Utah Central Railroad Locomotives, 1897-1908
Index For This Page
This page was last updated on June 7, 2010.
(Return to Utah Central Railroad Index Page)
Overview
Utah Central Railroad of December 1897 (controlled by Rio Grande Western Railway), through to the end of narrow gauge operations in 1900, and consolidation with D&RG in 1908.
(Based on research by George Pitchard.)
Timeline
July 10, 1898
"All the old Utah Central equipment will soon be relettered 'R.G.W.' and renumbered," (Salt Lake Tribune, July 10, 1898)
July 16, 1898
Item headed "Branch Line Improvement," which says "Regarding the equipment of the narrow gauge line, Mr. Welby states that it is now being overhauled and all the old or unserviceable equipment will go to the scrap heap, while the serviceable engines and cars will be gradually put through the shops for repairs, new paint and lettering." The engines were renumbered by adding a zero, making them 01, 02 and 03, as is shown in the next RGW official roster, #33, dated February 1, 1899.
George Pitchard's major source for information about Utah Central locomotives were the records of the Utah Territory (State of Utah after 1896) Board of Equalization, about which he wrote:
We note that the published Report of the Territorial Board of Equalization "for the year 1892" says that the U. C. Ry. has nine locomotives, at a total taxable valuation of $8,200.00 (which is repeated 'for the year 1893`- nine locos, $8,200). So one wonders which is correct for 1892 - six or nine? Well, possibly, both of them, if one thinks that perhaps there are nine locomotives on the property, of which six are in service (or at least serviceable), and three are old and out of service. But identifying exactly what these nine locomotives were, is quite another matter - which we shall put off for a bit.
From 1892 on, data are available from the Territorial (later State) Board of Equalization, on an annual basis, which was created in the initial instance for the purpose of assessing taxable valuation of everything in sight! At one time, three 'sets' of records existed for each year -the returns of the railroad companies, the record of assessment by the Board based on the company returns, and finally the published reports, based on (but much less complete than) the Board's record of assessment. The most useful set of records is the returns of the companies, which usually contain notes and more detailed explanations of things than appear in the Board's record of assessment. There is frequently disagreement about values, also, which sometimes ended up in court.
Annually, the Board sent out packets of forms to the several companies, which were to be filled up and returned, usually about mid-year, and describing the property 'as of' a particular date earlier in the given year. This date changed over time; early on, it was something around the first Monday in March, then became the first Monday in February, and finally (logically) settled on the first of January.
Regrettably, for 1892 and 1893, we have only the published Report of the Board - the least useful of the several types of records that once existed - and might still, but if they do, they're irretrievably lost in the labyrinth of State Archives, apparently. However, for 1894 and beyond, we have either the returns of the companies or the record of assessment by the Board, and sometimes both for the same year, in addition to the published reports.
Pitchard noted the end of narrow gauge operations on the Utah Central:
Rio Grande Western's roster #35, dated June 1, 1900 (and which is immediately prior to the widening of the Utah Central branch), lists the same five locomotives, and in the same way, as does roster #34; the notes show that engines 01, 02 and 03 have 6" air pumps, whereas engines 04 and 08 have 8" air pumps; and engines 02, 04 and 08 have the Sams Automatic coupler on pilot only, whereas engine 03 has the Sams coupler on pilot and tender.
The task of widening the Utah Central branch was largely completed by the end of July 1900, which obviously meant that narrow-gauge locomotives were no longer needed. The R.G.W. chose to widen the two biggest (and best) engines, the 01 being widened by the end of August and emerging from the shops as R.G.W. No. 1 - its first use on the Park City passenger job was on September 1, 1900 - and the 03's widening was completed by mid-October, and came out as R.G.W. No. 13, and had replaced the No. 1 on the Park City run by October 16th.
"For the year 1901" shows nothing in narrow gauge. However, the U.C. branch is shown as having assigned to it two locomotives, formerly narrow-gauge, 'set-out' to standard gauge, which were former numbers 01 and 03, widened in 1900 and becoming R.G.W. numbers 1 and 13, respectively. As to the other three engines, the 08 had been re-widened and returned to being RGW #8. Numbers 02 and 04 were sold in October 1900 to Sumpter Valley, as their #8 and #7, respectively.
Roster Listings
Utah Central 2-8-0 -- 1 locomotive
| 1898 UCRR Number |
Previous Number |
Builder | Builder Number |
Builder Date |
1898 RGW Number |
1900 RGW Number (as SG) |
Notes |
| UCRR 1 | UCRy 1 | Baldwin | 14487 | Oct 1895 | RGW 01 | RGW 1 | 1 |
Description:
- Drive Wheel Diameter: 37 inches
- Cylinders: 16x20 inches
General Notes:
- Utah Central Railway number 1 was a Baldwin 2-8-0, class 10/26E-236, ordered on August 29, 1895. It was shipped on November 1, 1895, and arrived in Salt Lake City on November 13, 1895. Cost, new, was $6,850 (plus freight and set-up). The Baldwin specification sheet showed that it was to have pilots fore and aft, two 28" sand boxes, LeChatelier water brake on the engine, in addition to Westinghouse air brakes on tender and train, with 8" air pump on engine, tender to hold 1,800 gallons of water; engine and tender to be painted black, with 'large plain gold' lettering, "UTAH CENTRAL RAILWAY" on tender tank collar, "U. C. Ry." on cab panel, "1" large on sides of tender tank, and on rear, and on the front number plate and the front sand box. The engine was guaranteed to haul 40 to 50 gross tons of cars and lading up a straight 6 percent grade.
- Baldwin's price for this engine was $6,850 was to be paid one-quarter in cash ($1,712.50), the balance in 18 monthly payments; the Receiver's quarterly report for the three months ended September 30, 1895 (in Salt Lake Herald, October 20, 1895) shows $1,712.50 as "Part Payment of New Locomotive."
Notes:
- Utah Central Railway number 1 was built in 1895; to Utah Central Railroad number 1 in 1898; to RGW number 01 in 1898 (narrow gauge operation ended in late July 1900); rebuilt to standard gauge in late August 1900, renumbered to RGW number 1; to D&RG 554 in April 1909; rebuilt to narrow gauge in October 1918, renumbered to D&RGW 306 on January 1, 1924; dismantled in January 1935
Utah Central 2-8-0 -- 1 locomotive (ex Cleveland & Canton Railroad)
| 1898 UCRR Number |
First Number |
Second Number |
Third Number |
Builder | Builder Number |
Builder Date |
1898 RGW Number |
Date Vacated |
Notes |
| UCRR 2 | CV 13 | C&C 13 | UCRy 2 (2nd) | Baldwin | 5930 | Nov 1881 | RGW 02 | 24 Oct 1900 | 1 |
Description:
- Drive Wheel Diameter: 36 inches
- Cylinders: 15x18 inches
General Notes:
- The former Cleveland & Canton 13 arrived in Utah at the end of December 1889 as part of the lot of former Cleveland & Canton equipment purchased by Utah Central in August 1889; after settling the freight charges, it entered service as as Utah Central number 2 in March 1890.
- UCRy number 2 was upgraded as a result of a major overhaul in 1894 (see Salt Lake Tribune, August 18, 1894)
Notes:
- Utah Central Railway number 2 (2nd) was built as Connotton Valley Railway number 13 in 1881, named "Carrollton"; to Cleveland & Canton Railroad 13 in 1885 (C&C was converted to standard gauge by November 1888); sold to New York Equipment Company (dealer); sold to John W. Young in August 1889; arrived in Salt Lake City lettered as a Utah Western locomotive (possibly UW 10); entered service as Utah Central Railway number 2 (2nd) in March 1890; to Utah Central Railroad number 2 in 1898; to RGW number 02 in July 1898; sold to Sumpter Valley Railway number 8 in mid October 1900; to Sumpter Valley 11 by 1906; dropped from equipment by June 30, 1916, scrapped (exact date unknown).
Utah Central 2-8-0 -- 1 locomotives (ex Alberta Railway & Coal Company)
| 1898 UCRR Number |
First Number |
Second Number |
Builder | Builder Number |
Builder Date |
1898 RGW Number |
1900 RGW Number (as SG) |
Notes |
| UCRR 3 | ARy&CCo 3 | UCRy 3 (2nd) | Baldwin | 11022 | Jul 1890 | RGW 03 | RGW 13 | 1 |
Description:
- Drive Wheel Diameter: 37 inches
- Cylinders: 16x20 inches
General Notes:
- The former Cleveland & Canton 13 arrived in Utah at the end of December 1889 as part of the lot of former Cleveland & Canton equipment purchased by Utah Central in August 1889; after settling the freight charges, it entered service as as Utah Central number 2 in March 1890.
Notes:
- Utah Central number 3 (2nd) was built in 1890 as Alberta Railway & Coal Company number 3; purchased by the Utah Central in early 1893; received in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 9, 1893; to RGW 03 in July 1898 (narrow gauge operation ended in late July 1900); rebuilt to standard gauge in mid October 1900, renumbered to RGW number 13; to D&RG 555 on January 31, 1909; rebuilt to narrow-gauge in October 1918; renumbered to D&RGW 305 on January 3, 1924; dismantled in December 1927
Utah Central 2-8-0 -- 1 locomotive (ex D&RG/D&RGW/RGW/RGS)
| 1898 RGW Number |
First Number |
Second Number |
Third Number |
Fourth Number |
Date To UCRR (RGW) |
Builder | Builder Number |
Builder Date |
Date Vacated |
Notes |
| RGW 04 | D&RG 74 | D&RGW 74 | RGW 74 | RGS 30 | Sep 1899 | Baldwin | 5164 | Jun 1880 | 24 Oct 1900 | 1 |
Description:
- Drive Wheel Diameter: 36 inches
- Cylinders: 15x18 inches
General Notes:
- In September of 1899 the RGW bought from the RGS an engine the RGW had sold to the RGS in 1892. After a run through the shops, it emerged in early November of 1899 as No. 04 for the Utah Central branch.
- Baldwin class 10/24E-78
Notes:
- RGW number 04 was built as D&RG 74 in 1880; to D&RGW 74 in 1886; to RGW 74 in 1889; to RGS 30 in 1892; to RGW 04 in 1899; vacated in 1900 and sold to Sumpter Valley Railway number 7 in 1900; to Sumpter Valley Railway 10 in 1906; retired in 1924
Utah Central 2-8-0 -- 1 locomotive (ex D&RG/D&RGW/RGW)
| 1898 RGW Number |
First Number |
Second Number |
Third Number |
Fourth Number |
Date To UCRR (RGW) |
Builder | Builder Number |
Builder Date |
1900 RGW Number (as SG) |
Notes |
| RGW 08 | D&RG 294 | D&RGW 109 | RGW 109 | RGW 8 | Oct 1899 | Baldwin | 6145 | Apr 1882 | 1 |
Description:
- Drive Wheel Diameter: 36 inches
- Cylinders: 15x20 inches
General Notes:
- In October of 1899, the RGW took one of their former narrow gauge engines, No. 8, re-narrowed it, and put it on the U.C. branch as No. 08.
- Baldwin class 10/242E-64
Notes:
- RGW number 08 was built as D&RG 204 in 1882; to D&RGW 294 in 1886; to D&RGW 108; to RGW 109 in 1889; rebuilt to standard gauge, renumnbered to RGW number 8; rebuilt to narrow gauge in 1899, renumbered to RGW number 08; rebuilt to standard gauge at an unknown date (possibly 1900 like the other), renumbered to RGW number 8; sold to a dealer, Fitzhugh, Luther & Company on November 9, 1903.
Sources
Rio Grande Western locomotives, Number 32, dated July 1, 1898, which included the "Utah Central Branch" with three locomotives
Rio Grande Western locomotives, Number 33, dated July 1, 1898, which included the "Utah Central Branch" with three locomotives
Rio Grande Western locomotives, Number 34, dated January 1, 1900, which included the "Utah Central Branch" with five locomotives
Rio Grande Western locomotives, Number 35, dated June 1, 1900, which included the "Utah Central Branch" with five locomotives
###