Utah Central Car Shops

Passenger Cars by Builder / Utah Central Car Shops

The Utah Central Car Shops, while dedicated to maintaining the rolling stock of the Utah Central Railroad (1869-1881) and Utah Central Railway (1881-1889), also built new cars, including some narrow gauge equipment for other railroads. The facilities also performed repair and rebuild work for other railroads including streetcar companies.

Known Products

Narrow Gauge

• Utah Eastern way car no.2: 3 foot gauge, built April 1882

• Utah Eastern way car no.3: 3 foot gauge, built June 1882

Standard Gauge

• Baggage car: built August 1873, 45 feet long.

• Baggage car: built June 1881.

• Pay car: built October 1881.

History

1873

The Utah Central carpentry shop is located on the depot block and measures 40' by 120'. A new baggage car is manufactured, in addition to rebuilding a coach into a saloon car.

Salt Lake Daily Herald 27 August 1873.

1880

Carpenters from the Utah Central "car factory department" march in the Pioneer Day parade carrying a banner painted with the image of a passenger coach.

"The Twenty-Fourth," Salt Lake Herald-Republican 24 July 1880.

1881

The Utah Central shops manufacture a baggage car to accompany new coaches ordered from an Eastern builder.

"Utah Central Railroad," Ogden Herald 9 June 1881.

The Utah Central shops manufacture a new pay car, which is put into service in November.

Chips, Salt Lake Herald-Republican 11 November 1881.

1883

The Utah Central car shops employ 50 men.

"Utah Central Shops," Salt Lake Tribune 1 June 1883.

1885

A portion of the car shops' carpenters are discharged.

"Local Jots," Salt Lake Democrat 30 March 1885.

New shops are constructed one block north of the Utah Central depot in Salt Lake City.

"Local Jots," Salt Lake Democrat 20 July 1885.

1887

Private cars "Maryland" 44 and "Baltimore" 710, property of the Garrett family associated with the Baltimore & Ohio, are repaired at the Utah Central car shops while the family vacations on the narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western.

"In Railway Circles," Salt Lake Herald-Republican 3 December 1887.

1889

A Union Pacific freight train wreck at Devil's Gate smashes up brand-new electric streetcars for the Salt Lake City Railway, and the cars are repaired by the Utah Central car shops before being placed into service.

"Personal and General," Salt Lake Herald-Republican 27 August 1889.