Little Cottonwood Transportation Company
Alta Scenic Railway
This page was last updated on May 23, 2011.
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Locomotives
Gauge: 3-foot narrow gauge.
| Road Number |
Builder | Builder Number |
Lima Class |
Description | Builder Date |
Date To LCT |
Date To Alta Scenic |
Notes |
| LCT 1 | Lima | 2194 | B 24-2 | Class B, 24 Tons, Two-trucks | Jul 1909 | 1916 | 1925 | 1, 2 |
| LCT 2 | Lima | 540 | B 50-2 | Class B, 50 Tons, Two-trucks | Dec 1897 | 1917 | 1925 | 1, 3 |
| LCT 3 | Lima | 1672 | A 20-2 | Class A, 20 Tons, Two-trucks | Apr 1906 | Jul 1917 | 1925 | 1, 4 |
| LCT 4 | Lima | 1673 | A 20-2 | Class A, 20 Tons, Two-trucks | Apr 1906 | Nov 1917 | 1925 | 1, 5 |
General Notes:
| a. | All four locomotives were 2-Truck Shay locomotives, built by Lima. |
| b. | LCT no. 1 was built new for Santa Barbara Tie & Pole Company at Embudo and Hodges, New Mexico; to W. A. Zelnicker Supply Company (dealer), St. Louis, Missouri; to LCT no. 1 in 1916. (drawing in "Chili Line, The Narrow Gauge Trail To Santa Fe" by John A. Gjerre, 1969, page 47, Lima Class 29-2) |
| c. | LCT no. 2 was built new for Colorado & Northwestern no. 25; to Denver Boulder & Western no. 25 in 1909; to Morse Brothers.Machine Company (dealer), Denver, Colorado in 1917; to LCT no. 2 in 1917. |
| d. | LCT no. 3 was built new for Silver City, Pinos Altos & Mogollon no. 3 (also known as Commanche Mining & Smelting); sold in 1913 to W. A. Zenicker Supply Company (dealer), St. Louis, Missouri, moved to Birmingham Rail & Locomotive, Birmingham, Alabama for conversion from 24-inch gauge to 36-inch gauge; shipped to Utah on July 3, 1917. (Plans and photos as SC,PA&M 3 in Model Railroader magazine, May 1971, pages 56-59; see also Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin no. 57, 1942) (BR&L information from Thomas Lawson letter to Don Strack, August 30, 1980) |
| e. | LCT no. 4 was built new for Silver City, Pinos Altos & Mogollon no. 4 (also known as Commanche Mining & Smelting); sold in 1913 to W. A. Zenicker Supply Company (dealer), St. Louis, Missouri; moved to Birmingham Rail & Locomotive, Birmingham, Alabama for conversion from 24-inch gauge to 36-inch gauge; shipped to Utah on on November 26, 1917. (BR&L information from Thomas Lawson letter to Don Strack, August 30, 1980) |
| f. | Individual locomotive specifications: |
| 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 |
Notes:
| 1. | According to Koch's Shay book, all four LCT locomotives passed to Alta Scenic Railway, same numbers. |
| 2. | LCT no. 1 was converted from wood fuel to coal fuel in November 1925 (not on LCT or Alta Scenic at the time); sold to Pioche Pacific Transportation Company no. 3, at Pioche, Nevada, and then to Bristol Mines Company (same location); sold in the 1940s to Robert Caudill; as of 1971 it was on display at either the Last Chance Museum or the Last Frontier Hotel, both in Las Vegas; during the late 1990s, the locomotive was still on display near the Gold Strike Casino (later known as the Hacienda Hotel & Casino) in Boulder City, Nevada; the locomotive was sold to Brad Milne for use on the West Side Narrow Gauge Restoration; moved in November 2003 to Washington state for restoration to become West Side Lumber Company no. 16 and eventual movement to Tuolumne, California for operation. (see http://www.steamlocomotive.info for a photo at Boulder City, http://www.trainweb.org/tomfassett/ for some nice detail photos in 2002 by Tom Fassett, and http://www.wsrestoration.com for some photos preparing it for the move in late 2003 to Washington state.) |
| 3. | LCT no. 2 was sold back to Morse Brothers (dealer), Denver, Colorado and reportedly scrapped by them in 1925. (see the note for no. 4, below) |
| 4. | LCT no. 3 was sold in April 1928 to Utah Iron Ore Corporation no. 3, in Iron Springs (near Cedar City), Utah; possibly changed from 36 inches gauge; numerous parts sold by Lima during time at Utah Iron Ore, between 1928 and 1934; further disposition unknown. |
| 5. | LCT no. 4 further disposition unknown after service as Alta Scenic no. 4; Pitchard states that according to local rumor, one of the engines was wrecked on the hill, and that the remains are in the canyon yet. Perhaps it is LCT no. 4. (see a letter and photo in Trains magazine, January 1952, page 48, showing a long-abandoned, wrecked Shay in Little Cottonwood Canyon in 1933; in the accompanying letter, H. S. Johnson, saying that it was LCT no. 2, wrote that it was there at least until 1938, when the county road in the canyon was improved to allow better access to the new Peruvian ski lodge.) |
George Pitchard Research
Number 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, Ill. 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 L.C.T./Alta Scenic by this date.
Number 2:
From the Lima "drawing card index" file:
Locomotive No. 540 Plan No. 538 Built for: the Colorado & Northwestern RR Co., Boulder, Colo. 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
Number 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.
Number 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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