in winter.
Windows: Lower side sashes fitted with Edwards' bevel lock and ratchet on each side with spring rollers at top and weather strips at top and bottom. Single drop sashes in vestibule end windows. Pantasote curtains with Forsyth No. 88 fixture in casings below Gothic sashes. Double Gothic sashes between which the lower sashes raise. Twin deck sashes semi-elliptical in shape hung on Hart's ratchet fixtures.† End doors to have drop sashes in upper portions.
Glass: 1/4 inch plate glass in all doors and vestibule end sashes; leaded cathedral glass in Gothic and deck sashes; selected DSA car glass in lower side windows.
Grab Handles: 1-1/8 inch bronze tubes in bronze sockets on each side of each vestibule side door; also on outside of vestibule end windows.
Lighting: Wire, conduits, couplings, switches fuses, sockets and lamp brackets for 60 16-candle power lamps on separate bases are supplied and installed by Builder.
Draw Bars & Couplers: Each end of car fitted with automatic M.C.B. radial draw bar and coupler, with air and electric couplings attached.
Miscellaneous Fittings: Emergency tools in glass case, one dry chemical fire extinguisher, corner brackets for signal lamps, two conductors bells and fittings and vestibule window guards, are supplied and installed by Builder.
Painting: Color, lettering, numbers and striping as directed by Purchaser.
Hand Brakes: Supplied by Purchaser and may be installed by Builder at extra charge for same.
Electric Power Equipment: Train cable and power wiring supplied by Purchaser and may be installed by Builder at extra charge for same.
Trucks: Baldwin Class 78-30-A with standard 36 inch M.C.B. section forged-rolled steel wheels on 5 inch hammered steel axles with 5 inch x 9 inch journals and prepared for any motors specified by purchaser so cars may be used for motor service when desired, are supplied by builder. If cars can be delivered on track on their own wheels, the bodies should be mounted on trucks at car works; otherwise by purchaser at destination.
Heater: Smith No. 1-C hot water type occupying the space of one corner seat and removable in summer.
Trailer 400-405 (2nd Series) -- 4 cars
| Car Number |
Date Built |
First Number |
Date Renumbered |
Second Number |
Date Renumbered |
Disposition |
| 400 (2nd) | 1910 | SL&O/BERR 403 | 18 Jan 1919 | BERR 320 | 3 Mar 1922 | 1 |
| 403 (2nd) | 1910 | SL&O/BERR 305 | 28 Mar 1923 | 2 | ||
| 404 (2nd) | 1910 | 300 (1st) | 15 Oct 1921 | 3 | ||
| 405 (2nd) | 1913 | 318 | 11 Nov 1920 | 306 (2nd) | 2 Sep 1922 | 3 |
General Notes:
- Bamberger 400 (2nd) had the following specifications:
| Length | Width | Weight | Seats | Trucks | Control | Brakes | |
| 57 feet 8 inches | 9 feet | 54,000 pounds | 64 | Baldwin 79-33AT | GE M-C36 | AMM (M24A) |
Notes:
- Bamberger 400 (2nd) was built as Salt Lake & Ogden 403 in 1910 by Niles Car & Manufacturing Company; renumbered to Bamberger Electric 403 in 1917; renumbered to Bamberger Electric 320 in 1919; renumbered to Bamberger Electric 400 (2nd) in 1922; retired in 1952; sold to a private individual in 1952; sold to Bay Area Electric Railroad Association (now Western Railway Museum), Rio Vista Junction, California.
- "The 400 was built in 1910 by the Niles Car and Manufacturing Company of Niles, Ohio. It was built for the Salt Lake and Ogden, a steam operated short line that was converting to 750 volt electric trolley for both freight and passenger operation. Car 400 ran between Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah. It was built as SL and O car 403, a non-powered single compartment coach trailer. In August 1917 the name of the railroad was changed to the Bamberger Electric Railroad and the car became BER 403. On May 7, 1918 the BER’s Ogden car house burned destroying many of their motorcars. With trucks and equipment salvaged from the burned cars, car 403 was motorized and renumbered to 320 on January 18, 1919. The car was converted back to a trailer, maybe as control trailer and renumbered to 400 on March 3, 1922. In the 1920s the Bamberger converted their cars to one-man operation. This included change in the control, windows, and doors. The one-man cars were repainted from the traditional dark olive to a much lighter yellow or orange paint. The depression hit the Bamberger hard and it went in to receivership in 1933. The company was reorganized and came out of receivership in July 1939 as the Bamberger Railroad. All passenger operation was discontinued on September 7, 1952. Car 400 was sold to a private collector, shipped to Oakland and stored there. The car was then sold to a second collector. It eventually passed to the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association." (Ken Shattock, message to Trainorders.com, March 16, 2017)
- Bamberger 403 (2nd) was sold to Sons of Utah Pioneers, displayed at Pioneer Village, Salt Lake City, Utah; moved to Corinne, Utah in (?); moved to Heber, Utah in 1979; restored by Heber Valley Railroad to original Bamberger appearance by 1994. (part from Deseret News, August 20, 1993)
- Bamberger 404 (2nd) and 405 (2nd) were dismantled in 1952.
| Car Number Series | Body Type | |
| 400, 401, 402 | Single Compartment Coach | |
| 403, 404 | Coach with Smoking Compartment | |
| 405 | Coach with Baggage Compartment |
Trailer 406-408 -- 3 cars
| Car Number |
Date Built |
First Number |
Date Renumbered |
Second Number |
Date Renumbered |
Disposition |
| 406 | 1913 | 317 | 15 Nov 1919 | 303 (2nd) | 19 Mar 1928 | Dismantled in 1952 |
| 407 | 1910 | 301 | 29 May 1928 | Dismantled on December 1, 1937 | ||
| 408 | 1913 | 312 | 1 Dec 1937 | (disposition unknown) |
| Car Number Series | Body Type | |
| 406 | Single Compartment Coach |
Coach 425-438 -- 19 cars
| Car Number |
Date Built |
First Number |
Date Renumbered |
Second Number |
Date Renumbered |
Disposition |
| 425 | 1916 | Renumbered to 433, April 12, 1919 | ||||
| 426 | 1916 | Renumbered to 428 (2nd), September 28, 1919 | ||||
| 427 | 1916 | Renumbered to 429 (2nd), August 22, 1918 | ||||
| 428 (1st) | 1916 | Renumbered to 431, February 5, 1919 | ||||
| 428 (2nd) | 1916 | 426 | 28 Sep 1919 | Renumbered to 350, December 22, 1921 | ||
| 429 (1st) | 1916 | Renumbered to 432, February 17, 1919 | ||||
| 429 (2nd) | 1916 | 427 | 22 Aug 1919 | Renumbered to 354, September 20, 1922 | ||
| 430 | 1916 | |||||
| 431 | 1916 | 428 | 5 Feb 1919 | Renumbered to 351, October 4, 1921 | ||
| 432 | 1916 | 429 | 17 Feb 1919 | Renumbered to 352, October 1, 1921 | ||
| 433 | 1916 | 425 | 12 Apr 1919 | Renumbered to 353, November 26, 1921 | ||
| 434 | 1910 | 400 (1st) | 28 May 1920 | Dismantled in 1952 | ||
| 435 | 1910 | 404 | 18 Jun 1920 | Renumbered to 302 (2nd), January 5, 1929 | ||
| 436 | 1910 | 405 | 23 Jul 1921 | Dismantled in 1952 | ||
| 437 | 1913 | 311 | 15 Jan 1921 | Renumbered to 325 (2nd), March 19, 1928 | ||
| 438 | 1913 | 316 | 6 Feb 1928 | Renumbered to 301 (2nd), May 26, 1928 |
| Car Number Series | Body Type | |
| 434 | Single Compartment Coach | |
| 436 | Single Compartment Coach |
Trailer 450-452 -- 3 cars
| Car Number |
Date Built |
First Number |
Date Renumbered |
Second Number |
Date Renumbered |
Disposition |
| 450 | ||||||
| 451 | ||||||
| 452 |
Cars 450-452 were three of the nineteen famous Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis Electric Railroad's "Electric Pullmans" which averaged 66 mph over the interurban portion of their runs between those cities. Numbered 50-68 on the WB&A, the big cars operated on 6600 volts AC between cities and on 500-600 volts DC in cities. In 1910 WB&A converted to 1200 volts DC and it was felt desirable to dispose of these big cars. Some went to the Rock Island Southern (Illinois), while Bamberger purchased three and made trailers out of them.
The three 450-class trailers came to Bamberger in 1910 after the original owner, the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad, had converted to shorter cars to allow operations of their cars over all parts of their system. Bamberger bought the 62-foot long cars and removed the motors and control equipment, making trailers out of them. The three ex-W,B&AE Niles-built trailers closely matched Bamberger's already existing, eight 56-foot, Niles-built, 310-class motors, and six 400-class trailers, also 56 feet long. (Hilton pp.60, 61, Swett pp.24, 26, 29)
450-452 harmonized well with the 300 and 400 Classes, for they were built by Niles, with that builder's double-arch windows, monitor deck roof and generally graceful lines. Bamberger modified them slightly, changing steps and applying a full-width buffer. They saw intensive use, perhaps due to their high seating capacity (68).
451 was scrapped in 1918 due to fire damage in the Ogden car house fire; 450 and 452 were scrapped December 31, 1937.
Arsenal Trains
Bamberger operated several former Interurban Electric steel cars from Oakland, California, that had operated between Oakland and San Francisco until July 1941. After being removed from Oakland service in 1941, the cars were sold to the U. S. Maritime Commission and used to transport wartime workers at shipyards in Oakland and Long Beach, as well as the Arsenal train in Utah.
During World War II, the Bamberger railroad ran special five-car and eight-car "Arsenal" trains, using the Blimp cars to move war workers from Ogden to the station at Arsenal in North Davis County, adjacent to the west gate of today's Hill Air Force Base.
The Bamberger Arsenal train service was deemed vital by the Office of Defense and so when Bamberger requested permission to acquire additional cars for the service, six ex Southern Pacific "Blimps" were sent to the Arsenal for use by the railroad. The Blimps had their electrical equipment removed and wooden stoves installed for winter heat and were towed by Bamberger's passenger motors or as the train grew in length, by a freight locomotive, usually No. 530.
The Southern Pacific "Blimp" cars that came to Bamberger in 1941 came from SP's Interurban Electric Railway (IER), which itself had been formed by SP in December 1938 in anticipation of the January 1939 opening of the Oakland Bay Bridge. The new bridge had a lower deck dedicated to the operation of trucks and trains. The trains were of the two competing companies, Key System and SP's IER, with both companies operating from their Oakland terminals, to the San Francisco Transbay Terminal. Southern Pacific ended its IER transbay commuter train service in July, 1941.
Research has not yet found how long these cars remained in service on Bamberger, and what their disposition was.
Freight Locomotives
The Bamberger fleet of electric locomotives was headed by the four Baldwin-Westinghouse 50-ton motors: 551, 550, 502, 503. Although constructed many years apart, these were very much the same. Next in importance came the 530 -- geared high and quite long, 525 and 526, and finally 528 and 527, the latter being the old "A" and later the 27.
Salt Lake & Ogden's first electric freight locomotive was expected to arrive on April 15, 1911. The 30-ton locomotive had been built by McGuire-Cummings Manufacturing Company and had left the factory "several weeks ago." It was equipped with "four 100-horsepower, 700-volt d.c. General Electric inter-pole motors with forced ventilation, double and multiple unit control and Westinghouse combined straight and automatic air brakes. The locomotive is designed to handle 400 tons trailing load at 17-1/2 miles an hour on a 0.7 per cent grade." (Ogden Evening Standard, April 12, 1911, "Electric Engine For Bamberger")
In the book called "When Trolley Wires Spanned the Country", on page 133, there is a photo taken in 1951 of a Bamberger car on a piece of single track barely longer than itself. The stands of switches onto double track are visible next to the ends of the car, as are the switch rails and a long piece of the double track behind it. The picture is actually taken in Bountiful at the intersection of Center Street with 200 West. This was the north end of the double track that ran from 500 South in Bountiful past the station. The other switch on the north side of center street serves Smith Mill. The double wire was common on a great deal of Bamberger’s mainline. During the Depression Bamberger single tracked the line. As part of the project they moved the second wire over the center of the remaining track. North bound trains would use the east wire and southbound the west wire. Bamberger did not use frogs on the mainline wire so this allowed the trains to run the full length of the system without having to switch the pole to another wire. You will find pictures of freight trains using two poles with one on each wire. Somehow this helped to keep loads balanced at the sub-stations. #503 which came off of the Great Northern was a real juice hog and thus was only used when absolutely necessary. It had a tendency to overload the system and cause the equipment at the substations to kick out. Apparently, other locomotives would also do this when they were pulling a heavy load on long grades so the rule was to use two poles with one on each wire. (Shay Stark, email dated November 27, 2012)
All Bamberger electric locomotives were scrapped in 1952 after dieselization.
| No. | Builder | Date Built |
Date To Locomotive |
Date To Bamberger |
First Number |
Date Renumbered |
Second Number |
Date Renumbered |
Notes |
| 205 | |||||||||
| 502 | Baldwin | 1912 | 1942 | 2 | |||||
| 503 | Baldwin | 1906 | 1942 | 3 | |||||
| 525 | BRR | 1910 | 1920 | 304 | 10 Jun 1920 | 4 | |||
| 526 | BRR | 1910 | 1919 | 308 | 16 Dec 1919 | 4 | |||
| 527 | McG-C | 1911 | 5 | ||||||
| 528 | GE | 1913 | 6 | ||||||
| 529 | (Line Car) | 7 | |||||||
| 530 | BRR | 1910 | 1939 | 307 | 3 Jul 1923 | 300 (2nd) | 27 Oct 1929 | 8 | |
| 550 | Baldwin | 1923 | 9 | ||||||
| 551 | Baldwin | 1929 | 10 |
General Notes:
- Bamberger's electric freight locomotives had the following characteristics:
| No. | Weight | Total HP | Length | Width | Height | Motors | Ratio | Control | |
| 205 | |||||||||
| 502 | 103,500 | 725 | 32'4" | 10'10" | 11'10" | W. 337 | 17:60 | W. HL | |
| 503 | 107,300 | 725 | 32'8" | 11'9" | 11'10" | W. 337 | 17:60 | W. HL | |
| 525 | 82,540 | 450 | 39'9" | 8'6" | 12'6" | GE 205B | 16:72 | GE M | |
| 526 | 85,100 | 560 | 39'9" | 8'6" | 12'6" | GE 207A | 16:72 | GE M | |
| 527 | 76,640 | 450 | 32'5" | 9'2" | 12'8" | GE 205B | 15:58 | C-36-C | |
| 528 | 78,460 | 450 | 33'0" | 8'6" | 12'6" | GE 205B | 15:58 | C-36-C | |
| 529 | |||||||||
| 530 | 87,400 | 450 | 42'0" | 9'5" | 13'0" | GE 205B | 21:53 | C-74-A | |
| 550 | 100,000 | 725 | 32'4" | 9'9" | 12'2" | W 562D5 | 17:60 | W. HLF | |
| 551 | 98,800 | 725 | 32'4" | 9'9" | 12'2" | W 562D5 | 17:60 | W. HLF |
Bamberger 502 and 503 were purchased second-hand from the GN-controlled Spokane Coeur d'Alene & Palouse Railway. Great Northern had purchased the separate but affiliated Spokane and Eastern Railway and the Inland Empire Railroad, and combined them into the SC&P in 1927. The two lines were dieselized in 1941, and merged into the Great Northern in 1943.
Notes:
- Bamberger 205 was a steel baggage motor, constructed by the North Salt Lake shops in 1921. This car ran for sixteen years, being scrapped in 1937. In 1939, steel from it was used in constructing locomotive 530.
- Bamberger 502 was built 1912 for Inland Empire's 600-volt line from Spokane to Coeur d'Alene on the Spokane Coeur d'Alene & Palouse Railway. One of the first of Baldwin-Westinghouse's steeple cab type. Sold to Bamberger by Great Northern when the SC&P went diesel. Bamberger 502 was scrapped at North Salt Lake in 1952.
- Bamberger 503 was built 1906 with B-W's original box cab type body. Also acquired from SC&P. These two kept their SC&P numbers. Bamberger 503 was scrapped at North Salt Lake in 1952.
- Bamberger 525 and 526 were built after the Ogden fire from burned passenger motors 304 and 308. The GE body design (introduced by 528 in 1913) was followed. 525 and 526 were able to run MU. Both dismantled in 1952
- Bamberger 527 was originally "A", then 27, finally 527. Rebuilt to resemble 528.
- Bamberger 528 was built by Salt Lake & Ogden at Ogden; the body came from GE, trucks from Baldwin. This, plus 527, eliminated practically all steam power from SL&O. Originally numbered 28.
- Bamberger 529 was Bamberger's first line car. (see below)
- Bamberger 530 was the largest and newest of the home-built locomotives. It was built of second-hand material: steel from express car 205, electrical equipment from the second 300. Its high gearing enabled it to haul passenger trains. Dismantled in 1952
- Bamberger 550 was acquired 1941 from the San Diego Electric Railway (ex-SDE 1025).
- Bamberger 551 was acquired 1941 from Milwaukee system of Wisconsin Power & Light (ex-WPL 1000).
Line Cars
Bamberger had but two line cars during all its years as an electric railway. Both were home-built.
| Car Number |
First Number |
Previous Number |
Date Built |
Date To Line Car |
Notes |
| 01 | 529 | 1913 | 13 Jan 1928 | 1 | |
| 05 | 306 | 200 | 1910 | 28 Jul 1937 | 2 |
General Notes:
- Bamberger Line Car 01 was renumbered from car 529 on January 13, 1928; car 529 had been built by Salt Lake & Ogden in August 1913 (first carried on equipment accounts on August 31, 1913)
- Bamberger Line Car 05 was built as car 306 in 1910; converted to Express Car (box motor) and renumbered to Car 200 on September 18, 1920; converted to line car service and renumbered to Car 05 on July 28, 1937
- Bamberger Line Car 05 had a steel body, hydraulic-lift platform and high speed gearing, and was said to be one of the finest line cars in the west.
Notes:
- Bamberger Line Car 01 was removed from service in 1934 and scrapped in 1937
- Bamberger Line Car 05 was scrapped in 1952
Freight Cars
BRR did not own many freight cars, for its freight business consists mainly of hauling off-line cars. BRR's own cars were:
| Type | Number | Description |
| Box | 700, 725-728 | 40 feet long, 9 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high, 40 ton capacity |
| Box | 800, 801 | 50 feet long, 9 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high, 50 ton capacity |
| Box | 851-853 | similar to Union Pacific B-50-6 boxcars |
| Box | 854-856 | seem to be ex. Southern Pacific rebuilt B-50-13's or B-50-14's. |
| Gondola | 12003, 12008, 12009, 12014, 12017 | 31 feet 5 inches long, 7 feet 9 inches wide, 10 feet high, 30 ton capacity |
| Flat | 16004-16007 | 40 feet 3 inches long, 9 feet 4 inches wide, 4 feet 4 inches high, 30 tons capacity |
Shay Stark summarized Bamberger's boxcars in an email dated April 28, 2021:
I think I can shed some light on Bamberger's boxcars. You are correct that the Official Railway Equipment Registers can be wrong and incomplete and in the case of Bamberger they have always been inaccurate. I am told that some of this is due to the cumbersome nature of paperwork at the time and submitting this information for revision was not an easy task. Which in the Bamberger's case led to the rail road leaving cars in the register long after they were stored unserviceable, destroyed or were no longer used for interchange. While I chalk that up to the hassle of submitting revised information the railroad seemed to add new cars when they purchased them in a timely manner. Of course that was important for interchange. It seems like the owners of the railroad always wanted the railroad to look larger than it really was. This seems to be the case in the early years, and I suppose that is why the early cars were numbered with number series in the thousands with some of those number series only having a handful of cars and yet the series spanned several hundred numbers. They never listed equipment that they did not have but they certainly listed equipment that was no longer in interchange or stored un-usable.
In the 1930's during the depression Bamberger set aside many cars both freight and passenger. Some of their old steam locomotives were also still on site at the end of a track in the North Salt Lake Shops. The railroad did not get rid of anything that may be of benefit in the future. After the Ogden carbarn fire in 1919 the old steam road passenger cars which had been set aside became a critical lifesaving asset to the company as they were quickly cleaned up and put back into service behind the few motor cars that did not burn. The lesson was learned and reinforced with this event and therefore became the standard. In 1938 and 1939 the Bamberger scrapped and sold off the old steam locomotives and other unused equipment to sale the metal as scrap prices were high due to the war in Europe. To my knowledge that was the first time the railroad scrapped any equipment that had not been totally destroyed in a wreck. Even all of the equipment involved in the fire was rebuilt in some from or other.
So with that context it is interesting to look at the evolution of the boxcar fleet. In the 1940 ORER the 12003 – 12017 were part of a group of original boxcars purchased by the Salt Lake and Ogden Railroad. By 1940 as shown there were only four cars left on the roster but none of those cars were roadworthy. I am only aware of one of the cars that may have still been operable and still configured as a boxcar but it was serving as maintenance of way. This car can be seen in the following link on your website: Bamberger - donstrack (smugmug.com) I believe this photo was taken sometime between 1939 and 1942. These cars had officially been removed from the railroads roster as active cars for tax purposes and were slowly stripped for parts. The other three boxcars listed in the ORER under this class at some point had been stripped of every other vertical board looking like a make shift stock car. I don't know why this was done. I know that watermelons from Green River were sometimes shipped to the wholesale grocery warehouses on the Bamberger in stock cars that had been lined with straw. I have always wondered if there might have been someone on one of the Utah interurban lines that was growing melons and was shipping them to Salt Lake and Bamberger provided the cars. The Utah interurban lines freely shared and interchanged cars that would not typically be interchanged with the steam roads. For that matter it could have just as easily been someone with cattle or sheep or some other livestock that needed to move it another on line location such as Peterson's stock yard west of Ogden. UIC had stock cars also so maybe it was some sort of shared arrangement. The cars sat in the same place at the North Salt Lake Shops with weeds growing around them for many years.
The 700 & 725 through 728 boxcars were 40 foot double sheathed boxcars that the railroad used mainly for lcl. The 700 was of different construction from the other four cars. They were all very typical late teens / early twenties car construction. As Gordon Cardall would tell me the doors on these cars would take two men and a mule to open and so employees did not like using the cars. They would put the lcl on the locomotive or use another railroads empty car that still had time on it before they would open the doors of one of these cars to utilize it. The day freight (also called "The Peddler") would usually use one of these cars. The other lcl runs were on passenger trains and the 405 trailer was used as the lcl car on those trains. The baggage section in the passenger cars was leased to REA for their service. During good weather the door of the 700 class boxcar was left partway open between stops. These cars were stored next to the shop building that burned in North Salt Lake in 1952. Needless to say the cars burned and were scrapped with the clean up of the fire.
800 and 801 were to ex. Rock Island 50 foot boxcars that were purchased for a specific purpose. Used paper was shipped from Salt Lake to Denver. The company had a warehouse located on the Bamberger across the highway from the Utah Oil Company refinery up against the mountain side. I believe the 800's were purchased in the 1930's but I have not spent time looking at ORER's to find when they first appear. The 800's were worn out before Bamberger purchased them and they were in need of a rebuild. The cars would get tagged with bad orders on nearly every trip to Denver and Bamberger would make limited repairs and send them back out. Denver and Rio Grande eventually banned the cars and the Bamberger crews then used them for on line lcl and company service.
After the war the Bamberger purchased six boxcars. Three of these cars were 40 foot double sheathed wood cars and three were 40 foot single sheathed boxcars. 851-853 look similar to Union Pacific B-50-6 boxcars. 854-856 seem to be ex. Southern Pacific rebuilt B-50-13's or 14's. I don't know if the cars were purchased at the same time or in two different lots. In the years following WW II many railroads were replacing their wood cars with new steel cars so they were very likely inexpensive. The cars were used as lcl cars. I have been told that after the war every night there was a great deal of lcl that was brought to the Bamberger in Salt Lake City and was then taken to Ogden and transferred by truck to the Southern Pacific. This apparently required several cars each night and was the reason for the purchase of these cars. At least one car was designated for lcl bound for Cobre, Nevada to be turned over to the Nevada Northern.
Around 1954 the Bamberger purchased a few rebuilt 40 foot steel boxcars that look to be of Chicago Northwestern heritage. These cars were numbered in the low 900 numbers. I am not sure how many cars there were. I was once told they were purchased from a fleet of cars the military was using during the war to haul munitions but I have no verification of this. I have only see the picture you have on your website at the following link: Bamberger - donstrack (smugmug.com) I believe Gordon Cradall told me that there were either five or six cars. I will have to look it up in my notes.
For modeling purposes, 700 & 725 – 728 are roughly similar to the Accurail 4600 USRA double sheath boxcar. 851 -853 are roughly similar to the Accurail 4600 USRA double sheath boxcar. 854-856 are roughly similar to Accurail 4300 single sheath wood door steel ends. Others do not really have a close relative that is available as a basic kits or ready to run.
Cabooses
The following comes from Shay Stark, via an email posted to the Utah Railroading Yahoo Group on January 16, 2012:
Did Bamberger have any cabooses?
The short answer is, yes. However, like everything in life, it is not that simple. At some point after Bamberger began freight service, a short combine was equipped with a cupola and used as a caboose. I do not know if the combine had previously had the seats removed and windows boarded up or not. It is possible that the line was generating enough LCL in the early 1900's to justify turning the combines into baggage cars.
This is pure speculation on my part, but I believe the caboose was built as a public relations move. Mr. Bamberger was very conscious of the public perception of his line. Early on he was in head to head competition with the larger steam roads. In statements to early newspapers and advertisements he would regularly make comparisons to the steam roads. You could liken it to little dog syndrome. I would guess that Mr. Bamberger had decided that he needed to have a caboose so that his freight trains looked like the freight trains on the steam roads. At the same time he would not build, operate and maintain something that did not provide a measurable benefit. If the car were to be used for LCL then it would be considered worthwhile to drag around on the train. It would not surprise me to find out that the cupola was never really used.
With that being said it is also important to realize that the only way to really make money in the freight business was to establish through rates with connecting railroads. This was something that did not come easily as the railroads saw the Bamberger line as a threat. Mr. Bamberger had gone through a very lengthy and ugly court battle with the Union Pacific to enter into Ogden. A fight that did not end until Bamberger finally built a bridge over the UP mainline and abandoned the at grade diamond crossing. The hard feelings persisted for many years and freight rates were not established until the pressures of WWI forced the issue. This did not mean that Bamberger did not receive interchange traffic prior to WWI but it was very limited.
I do not know how long the caboose was used or if any additional cabooses were built. I am guessing that no others were built. Early rosters found in the Poor's guides are all over the place. The early ORER's are also totally incorrect, so it is nearly impossible to track. In my research I have the impression that Mr. Bamberger would exaggerate the equipment quantities submitted to the ORER's. In conversation with other researchers it is known that other railroads rosters were miss-represented also. The reason that I have come to this conclusion is because I have seen photos of cars with numbers that do not match the type of car or the size of car listed in the rosters. Also the rosters vary greatly from year to year. This would only make since if they were losing many cars a year to accidents and buying cars at a breakneck pace. The fact is Bamberger's cars were interchanged mostly on Utah's other electric lines. Most freight on the Bamberger line was incoming. That is why in later years Bamberger did not roster very many freight cars and few of the cars the line did have were fit for interchange.
Back to the story of the caboose, shortly after electrification of the line the towns along the line forced Mr. Bamberger to make good on his promise of total electrification which had been a stipulation of the franchise agreements. The larger passenger cars were sold but the two short combines/baggage cars/LCL cars/caboose were retained. The only photo that I have seen of the caboose was taken for the ICC valuations just prior to WWI. In that picture it looks well maintained.
After the Ogden carbarn fire one of the interurban cars that was destroyed was built into a motorized LCL car #200. A second unpowered trailer was also built into an LCL car #205. I have only seen a period drawing in an advertisement that depicted the trainer as a shorter steel car. My guess is that one of the combines was used as the trailer. Either directly after the fire or shortly after the 200 was built one of the combines was motorized. As the fire had destroyed most of the motorized fleet I am guessing that the wooden combine was built quickly after the fire to handle the LCL service. It may have been used with the other combine/caboose. Once the steel motor was built the wooden motor car was stored as a backup.
In 1913 one of the short combines was motorized and numbered #529. The first electric freight locomotive was delivered in 1910. As delivered it was numbered "A". In 1913 the line purchased a car body from GE, and trucks and motors from Baldwin to build the second electric locomotive. At this time the first locomotive was renumbered #527. The second was renumbered #528. The motorized combine may have originally been built to either act as a backup locomotive or an LCL car. The earliest picture I have seen of it shows a platform on top with a ladder up the side. I do not know the date of the picture. Looking at the clerestory windows, they are intact which tells me that this car was not previously the caboose. By 1921 #529 has been renumbered #03 and had a retractable platform. In 1928 the #03 was listed as retired on the company records but remained in the yard until 52 or 53.
As the 20's rolled into the 30's traffic on the line had really dropped. The flue pandemic of 1918 hit Utah hard around 1920 and lasted through the mid 20's. This effectively stifled post war economic growth and set Utah at a great disadvantage as the national economy turned sour in the late 20's. The motorized combine was put to use as a line car and the un-motorized car was cannibalized to serve as some sort of maintenance car. Neither car had the cupola any more. In 1937, Mr. Bamberger pulled up one of the mainlines, removed tie plates from the other and sold the metal for scrap and prices had risen on scrap metal due to the war over seas. At the same time he also culled the roster and placed several cars and motors on sidings at the shops and declared them as scrapped. This along with the removal of one track at each grate crossing would reduce the taxes that the line had to pay. The two combines were placed in the dead line and the steel LCL motor #200 was re numbered to #05 and relegated as the line car.
At this point LCL was either placed on the locomotive or relegated to a boxcar on the daily peddler freights.
During WWII trailer #406 had all of its seats removed and it was used to deliver express from Salt Lake City to the Ogden freight house where the express was trucked to the Ogden Union Passenger Depot and placed on an Southern Pacific train to be delivered to Cobre, Nevada and the Nevada Northern. The empty #406 would head back to Salt Lake every morning on the rear of the morning freight. So I guess you could look at it as a pseudo caboose. After the war Bamberger picked up some war surplus single sheathed boxcars cars along with some rebuilt steel boxcars that were used for this service. One gentleman who had some sort of association with the movement of the express stated that in the 1950's between six and ten box cars of express would come up from Salt Lake to Ogden each night. I have not been able to substantiate that claim.
The cars resting in the dead line were robbed for parts during the early part of the war and slowly the equipment was scrapped. The combines remained in the dead line until electrified passenger service ended and much of the equipment was scrapped in 52 and 53.
Steam Locomotives
Steam Locomotives -- A roster listing of steam locomotives on Bamberger's predecessor railroad Salt Lake & Ogden Railway.
Diesel Locomotives
Diesel Locomotives -- A roster listing of diesel locomotives on Bamberger railroad.
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