Utah-Idaho Central Railroad Equipment
Taken from "Interurbans of Utah" by Ira Swett, pages 67-90.
OGDEN RAPID TRANSIT COMPANY
| 1 | Single truck open work and freight locomotive, first in Ogden; built by Brill. Ran as late as 1930. Link and pin couplers used for interchange at Five Points; ran to North Ogden, Brigham and up Canyon. Renumbered URT 025. |
| 2 | Single truck snow plow, built 1908. |
| 3 | A 750-volt motor flat; four posts supported trolley base. Popularly called "Chippie". Listed in 1913 as Line Car. |
| 4-15 | Old city cars, some of which rebuilt into service cars. |
| 16-17 | Double truck open-roof observation cars, used in Canyon. Built 1913 in Ogden and ran till 1935. Cost $4055. Had closed vestibules, aisle down center, air. |
| 18 | Rebuild by ORT in 1908 of two single truck open cars; they were spliced and 18 resulted. Open, side loaded, walkover benches, air brakes, double truck, wood body and sills, GE 80 motors; well liked by motorman. |
| 19 | Double truck closed car, built in 1908 by ORT from two old cars. Air brakes. Ran to Sanatorium. In accident at North Ogden in May 1916 and scrapped soon after. |
| 20-22 | Barney and Smith double truck semi-convertibles, probably built about 1904. 28 feet, 0 inches long, Curtis trucks, two GE 67 motors (38 HP), K-10 control, hand brake. |
| 23-26 | Barney and Smith double truck semi-convertibles; probably built about 1905. 28 feet, 0 inches long body, B&S 938 trucks, Two GE 54 motors (25 HP), K-10 control, hand brake. |
| 27-30 | St. Louis semi-convertibles, double truck, 38 feet long, St. Louis 47 trucks, two GE 70 motors (40 HP), 15:71 gear ratio, K-10 control, National straight air. Monitor deck roofs; ran into the 1930s. |
| 31-32 | St. Louis double truck semi-convertibles; built 1908. 41 feet long, St. Louis. 47 trucks, two GE 80 motors (40 HP), 15:71 gear ratio, K-28B control, Christensen air. Both were used in Ogden Canyon; 31 had a ratchet gong which made it highly prized by motorman. Both operated into the 1930s. |
| 33-36 | Cincinnati Car Co., 1908. Eccles visited Washington D.C. in 1908 and rode car 142 there, built by Cincinnati; he liked it so well he ordered these. 41 feet long, four GE 80 motors, 15:71 gear ratio. Used Pay-As-You-Enter (PAYE) fare collection, first time in Ogden. St. Louis cars thereupon rebuilt for PAYE. |
| 37-38 | Heavy Ogden Valley cars; arch roof, double truck, painted yellow. Had Tomlinson couplers, could operated MU or haul trailers. Records obscure --- may have been rebuilds of two of 33-36 Class, as 36 not listed after 1913. Supposedly built for Logan Rapid Transit. Cost $6,240 each. |
| 40-45 | All-steel double truck MU; built in 1914. Maximum number in train: 3. Cost $4,300 each. Painted yellow. |
| 50-51 | Said to have been rebuilt from 200 Class. Used on Lorin Farr Park run in Ogden in early 1920. Equipped with fenders and hand brakes. Out of service 1927. |
| 60-75 | Standard Birneys, built by American in 1918-19. Originally painted black and gold and lettered UIC. With delivery of these, "several" older cars were scrapped. |
| 101-104 | St. Louis suburban MU cars; wooden bodies and sills, steel sides and end sills. Built 1910, cost $7440 each. 46 feet long. 101, 102 and 103 were passenger coaches with smoking section. 104 was passenger-baggage combo. All had train doors, Tomlinson couplers, four motors, carried train number over doors, painted black with gold trim; 102 evidently was retired early, possibly as the result of an accident, as there is no mention of it in company records; last mention of 101 1934; 103 1934; 104 was idle from 1931 to 1934 when last recorded. These cars were used on Brigham and Ogden Canyon lines. |
| 201-212 | These were originally trailers and were used in both city and interurban service. The first three were built by American in 1910 and were 38 feet long, with wood bodies, wood underframes, and Brill trucks. The others were built by American in 1912; they had Brill trucks wood bodies and underframes, steel sides. All had arch roofs and were single compartment closed cars. All had control lines running through them, and the common practice was to run one or more of them in the center of trains, with motors of the 100 or 40 Classes at either end. In 1913, 201 and 202 were motorized. 205 and 206 were motorized in 1916 (1500 volts) for use in Logan, Brigham, Willard and Plain City; 206 had the reputation of being a sluggish car, but "it had whistles." 211 and 212 were motorized (1500 volts) and used in Logan and elsewhere. 203 and 204 were not recorded as early as 1913 but 207-216 remained trailers until scrapped in 1937. |
Utah Rapid Transit Birney car number 66 was sold and ended up being converted to a bus used by the Trolley Square shopping mall in Salt Lake City:
The car in question is Utah Rapid Transit 66, built by American Car Company in 1919 on order #1221 for service in Ogden and retired around 1936. When the Trolley Square Mall was developed, I think in the early 1970's, this was one of the cars that was "adapted" for the developer's purposes - in this case, apparently it was rebuilt into a bus. What its exact use was I'm not sure, but when Trolley Square divested itself of the various streetcar bodies it was using this one evidently wound up in someone's backyard. It's not currently on the PNAERC list because it's not really preserved; it looks more like your typical abandoned motor home that just hasn't been disposed of yet. The western trolley museums are aware of it but there's not all that much original material left. (Frank Hicks, posted to Railway Preservation News, March 13, 2008) (Photo)
LOGAN RAPID TRANSIT COMPANY
The cars mentioned were Nos. 1 and 2, built by Cincinnati in 1910 for ORT, and #38, also from Ogden, and built by St. Louis in 1910. The trailer was #101, built by American in 1910 and purchased from ORT when new. It completed the passenger car roster, but there were also a work car (#302), a flat car and two gravel cars, both from ORT.
(As of December 31, 1913)
| Car | Builder | Date | Type | Length | Weight | Motors | Ratio | Control | Brakes | Seats |
| 1 | Cincinnati | 1910 | Wood | 44'0" | 40,000 | GE 80* | 15:71 | K 28-B | National | 44 |
| 2 | Cincinnati | 1910 | Wood | 44'0" | 40,000 | GE 80* | 15:71 | K 28-B | National | 40 |
| 38 | St. Louis | 1910 | Wood | 44'0" | 38,000 | GE 70* | 15:71 | K 28-B | National | 48 |
| 101 | American | 1910 | Wood | 38'0" | - | None | - | - | - | 40 |
| 301 | ORT | - | Flat | 30'0" | - | None | - | - | Hand | - |
| 302 | LRT | 1913 | Work | 30'0" | - | GE 80 | 15:71 | K 10-C | Hand | - |
| 350 | ORT | - | Dump | 30'0" | - | None | - | - | Hand | - |
| 352 | ORT | - | Dump | 30'0" | - | None | - | - | Hand | - |
Notes on Roster: Cars 1 and 2 were ex-ORT and probably were ORT 35 and 36. LRT kept four GE 80 motors (40 hp) in 1, but 2 lost two GE 80s to work motor 302 in 1913. 38 was equipped with Ohmer register and couplers and hauled 101 on interurban line. After the 1 and 2 were made 750-1500 volt cars in 1915 they were renumbered 211 and 212 respectively; there is no mention in company records of 38 and 302 being converted to 750-1500 v. operation. Color: Yellow.
OGDEN LOGAN and IDAHO RAILWAY COMPANY
The predecessor company of the UIC, the Ogden, Logan and Idaho Railway Company, was formed in May 1914 by merging the Ogden Rapid Transit Company and the Logan Rapid Transit Company, both Eccles corporations.
Hyman-Michaels Company took on the job of scrapping the rail line and rolling stock; work progressed rapidly: a light diesel locomotive powered the rail-pulling train, while cars were burned at Ogden Shops. Here are some "lasts" for your records:
1. Last passenger train: February 15, 1947
2. Last freight train. February 28, 1947
3. Last car, any type: March 18, 1947 (Car 051)
89 UIC steel gondolas of the 1000 Class were sold to other railroads; the remainder of UIC's rolling stock was scrapped, although (records are unreliable) it is possible that one or two electric locomotives were sold for continued use.
CARS
500-517
Motor cars 500-517 were built in one lot by American Car Company, St. Louis, in 1915. Cars 500-506 were motors from the beginning, but old company records list cars 507-517 as "Interurban Trailers" for an indefinite time. The date of their motorization is not known, but probably occurred the following year, for similar steel trailers 600-605 were purchased from American in 1916. Cars 500-517 cost $12, 500 each, while 600-605 were $5,500.
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
| Builder: | American Car Company, St. Louis |
| Type : | Triple-compartment, steel |
| Weight: | 86,000 pounds |
| Length: | 61 feet, 8 inches |
| Width: | 9 feet, 4 inches |
| Height: | 13 feet, 0 inches |
| Motors: | 4 Westinghouse 334-E-6 (115 HP) |
| Gear Ratio: | |
| Control: | Westinghouse HL |
| Brakes: | Westinghouse AMM |
| Brake Valve: | M-24-A |
| Trucks: | Brill 27 MCB-3 |
| Wheelbase: | 7 feet, 0 inches |
| Wheels: | 36 inches |
| Seats: | 62 |
| Lights: | 7 56-watt Tungsten lamps |
The four Motors were run on either 750 or 1500 volts DC; on the higher voltage, the motors were operated in series so that there was a potential of 750 volts across each. The UIC 500s were geared for a free running speed of 47-50 mph on the level with an average of 1,350 volts on the trolley. The unit switch control apparatus was of the HL type, different from the standard outfit in the provision of unusually great creeping distance, exceptionally powerful blowout coils and additional switches connected in series to break the arc. The air brake equipment consisted of Westinghouse AMM combination straight and automatic air brake apparatus with M-24-A brake valve. A continuously running dynamotor furnished 750 volts for the control of lighting circuits and the air compressor. This compressor was connected mechanically to the dynamotor by means of a multiple disc clutch which was normally held by a spring in a closed position. Whenever the air pressure reached a predetermined value, the governor admitted air to a small cylinder, disconnecting the clutch and stopping the compressor but allowing the dynamotor to continue running. The lighting equipment for the cars consisted of two circuits of seven 56-watt tungsten lamps with Alba shades. Headlights and heaters operated direct on 1,500 volts.
When new, the 500s ran up to Huntsville in Ogden Canyon and on Washington Blvd. to 25th St. in Ogden. Other unusual service included being pressed into service to haul freight cars, as well as two of them running on the Quinney branch as school trippers. On special occasions, the 500s operated to Salt Lake City via Bamberger but photos of them south of Ogden are quite rare.
While there is reference in company records of seven pantograph trolleys being ordered on October 18, 1918, they were undelivered and no 500 ever ran with a pantograph.
At the time of final abandonment, only the following motors were operating: 500, 503, 504, 505, 508, 509, 512-515, 517. The others passed from the passenger scene as indicated:
501: Stored
502: Stored after bad accident in 1945.
505: Seats out, windows painted over and used to haul LCL freight since 1939.
507: Burned at Ogden; stored at Ogden Shops.
510: Same as 505
511: Used to haul LCL merchandise train.
516: Retired after wreck in 1920 on Quinney branch; robbed for parts.
All cars remaining on the property were scrapped in 1947.
600-605
Cars 600-605 were trailer coaches built by American Car Company in 1916 and conformed closely to 500-517 in appearance except that the 600s were straight coaches. An unusual feature originally was equipping these trailers with trolley poles, so that when standing in yards uncoupled, they could be provided with heat and light.
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
| Builder: | American, 1916. |
| Type: | Coach Trailer |
| Weight: | 55,000 pounds |
| Length: | 61 feet, 8 inches |
| Width: | 9 feet, 2 inches |
| Height: | 13 feet (over roof) |
| Brakes: | Westinghouse |
| Trucks: | Brill 27 MCB-3X |
| Wheelbase: | 7 feet, 0 inches |
| Wheels: | 36 inches |
| Seats: | 72 |
| Bolster Centers: | 39 feet, 10-1/2 inches |
| Height, rail to sills: | 42-1/2 inches |
| Height, sills to trolley base: | 9 feet, 8-1/2 inches |
| Headlining: | Agasote |
| Roof: | Plain arch, wood and canvas |
| Couplers: | O.B. |
| Curtains: | Pantasote |
| Interior Trim: | Polished bronze |
| Heaters: | Consolidated |
| Seats: | Brill "Winner" green leather |
Inasmuch as UIC had so many powered cars, the trailers in later years saw comparatively little use in passenger service. Only 600 and 603 remained straight passenger trailers until the end; the others:
601: Scrapped at Ogden, December 17, 1946.
602: Rebuilt into express and mail car, 1945.
604: Rebuilt into fruit car without windows, then rebuilt into bunk car 04.
605: Rebuilt into combo: 4/5 express-mail, 1/5 passenger.
All remaining cars were scrapped at Ogden in 1947.
800-802
UIC operated three express motors: 800, 801 and 802. The origin of these cars is controversial; one source states they were rebuilt from OL&T cars in 1916 --- another claims they were bought in the east. At any rate, the Eights were not up to the UIC's usual high standard; they had wooden bodies with steel underframes. Official UIC records list the 800 as being built in 1916 at a cost of $7,850; 801 and 802 came a year later and cost $11,760. 800's life was brief; it was completely destroyed in a head-on collision with motor 517 on November 22, 1917, near Fairview, Idaho which resulted from a dispatcher's error. 801-802 had a much longer life; for years they were used to pull freight in rush seasons. Both met their end when operating MU in 1945; they plowed into a freight train at Dewey gravel spur and were scrapped.
SERVICE CARS
| 1 | Line car, single truck, built at Ogden Shops in 1914. It used a truck from an old streetcar and two GE 90 motors. It was 26 feet long, 14 feet, 6 inches high from rail to railing, and 6 feet, 10 inches wide. It was equipped with shelves, lockers and hooks for handling wire and ropes, and carried long bars or shovels under its top platform. Its speed was about 35 mph. |
| 01-03 | Maintenance of way box cars, all wood. Built 1916, scrapped 1925. |
| 04 | Ex-passenger trailer 604; used as double-bunk maintenance-of-way car, painted Tuscan red. Scrapped in 1947. |
| 101 | Steel hand-operated derrick; built 1916 by Industrial Manufacturing Company in Bay City, Michigan. Scrapped in 1947. |
| 011 | Derrick tender, all wood; built-up box from flat; trolley and headlight. Scrapped 1947. |
| 025 | Work motor, wood body, wood underframe. A flat-bed motor, used until 1938. Built by OL&I, 1916. |
| 026 | Sweeper, wood body, steel truck, built 1909 by McGuire-Cummings for ORT. Last recorded December 31, 1934. |
| 027 | Sand car, wood body, wood underframe and steel truck. Built 1917; last recorded in 1928. |
| 028 | Snow plow; scrapped 1937. |
| 029 | Line car; double truck, 30 inch wheels. Used in Ogden Canyon. Last record: November, 1935. |
| 051 | Line car; wood body, steel sides, steel end sills, built 1917 by OL&I. Used for years as Ogden line car. Had St. Louis trucks. Scrapped 1947. Cost $7,700. |
| 052 | Line car; wood body, built 1918 by OL&I, cost $7,375. Used as the Logan line car. It was the last car run on UIC, making final trip on March 8, 1947. Scrapped 1947. |
| 061 | Motor less wedge plow; built 1916, cost $3,100. Scrapped 1947. |
| 062 | Motor less wedge plow; built 1917, cost $3,100. Used on SL&U for many years and painted SL&U red. Scrapped 1947. |
LOCOMOTIVES
Utah Idaho Central Freight Locomotives B-B — 5 locomotives (400 horsepower)
| UIC Number |
Previous Number |
Builder | Builder Number |
Date Built |
Purchase Price |
Notes |
| UIC 901 | OL&I 901 | Baldwin-Westinghouse | 42052 | Apr 1915 | $15,150 | 1 |
| UIC 902 | OL&I 902 | Baldwin-Westinghouse | 42476 | Sep 1915 | $15,150 | 2 |
| UIC 903 | OL&I 903 | Baldwin-Westinghouse | 43683 | Jul 1916 | $16,300 | 3 |
| UIC 904 | OL&I 904 | Baldwin-Westinghouse | 45657 | May 1917 | $20,100 | 4 |
| UIC 905 | OL&I 905 | Baldwin-Westinghouse | 45658 | May 1917 | $20,100 | 5 |
General Notes:
| a. | UIC 901-905 were standard Baldwin-Westinghouse 50-ton steeple cab freight locomotives |
| b. | UIC 901-905 were built as Ogden Logan & Idaho 901-905 in 1915-1917; to Utah Idaho Central on January 1, 1918 |
Notes:
| 1. | UIC 901 was scrapped in 1947 |
| 2. | UIC 902 was scrapped in 1947 |
| 3. | UIC 903 was scrapped in 1947 |
| 4. | UIC 904 was sold to Cornwall Street Railway Light & Power Company number 12 in April 1948 (photo1) (photo2) (photo3); operations ended in Fall 1971 (after line was sold to Canadian National Railways); sold to The Shore Line Trolley Museum, East Haven, Connecticut in 1972 |
| 5. | UIC 905 was wrecked in 1946; scrapped soon after. |
Specifications for UIC 901-905
| Type: | All-steel, steeple cab |
| Weight: | 100,000 pounds |
| Length: | 36 feet, 6 inches |
| Width: | 10 feet, 0 inches |
| Height: | 12 feet, 2 inches |
| Motors: | 4 Westinghouse 562-A6 (100 HP) |
| Gear Ratio: | 7:60 |
| Control: | Westinghouse HLF |
| Brakes: | Westinghouse 14 EL |
| Trucks: | Baldwin Rigid Bolster |
| Wheels: | 36 inches |
| Journals: | 5 inches x 10 inches |
| Truck Centers: | 18 feet, 0 inches |
| Truck Wheelbase: | 7 feet, 0 inches |
Other Locomotives
| UIC 25 | Purchased second-hand in 1945 from Oregon Electric, but used very little. It was the only General Electric motor on UIC, and had the standard GE steel steeple cab body (very similar to Bamberger 525-528). |
| UIC 951 | This was UIC's oldest freight motor, built in 1910 by ORT as its #6. The ORT Annual Report for 1910 lists this car as an electric locomotive which cost $6,150 of which $3,100 was for body and trucks, the remainder for electrical equipment. It had a wood body, steel underframe and trucks. Old records show it to have been damaged by fire in 1916, and wrecked at Plain City somewhat later (in those days it served as a plow in winters); it was rebuilt, becoming OL&I 951. 951 was retired and scrapped in 1945. |
| UIC 952 | An all-steel electric locomotive, built by OL&I with work starting on September 22, 1916. It was built on a flat car body, using trucks and electrical equipment from a passenger motor "to be replaced upon receipt of new equipments." 952 was the fastest freight motor on UIC. It was scrapped in 1947. |
LCL freight was handled by two rebuilt passenger motors, 505 and 510; they provided speedy and efficient cartage for light shipments, and were augmented by 511 which handled the overnight merchandiser.
FREIGHT EQUIPMENT
| Type Car | Numbers | Type Const. | Remarks |
| Cabooses | 401-403 | Wood, Arch bar | 2 |
| Gondola | 600-615 | Wood, Arch bar | 3 |
| Gondola | 1000-1099 | Steel | 4 |
| Flat | 7001, 8000-8011 | Wood, Arch bar | |
| Box | 10002-10020 | Wood, Arch bar | 5 |
| Box | 10021-10023 (1939) | 6 | |
| Ballast | 11001-11025 | Wood, dump | 7 |
| Refrigerator | 20000-20010 | Wood, Arch bar | 8 |
| Stock | 35000-35011 | Wood | 9 |
| Small Dump | Dl-Dl2 (1913) | Wood, dump |
REMARKS ON ABOVE:
| 1. | In above roster, all cars acquired 1915-1916 except where indicated in parenthesis. All scrapped 1947 except as indicated above. |
| 2. | 401-403, wood cabooses, built by OL&I in 1916 at a cost of $460 each. All scrapped in 1947. |
| 3. | 600-615 used for coal and bricks; last one scrapped 1938. |
| 4. | 1000-1099 built new for UIC in 1920-1921 by Ralston Steel Car Company (Columbus, Ohio) and cost $3,062 each; 89 cars sold 1947 via Hyman-Michaels: 20 cars sold to C&G; 20 cars sold to Con. of Cuba; 3 cars sold to Gulf States Steel (Atlanta); 35 cars sold to KO&G, rest to various roads. |
| 5. | 10002-10020 mostly gone by 1938 |
| 6. | 10021-10023, ex-PFE Reefers, newly listed 1939. |
| 7. | 11001-11025 were center dumps used to sugar beets; most were scrapped from 1931 to 1939. |
| 8. | 20001-20003 came from ART (St. Louis) |
| 20004-20009 bought second hand from ART in 1916; ex-5570, 5616, 5626, 5627, 5581, 5525; cost $410 each | |
| 20010 ex-PFE.; new to UIC in 1939. | |
| 9. | 35000-35011, ex-OSL, purchased from UP (OSL) in 1916 for $225 each. |
***
