Salt Lake City Southern Railroad
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| Salt Lake City Southern Railroad | |
|---|---|
| Reporting marks | SL |
| Locale | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Dates of operation | April 19, 1993–Present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Murray, Utah |
The Salt Lake City Southern Railroad (AAR reporting marks SL) is a 25-mile shortline operating between Salt Lake City and Murray, Utah. The SL began operating on April 19, 1993 as a RailTex subsidiary. Today the SL is a subsidiary of the Utah Railway and is owned by the Genesee and Wyoming Railroad.
[edit] History
The line was originally built between 1871-1872 by the Utah Southern Railroad. By March 30, 1872 the Utah Southern reached Point of the Mountain which is the southern end of the Salt Lake City Southern Railroad at Mount. In the 1870's, the Utah Southern was constructing a 105-mile line from Salt Lake City to Chicken Creek (Juab, Utah). Brigham Young was listed as the railroad's president. In June 1875 financial control of the railroad was turned over to the Union Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting marks UP).
On July 1, 1881 the Utah Southern was consolidated into the Utah Central Railway. The Utah Central was building a rail network from Ogden - Milford, Utah. By 1888 the Utah Central was an operating subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad.
On August 1, 1889 the Utah Central was consolidated into the Oregon Short Line and Utah Northern Railway, an operating subsidiary of the Union Pacific. On March 1, 1897 the railway was renamed the Oregon Short Line Railroad (AAR reporting marks OSL). The OSL, a UP subsidiary, was leased to the UP on January 1, 1936.
From 1936 - 1993 the Union Pacific operated the tracks as part of their "Provo Subdivision". In the 1990s the UP shifted shifted its trains on the Provo Subdivision to the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad tracks between Salt Lake City and American Fork, Utah. The UP no longer needed the line between Salt Lake City and Mount (also known as Mound or Point of the Mountain).
RailTex acquired the line between Salt Lake City and Mount and began operations in 1993 as the Salt Lake City Southern Railroad. Today the Utah Transit Authority (UTA light rail) owns much of the track as part of their light rail right-of-way acquisitions. The SL operates over the UTA tracks via trackage rights.
On September 30, 1999 the SL became a subsidiary of the Utah Railway.
[edit] References
- Stindt, Fred A. (1996). American Shortline Railway Guide, 5th Edition, Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing, 272-273. ISBN 0-89024-290-9.
- Strack, Don (2004). Salt Lake City Southern Railroad (PHP). UtahRails.net. Retrieved on March 12, 2006.
- Walker, Mike (1999). SPV's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - Colorado & Utah. Faversham, Kent, United Kingdom: Steam Powered Publishing, 39, 41, 45. ISBN 1-874745-03-X.
- Genesee & Wyoming. Salt Lake City Southern Railroad. Retrieved on March 12, 2006.
