Ogden Rails
This page last updated on June 9, 2007.
A history of railroads in Ogden, Utah, from 1869 to today.
Originally published in 1997 as a soft cover book, in association with the Golden Spike Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Ogden, Utah. The original publication included 96 pages, 102 black and white photographs, six black and white maps, one 11 x 30-1/2 four-color fold-out map, and a bibliography and index. The book sold for $24.95, but is now is sold out.
This web version has been updated to July 2001, and does not include any photographs or maps. Included exclusively here are footnotes that show the sources of much of the information.
In July 2005 a second edition of Ogden Rails was published by Union Pacific Historical Society in a new and considerably expanded format. Compared to the original (sold out) 96-page soft cover book in vertical format, the new edition is 172 pages, hard-cover in a 11 inches by 8-1/2 inches horizontal format. It contains 216 photographs, with 72 in color, along with 24 maps. Like the first edition, the new edition also has a bibliography and index. It is available from better hobby shops and booksellers everywhere, or direct from UPHS, P.O. Box 4006, Cheyenne, WY 82003-4006; $52.95 plus $4.00 shipping (UPHS members: $40.00 plus $4.00 shipping) (ISBN 1-932704-04-3)
Union Pacific in Ogden — A historical narrative of the construction of Union Pacific into Utah, through Ogden, and on to Promontory Summit. Includes historical narratives of the construction of the Utah Central between Ogden and Salt Lake City, the narrow gauge Utah Northern, and UP's subsidiary Oregon Short Line company. Includes a historical narrative of the UP/SP jointly-owned Ogden Union Railway & Depot Co., which operated Ogden Union Station and the joint freight yards in Ogden. Also included are historical narratives of UP's Little Mountain Branch, the Union Pacific Laundry, and UP's locomotive roundhouses in Ogden.
- Union Pacific Comes To Ogden
- Utah Central
- Utah Northern
- Oregon Short Line & Utah Northern
- Ogden Union Railway & Depot Co.
- UP's Passenger Service, "The Streamliners"
- Riverdale Yard
- Union Pacific, 1900 to 1982
- Union Pacific, 1983 to today
- UP's Ogden Laundry
- UP's Ogden Roundhouses
- UP's Little Mountain Branch
Southern Pacific in Ogden — A historical narrative of the construction of SP's predecessor Central Pacific in Utah, along with histories of SP's Promontory Branch, the Lucin Cutoff across the Great Salt Lake, and the causeway that replaced it. Also included are historical narratives of SP's locomotive shops and roundhouse, and the 1988 merger of SP and Denver & Rio Grande Western.
D&RGW in Ogden — A historical narrative of the construction of the Denver & Rio Grande between Salt Lake City and Ogden, along with narratives of the operation of successor companies, Rio Grande Western and Denver & Rio Grande Western. Also included is a narrative of the Ogden Gateway case in which D&RGW was kept from fairly competing for traffic through the Ogden terminal.
Rail-served industries in Ogden — A historical narrative of the industries that were served by the railroads in Ogden, including the railroad-related Pacific Fruit Express. Included here is a full history of the Ogden Union Stockyards, the largest stock handling facility west of Denver. Also included are limited historical narratives of the canneries in Ogden, the grain elevators and roller mills, and the sugar beet-related activities.
Electric railroads in Ogden — A historical narrative of the Bamberger and Utah Idaho Central interurban railroads, and the street railroad in Ogden.
Utah State Railroad Museum — The history of the Utah State Railroad Museum located in Ogden's Union Station.
