Western Railroad Discussion > Today's D&RGW Bingham Branch Operations

Union Pacific continues to operate about seven miles of the former D&RGW "Bingham Branch" between Midvale and Bagley, Utah. The line was constructed narrow gauge in 1873 by the Bingham Canyon & Camp Floyd Railroad. The Rio Grande Western purchased it in 1881 and standard gauged the line in 1890. The line was at it's maximum about 14.26 miles from Midvale to the copper mining operations in Bingham Canyon. About 1/2 of the original branch is still in service today.

In this photo, two UP SD40-2's head up the "Midvale Tramp," a folksy nickname dating to the Rio Grande era. The dinky four car train is heading down a big fill from Midvale Junction along the West Jordan Parkway...

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The road that parallels the Bingham Branch through this part of West Jordan is called "Sugar Factory Road." Not much remains of the old U&I sugarbeet mill that closed in 1971. The ruling grade at this point is an illusive 2.75 percent...

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Welby Junction, a station on the Bingham Branch was named in honor of Mr. Arthur E. Welby, general superintendent of the D&RGW. A 15.94 mile branch to the Garfield copper refineries was constructed at Welby in 1905. A monument to this abandoned small town was placed here in 1981...

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Detail view of the monument at Welby...

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A small yard with two storage tracks can be found at Welby today. The Midvale Tramp stopped here to pick up four flat cars of structural steel for an industry up the branch at Bagley...

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What used to be a wye in the middle of nowhere is now smack dab in suburbia! UP 3717 East motored up for the 3.0 percent climb to Bagley industrial park. Note all the traffic stopped on the "Old Bingham Highway" for the train...

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This view illustrates the branches original purpose...heading southwest towards the Oquirrh Mountain Range and the riches of copper mining.

That's all in the past...the tracks don't even extend to the mountains anymore.

Nonetheless, our eight car local is heading up the 3% grade towards Bagley. It just doesn't appear to be that steep, does it?

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West Jordan's Interstate Brick Company has been a very good customer on the Bingham Branch since the early 1970's. Here the Midvale Tramp sets out empty box cars on the brickyard spur with loads spotted on the main...

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Finishing up their work at Interstate Brick, the crew of UP 3717 East is lined up the Bagley Industrial Park spur to the west of the brickyard. The Midvale Tramp is required once again to cross the busy Old Bingham Highway to access this area...

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James,
Nice work Sir.

Bradley

James

You've shown both Utah Railway trains and UP on the branch. Does Utah just service Kennecott at Magna?

Nick

Pinlifter Wrote:
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> James
>
> You've shown both Utah Railway trains and UP on
> the branch. Does Utah just service Kennecott at
> Magna?
>

The Utah Railway also serves a PVC pipe manufacturer at Welby yard, and that's about it...

James

James:

Your first photo is one of the best I've seen on Trainorders. Wonderful composition!

Dave

They need too start up a short line on the ex-DRGW branch line and call it the UTAH & Midland and the pant colors wold be the ex-DRGW colors period.

Alex Schmollinger
Dallas Tx