Union Pacific Subsidiaries
OSL's Idaho Northern Branch, Idaho Division
OSL's Stoddard Branch, Idaho Division
This page was last updated on April 3, 2010.
Boise, Nampa & Owyhee Railway
Nampa to Murphy, Idaho, 29.55 miles
The following comes from Smoke Down The Canyons, by Ehernberger and Gschwind:
STODDARD BRANCH (MURPHY BRANCH)
Nampa, Idaho to Stoddard, Idaho
In 1897 the Boise, Nampa & Owyhee Railway constructed a 30-mile line southward to Murphy, once an important livestock, wool and ore shipping point and gateway to the Silver City, De Lamar and Dewey silver mining camps. Adjacent to the line, formerly known as the Murphy Branch, is extremely productive farmland, irrigated directly from the Snake River. The B. N. & O. was taken over by the Idaho Northern Railway in 1907 and operated as a part of that road until it, in turn, was absorbed by the Oregon Short Line in 1912. In 1947 that portion of the branch between Milepost 20 (three miles west of Stoddard) and Murphy was abandoned and the line has since been known as the Stoddard Branch. The line was further reduced in 1964 and now terminates at Milepost 17.8.
Idaho Northern Railway
Nampa to McCall, Idaho, 132.8 miles
The following comes from Smoke Down The Canyons, by Ehernberger and Gschwind:
IDAHO NORTHERN BRANCH
Nampa, Idaho to McCall, Idaho
One of the most spectacularly beautiful branch lines on the Union Pacific System is the Idaho Northern Branch which heads northward from Nampa past rich farmlands and fruit-growing areas into a mountainous region where logging and livestock raising predominate. The first 27 miles to Emmett were constructed in 1900-02 by the Idaho Northern Railway and the line progressed no further until 1911 when steel was again laid northward and by October 29, 1912 had reached Smiths Ferry, 83 miles from Nampa. All Idaho Northern properties were sold to the Oregon Short Line on December 30, 1912 and in 1914 the new owner completed the remaining 45.7 miles to Lakeport, now McCall. In 1947 approximately sixteen miles of track were relocated between Cascade, 99.2 miles from Nampa, and Donnelly by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation because of the construction of Cascade Dam and the resulting reservoir on the North Fork of the Payette River.After leaving the wide and fertile Emmett Valley the line proceeds along the Payette River Valley, passing through a small tunnel six miles above Emmett, and at Banks encounters the beginning of the heaviest grades on the branch. For 19 miles the grade is 1.75 per cent with some stretches as steep as three per cent and steam helpers were once used between Banks, 64.1 miles from Nampa, and Smiths Ferry, sometimes resulting in as many as four locomotives on one train. A hand-operated turntable and fuel and water facilities were maintained at Banks for these helpers. Above Smiths Ferry, Payette Canyon widens into lovely Long Valley, a cattle-producing area which is surrounded by high mountain ranges. some of which are snow-covered the year around. McCall itself is situated on mile-high Payette Lake in a highly popular resort area and a 2-stall engine house located at this point served steam power of the O. S. L. and U. P. in turn. Because of a forest fire blamed on sparks from a locomotive, oil-burning engines replaced coal-fired power permanently on this branch in 1941. Through the years, logs and lumber have produced the greatest amount of traffic on this colorful 132.8-mile branch. One of the many unusual features of this branch is the Centralized Traffic Control which prevails on the first 2.4 miles between Nampa and Fischer.
(click here for information about the Idaho Northern Railroad, which became OWRR&N's Enaville Branch in 1910)
Timeline
February 7, 1896
Boise, Nampa & Owyhee Railway was incorporated
June 12, 1896
Construction of BN&O began at Nampa (OSL corporate history says August 1, 1896)
November 16, 1896
First rail was laid by BN&O, at Nampa
January 18, 1897
BN&O operations began
March 15, 1897
BN&O operations began between Nampa and Guffey, the crossing of the Snake River
June 30, 1897
ICC report shows that BN&O had 22 miles owned and in use
June 30, 1899
ICC report shows that BN&O had 30 miles owned and in use
August 24, 1899
BN&O construction was formally completed, Nampa to Murphy
January 22, 1900
Construction of Idaho Northern Railway began at Nampa (incorporated on December 17, 1897)
March 11, 1901
First rail was laid by INRy, at Nampa
March 29, 1902
INRy operations began, Nampa to Emmett
April 30, 1902
INRy construction formally completed, Nampa to Emmett (27 miles)
June 30, 1902
ICC report shows that INRy had 27 miles owned and in use
January 21, 1907
Boise, Nampa & Owyhee Railway was sold to Idaho Northern Railway
June 30, 1907
ICC report shows that INRy had 57 miles owned and in use
In the period between 1906 and 1911, the Idaho Northern Railway was the focus of the grand plans of E. H. Harriman's Union Pacific and James Hill's Northern Pacific as they battled for rights to control the railroad traffic in eastern Oregon and Washington, and western Idaho. Union Pacific purchased controlling interest in INRy in 1910 to keep it out of the hands of Northern Pacific, and began construction north from Emmett.
June 1911
Construction of INRy resumed at Emmett, by Union Pacific crews
August 1912
Construction completed between Emmett and Montour (14 miles)
December 30, 1912
Idaho Northern Railway (including Boise, Nampa & Owyhee Railway) was sold to Oregon Short Line Railroad
January 6, 1913
Idaho Northern Railway (including Boise, Nampa & Owyhee Railway) was merged into Oregon Short Line Railroad
October 31, 1913
Construction completed between Montour and Smiths Ferry (42 miles)
July 19, 1914
Construction completed between Smiths Ferry and Lakeport (later known as McCall) (46 miles)
1947
OSL abandoned the portion of the Murphy Branch (formerly the Boise, Nampa & Owyhee Railway) between Stoddard and Murphy, 9.5 miles, making Stoddard the end of the line and changing the Murphy Branch to become the Stoddard Branch
February 1993
Union Pacific abandoned the Stoddard Branch, Nampa to Stoddard, formerly the Boise, Nampa & Owyhee Railway
November 14, 1993
Idaho Northern & Pacific operations began over four former Union Pacific branchlines: Idaho Northern Branch (Nampa to McCall, Idaho, 132.8 miles); New Meadows Branch (Weiser to Rubicon, Idaho, 89.8 miles); Payette Branch (Payette to Emmett, 29.7 miles); and Joseph Branch (LaGrande to Joseph, Oregon, 83.8 miles)
OSL's Idaho Northern Branch was sold to Idaho Northern & Pacific Railroad (INPR), which began a excursion service known as The Thunder Mountain Line, operating tourist trains between Emmett and Cascade, 99 miles (map, former INRy shown in red, Emmett to Cascade)
1996
Idaho Northern & Pacific abandoned the portion of the former Idaho Northern Railway between Nampa and Emmett, operating its trains between Emmett and a connection with Union Pacific at Payette by way of the former Payette Branch.
Locomotives
Boise, Nampa & Owyhee Railway
BN&O 4-6-0 — 1 locomotive
| 1899 BN&O Number |
First Number |
Second Number |
Third Number |
Fourth Number |
Date To BN&O |
Builder | Builder Number |
Date Built |
1907 INRy Number |
Notes |
| BN&O 3 | UPRy 54 (1st) | UCRy 19 | OSL&UN 1029 | OSL 515 | Aug 1899 | Taunton | 840 | Mar 1882 | INRy (?) | 1 |
General Notes:
| a. | "The OSL's Salt Lake shops have turned out their engine 1029, as Boise, Nampa & Owyhee engine number 3, named 'Col. W. H. Dewey'." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, July 16, 1899) |
| b. | Individual locomotive specifications: |
| BN&O Number |
As Built Specs. |
Later Specs. |
Date Rebuilt |
|
| BN&O 3 | 54-18x24 | 57-18x24 | Feb 1894 |
Notes:
BN&O 4-4-0 — 1 locomotive
| 1901 BN&O Number |
First Number |
Second Number |
Third Number |
Date To BN&O |
Builder | Builder Number |
Date Built |
1907 INRy Number |
1913 OSL Number |
1915 OSL Number |
Notes |
| BN&O (?) | U&NRy 730 | OSL&UN 730 | OSL 304 | Nov 1901 | Baldwin | 8383 | Feb 1887 | INRy 201 | OSL 304 | OSL 1003 | 1 |
Description:
| Drive Wheel Diameter: 62 inches |
| Cylinders: 18x26 inches |
Notes:
Idaho Northern Railway
INRy 4-6-0 — 1 locomotive
| INRy Number |
Builder | Builder Number |
Date Built |
1913 OSL Number |
1915 OSL Number |
Notes |
| INRy 101 | Baldwin | 30556 | Apr 1907 | OSL 526 | OSL 1502 | 1 |
Description:
| Drive Wheel Diameter: 54 inches |
| Cylinders: 18x24 inches |
General Notes:
| a. | Idaho Northern Railway was sold to OSL on December 31, 1912; merged with OSL on January 6, 1913. |
Notes:
| 1. | Built as Idaho Northern Railway 101 in 1907; to OSL 526 in 1913; to OSL 1502 in 1915 (leased to Saratoga & Encampment 1917-1919); vacated in 1925 |
INRy 4-4-0 — 1 locomotive
| INRy Number |
Builder | Builder Number |
Date Built |
1913 OSL Number |
1915 OSL Number |
Notes |
| INRy 200 | Baldwin | 33302 | Mar 1909 | OSL 325 | OSL 1008 | 1 |
Description:
| CS Class: |
| Cabside Class: E-62 |
| Drive Wheel Diameter: |
| Cylinders: |
| Valve Gear: |
| Maximum Tractive Effort: |
| Weight on Drivers: |
| Weight in Working Order (Engine Only): |
| Weight in Working Order (Engine and Tender): |
| Fuel: Coal |
Notes:
| 1. | Built as Idaho Northern Railway 200 in 1909; to OSL 325 in 1913; to OSL 1008 in 1915; vacated in 1923 |
INRy 4-4-0 — 1 locomotive
| 1907 INRy Number |
First Number |
Second Number |
Third Number |
Fourth Number |
Date To INRy |
Builder | Builder Number |
Date Built |
1913 OSL Number |
1915 OSL Number |
Notes |
| INRy 201 | U&NRy 730 | OSL&UN 730 | OSL 304 | BN&O (?) | 1907 | Baldwin | 8383 | Feb 1887 | OSL 304 | OSL 1003 | 1 |
Description:
| Drive Wheel Diameter: 69 inches (rebuilt from 62 inches in 1897) |
| Cylinders: 18x26 inches |
Notes:
Sources
- Ehernberger, James L. and Francis G. Gschwind. Union Pacific Steam, Northwestern District (E&G Publications, 1975)
- Robertson, Donald B. Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History, Volume II, pages 201 and 212
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