UtahRails.net

UtahRails.net

Little Cottonwood Transportation Company
Alta Scenic Railway

This page was last updated on October 29, 2019.

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How Many Shays?

Research using online newspapers has raised some questions as to the number of Shay locomotives used on the Little Cottonwood Transportation company's narrow gauge railroad — three or four.

There are questions specifically about how long LCTCo. #1 (Lima #2194) was on the railroad; the engine was on the railroad (or at least in Salt Lake City) in 1916, and later went to Pioche Pacific as their #3.

Local newspapers kept a pretty close eye on the developments of resurgence of the mines in Little Cottonwood canyon, southeast of Salt Lake City. They printed continuing coverage of the ore shipments and mining growth in the canyon. The LCTCo. was incorporated in August 1916, and grading work began very soon after. The first tracks were laid in September 1916. The first mention of a Shay is in the September 27, 1916 issue, saying that it had been received "yesterday" in the local yards of the Rio Grande, and was delivered to Wasatch on October 6th.

(Read clippings of newspaper articles concerning Little Cottonwood Transportation Co.)

There is a reference in the October 11th issue to a "152 Shay," whatever that was. Obviously a typographical error, but still strange.

A question comes from a notation in October 1916 that the railroad needed to be ballasted to allow use of the Shay, and that the manager had designed and built a motor car, using a Ford chassis to use as a locomotive to haul construction materials, and which was later used to pull ore cars. A photo of the Ford "locomotive" was published in the November 5, 1916 newspaper.

(View a photo of the Ford "locomotive", as part of a newspaper account)

Research in newspaper accounts suggests that Shay No. 1 may not have been used. Although it arrived in September 1916, it may have remained in the local Salt Lake City rail yards without actually being moved to Little Cottonwood canyon. Depending on the financial arrangements and how the Shay was obtained, likely by lease, the dealer (W. A. Zelnicker of St. Louis) may have sought other customers and found one with the Pioche Pacific in Nevada, sometime in Spring 1917.

By April 1917, the gasoline motor car was being used and the Shay engines were still not in service. "A five-ton gasoline locomotives is now being operated over the line, with light ore cars, but the company's Shay engines will be placed in commission when the line is completed to Alta." (Salt Lake Mining Review, April 30, 1917)

By May 1917, the motor car was out of service, and the ore was being hauled in ore cars using gravity and brakes, with mules being used to bring the empty ore cars back for loading. No mention of a Shay locomotive.

In December 1917, as the road neared completion to its final destination of Alta, eight miles from its starting point, the manager said that the road would likely not be ready to haul ore until Spring 1918 due to delays in receiving equipment, but a *second* Shay had been ordered, along with 40 ore cars. (Salt Lake Tribuine, December 2, 1917, page 7)

Supposedly, there were three Shay locomotives already on the railroad, but the above newspaper item indicates that there was only one Shay on the railroad in early December 1917, with a second locomotive having been ordered.

By mid August 1918, "Another Shay engine is being repaired with the expectation of keeping the two engines moving trains up and down the canyon when the camp is at its highest summer state of production." (Salt Lake Herald Republican, August 13, 1918)

By the end of November 1918, a news items specifically mentioned three Shays, but by this time, according to traditional locomotive roster information, the road should have been running four Shays. "...the three engines that the company now uses between Wasatch and Alta would be thoroughly overhauled..." (Salt Lake Tribune, November 30, 1918)

In March 1919 it was noted that all *three* of the road's Shay engines were in the D&RG shops in Salt Lake City being rebuilt for the coming season.

The 1921 season was the last season operated. In June 1922 the manager announced that the railroad would not re-open for the 1922 season, and in August 1922, the manager formally informed the state agency that the railroad would be shut down, and he himself retired at age 62 at the same time.

Nothing has been found that supports the Shays being used after 1921. After that time period, there are numerous photos of what was a regular passenger, mail and express service using first a converted GMC bus, then later a converted truck chassis running in reverse. But this all apparently ended in 1925.

There were no references to all four Shays being on the railroad at the same time. The few descriptions of the three Shays in service strongly suggest that No. 1 (Lima 2194) was only on the rails in late 1916 and possibly early 1917; and likely went to Pioche Pacific in about April 1917. It was the largest Shay operated on the Pioche Pacific. Current research has yet to find any photos except those that are in Myrick's Volume 2 about the railroads of Nevada. Extensive online and newspaper research about Pioche mines and railroads shows nothing about when Lima Shay 2194 may have arrived in Pioche, or for that matter, anything about motive power on any of the Pioche railroads.

Locomotives

Gauge: 3-foot narrow gauge.

Road Number	Builder	Builder Number	Lima Class	Builder Date	Date To LCT	Date To Alta Scenic	Notes
LCT 1	Lima	2194	B 24-2	Jul 1909	1916	1925	1
LCT 2	Lima	540	B 36-2	Dec 1897	1917	1925	2
LCT 3	Lima	1672	A 20-2	Apr 1906	Jul 1917	1925	3
LCT 4	Lima	1673	A 20-2	Apr 1906	Nov 1917	1925	4

	Road Number	Cylinders	Drivers	Empty Weight
	LCT 1	8x8 inches	26-1/2 inches	51,000 pounds
	LCT 2	12x12 inches	32 inches	72,800 pounds
	LCT 3	8x8 inches	26-1/2 inches	40,500 pounds
	LCT 4	8x8 inches	26-1/2 inches	40,400 pounds

	Road Number	Lima Class	Description
	LCT 1	B 24-2	Class B, 24 Tons, Two-trucks
	LCT 2	B 36-2	Class B, 50 Tons, Two-trucks
	LCT 3	A 20-2	Class A, 20 Tons, Two-trucks
	LCT 4	A 20-2	Class A, 20 Tons, Two-trucks

George Pitchard Research

LCT No. 1

From the Lima "drawing card index" file:

Locomotive No. 2194	Order No. 851	Plan No. 2114
Built for: Santa Barbara Tie & Pole Co., Chicago, Illinois
Road No.: 1	Name: S.B.T.&P.Co.
Shipped to: Embudo, N.M.		Date Shipped: July 14, 1909
Gauge of track: 36"
Style of locomotive: 24-Ton Shay, 2-Truck		Cylinders: 3 - 8x8"
Wheels, diameter: 26-1/2"	Total empty weight: 51,000 lbs.
Working pressure: 160 lbs.	Fuel: Wood (as built)	Tank capacity: 830 gallons water

Fuel changed to coal, per note dated November 11, 1925, by unnamed owner; several grate parts also on November 11, 1925; more grate parts on December 9, 1925; also new headlight on November 25, 1925, "electric headlight equipment, complete"; these entries in the Lima record clearly indicate that the locomotive is gone from the Little Cottonwood Transportation/Alta Scenic by this date.

LCT No. 2

From the Lima "drawing card index" file:

Locomotive No. 540	Plan No. 538
Built for: the Colorado & Northwestern RR Co., Boulder, Colorado.
Road No.: 25	Name: C&N RR.
Shipped to: (blank)	Date shipped: December 11, 1897
Gauge of track: 36"
Style of locomotive: Shay	Cylinders: 3 - 12x12"
Wheels, diameter: 32"	Total empty weight: 72,800 lbs.
Working pressure: (blank)	Fuel: Coal	Tank capacity: 2,000 gallons water

LCT No. 3

From the Lima "drawing card index" file:

Locomotive No. 1672	Order No. 3546	Plan No. 1522
Built for: Comache (sic) Mining and Smelting Co., Silver City, New Mexico
Road No.: 3	Name: S.C.,P.A.&M.
Shipped to: S.C.,P.A.&M Ry. Co., Silver City, N.M.		Date Shipped: April 5, 1906
Gauge of track: 24"
Style of locomotive: 20-Ton, 2-Truck Shay		Cylinders: 3 - 8x8"
Wheels, diameter: 26-1/2"	Total empty weight: 40,500 lbs.
Working pressure: 160 lbs.	Fuel: Coal	Tank capacity: 830 gallons water

(Note: Built for Comanche Mining & Smelting Company, misspelled as "Comache".)

Not seen, 1925-1928; sold in April 1928 to Utah Iron Ore Corporation no. 3, in Iron Springs (near Cedar City), Utah.

Gauge is shown on the Lima drawing card index as being changed to 36 inches, with a note saying, "operated by Utah Iron Ore Co., their new loco is 36" gauge." Numerous notes for new parts, with the earliest for any after the locomotive's time on L.C.T/Alta Scenic being on June 15, 1928; note made on October 17, 1928 says, "Question all cross member that has to do with gauge of this loco-C. C. Ring says 36" gauge."; new wheels and tires on May 18, 1931; new cylinder head, crosshead, and crosshead parts, all on January 22, 1934, which is the last noted date.

LCT No. 4

From the Lima "drawing card index" file:

Locomotive No. 1673	Order No. 3547	Plan No. 1522
Built for: Comache (sic) Mining and Smelting Co., Silver City, New Mexico
Road No.: 4	Name: S.C.,P.A.&M.
Shipped to: S.C.,P.A.&M Ry. Co., Silver City, N.M.		Date Shipped: April 5, 1906
Gauge of track: 24"
Style of locomotive: 20-Ton, 2-Truck Shay		Cylinders: 3 - 8x8"
Wheels, diameter: 26-1/2"	Total empty weight: 40,400 lbs.
Working pressure: 160 lbs.	Fuel: Coal	Tank capacity: 830 gallons water

(Note: Built for Comanche Mining & Smelting Company, misspelled as "Comache".)

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