Ghost Rail: The Sandy-Alta Railroad Line

[cruiseroutfit]

This line has caught my attention for quite some time, a total cross-section of my love of mining, my love of history in the Cottonwoods, my love of Sandy history (where I've lived most of my life) and the rail line ran very close (~400 ft) from my home (90th South, 1300 East)

1890 Map showing the railroad route:

(Link to map here: https://expeditionutah.com/forum/index.php?threads/1890-map-of-salt-lake-county.8011/)

1895 Map of the Rail Line:

(Source: https://maps.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/utah/txu-pclmaps-topo-ut-salt_lake-1895.jpg)

1928 Map showing it as the Denver and Rio Grand Western:

(Source: https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ht-bin/tv_browse.pl?id=cae377455861c09722cab75a06488952)

Overall information on the railroad route here:

Railroads in Little Cottonwood Canyon

Information about the railroads in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah.

utahrails.net

Wasatch and Jordan Railroad (1872-1882) info here:

Wasatch & Jordan Valley Railway

Information about the Wasatch & Jordan Valley Railway of 1872-1882.

utahrails.net

D&RGW (1882-1913)

Salt Lake Alta Railway (1913-1917) info here:

Salt Lake & Alta Railroad

Information about the Salt Lake & Alta Railroad.

utahrails.net

Little Cottonwood Transportation Company (1916-1922) & Alta Scenic Railway (1925) info:

Little Cottonwood Transportation Co.

Information about the Little Cottonwood Transportation Co.

utahrails.net

The locomotives:

Wasatch & Jordan Valley Locomotives

Roster listings of locomotives used by the Wasatch & Jordan Valley Railroad.

utahrails.net

Salt Lake & Alta Railroad Locomotives

Locomotive roster for the Salt Lake & Alta Railroad.

utahrails.net

Little Cottonwood Transportation Co. Locomotives

Information about the locomotives used by the Little Cottonwood Transportation Co.

utahrails.net

Estimated Route of the Railroad:

(Source: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=15mzfB0zg6yBDlWyVbP1ibHGAiQo )





One area I would love to do some metal-detecting is Quail Hollow Park in East Sandy. I've been there dozens of times as we walk our dogs there often. It's one of the only places along the line that is relatively undeveloped. Could I find an old railroad spike?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Don Strack (UtahRails.Net) has assembled some great photos of this rail line here:

Little Cottonwood - Don Strack

UtahRails Photo Albums

donstrack.smugmug.com

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Found some aerial photos of the line in 1937

Downtown Sandy to base of sand hill (Cy's Road & Pebblebrook Golf Course) - 90th South and 7th East shown:

(Source: https://imagery.geology.utah.gov/pa...ection=DESC&sort=ASC&context=Modal&k=&curpos=)

Pebblebrook Golf Course and East:

(Source: https://imagery.geology.utah.gov/pages/view.php?ref=292158&search=!collection21797&order_by=collection&offset=0&restypes=&archive=&per_page=250&default_sort_direction=DESC&sort=ASC&context=Root&k=&curpos=&go=next&)

Mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon:

(Source: https://imagery.geology.utah.gov/pages/view.php?ref=292186&search=!collection21797&order_by=collection&offset=0&restypes=&archive=&per_page=250&default_sort_direction=DESC&sort=ASC&context=Root&k=&curpos=&go=previous& )

 

[cruiseroutfit]

By 1965, the railroad grade was becoming roads. And you can see the old Alta Skypark east of my house.

(Source: https://imagery.geology.utah.gov/pa...redit=&noreload=true&access=&go=prev&offset=0 )

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Quail Hollow in 1965, you can still see the rail road grade quite visibly.

(Source: https://imagery.geology.utah.gov/pa...ection=DESC&sort=ASC&context=Modal&k=&curpos= )

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Still visible in 1977

And in 1985

 

[cruiseroutfit]

A 1930's railroad map. I'm working on getting an original copy/source. The road coordinates are super interesting on this one as they are waaaaaaay off. Now Sandy had their own coordinate & 'downtown' but these are different yet.

Everything is 10 blocks off, i.e. 9400 South (actual) is shown as "10400 South". Regardless, it has a good outline of the railroad route.

 

[jeffsclan]

That’s really cool. I haven’t been able to find the location of the train station in Sandy. Do you know where it was?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

That’s really cool. I haven’t been able to find the location of the train station in Sandy. Do you know where it was?

Not yet, I think it was at the junction with the main line but that is ambiguous as that main line location is shown in different spots depending on the map.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I was buzzing home from work just now and decided I'd stop by and look for the memorial by the old city hall. Sure enough it's there, approx. 450 East.

Better detail:

The monument sure seems to indicate a station was built right there. I had always assumed it was much further east.

And do trains have 'breaks' instead of 'brakes'?

The other neat part about this site was the section of rail and the ore cart they have on display. It can't be seen due to tree cover via Google Earth so this was a fun surprise.

I'm curious what the back story are on the rail or the cart. Original to the line or mines in Little Cottonwood Canyon?

 

[IM1RU]

And do trains have 'breaks' instead of 'brakes'?

I'm tellin' ya, we need a facepalm emoji.

You'd think that before a group of people has something cast in bronze someone along the path to the final product would have been smart enough to notice. This kind of stuff brakes my heart....lol

 

[bryson]

I can imagine being the "break" man that coasted down the canyon with a couple fully loaded cars was a special experience...

 

[Jeeper]

I was buzzing home from work just now and decided I'd stop by and look for the memorial by the old city hall. Sure enough it's there, approx. 450 East.

View attachment 17667

Better detail:

View attachment 17668

The monument sure seems to indicate a station was built right there. I had always assumed it was much further east.

And do trains have 'breaks' instead of 'brakes'?

The other neat part about this site was the section of rail and the ore cart they have on display. It can't be seen due to tree cover via Google Earth so this was a fun surprise.

View attachment 17669

I'm curious what the back story are on the rail or the cart. Original to the line or mines in Little Cottonwood Canyon?

I can see it on google, looks to be exactly in line with the walkway/trees/cy's rd... which is where the rail ran, yeah? Possible to be actual line?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I can see it on google, looks to be exactly in line with the walkway/trees/cy's rd... which is where the rail ran, yeah? Possible to be actual line?

You see it on Google? I should look at GoogleEarth, perhaps their different images show it through the trees. The current GoogleMaps has it covered by trees.

I highly doubt it's the actual line. There is evidence of it being there in the older aerial photography.

 

[Jeeper]

Google maps on my computer and phone show it, right in line with your blue line

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Wild. The GoogleMaps on my Android phone and iPad have both show the tree cover version.

Gaia has a great shot of it.

Google Earth has good imagery too. Their 3D tool continues to amaze me