As the mines, mills,and smelters flourished during the early 1870's Sandy became the essential “Railroad Junction” for all the mining town railroads. According to the “Midvale Sentinel,” in 1871, the Southern Railway Company, later known ad the Utah Central Railroad, built their station house in Sandy because the town's altitude “being the highest point from which the branch road could be built to the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon”. The railway company built a freight and passenger depot and and eating establishment. In addition, it phased out the Pony Express and brought more business to the city.
By 1872, Steam engines were hauling ore out of the little Cottonwood Canyon to Sandy. They also carried granite rock for the LDS Temple, the State capitol building, the Masonic Lodge, the U.S. Post Office and several other Salt Lake City buildings. Prior to the railroad, teams of oxen were relied upon to laboriously haul the heavy tonnage. Sometimes it took several days to make the trip.
Although Standard gauge tracks(4' 8-1/2” between rails) were used between Sandy and Salt Lake City, the Wasatch and Jordan Valley railroad was a narrow gauge(3' between rails) track that joined with the Bingham and Camp Floyd railway to carry ore to the sampling mills and smelters in Sandy. It has been said the narrow gauge tracks were the best size to handle the mine cars and the steepness of the mountain. Where the different types of of tracks and railroads met, cars would have to be unloaded and then reloaded to a different train before they could be on there way again. Between 1888 and 1890, all railroads in the United States agreed to conform to the standard gauge track. Although the rail tracks connecting Historic Sandy to Little Cottonwood Canyon have long since been abandoned, removed, in many areas the right-of-way still exists and can be seen in several locations.
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing history.
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