Nostalgia & History > Rio Grande's "Short Line Transfer" at Grant Tower, 1988

Grant Tower, Utah's last manned interlocking plant was closed in November of 1985. After that point, Rio Grande's dispatcher console #5 in Denver controlled all movements through Salt Lake City's busiest rail crossing. At one time, the Denver & Rio Grande Western, Western Pacific, Union Pacific, and Salt Lake Garfield & Western all ran trains through busy Grant Tower.

On a very warm afternoon in August of 1988, Rio Grande's daily "Short Line Transfer" heads east through Grant Tower with a cut of cars from Roper Yard. The train's nickname hails back to a former Union Pacific subsidiary, the "Oregon Short Line"...

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The small brick structure was boarded up soon after it's closure in 1985. It still stands today in it's original location.

Geographically, it's an ideal spot for an interlocking plant. Trains run uphill in all three directions approaching the tower. Note the heavy exhaust from Rio Grande SW1200's stacks. Soon the 132 and train will arrive at UP's North Yard.

James

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My dad worked the 2nd trick at Grant Tower from June 1, 1957 through December 1963, until he got sick and died on Christmas Eve 1963.
Here's 1 view of four different views that he took through the windows of Grant Tower of a special movement of an oversize load that the Rio Grande was transferring from the UP's North Yard. They might have been transporting it to Roper to be included in a train to be forwarded further east on the D&RGW, or it might have been destined for the smelter at Magma Utah, or to Bingham. In one view the wall calendar can be read, and it's on the month of June 1961. Pop just took pictures, he didn't identify or label them with any data.
In this view, #112 is just starting to leave the UP's North Yard lead, and head west on the UP Main that headed to California I think. This was just operated in a sort of wye fashion here though. After going just a little ways to the west, the Rio Grande would transfer over to the WP Mainline from Nevada, and head for Roper, the yard that the WP and the D&RGW shared in what was east Salt Lake City way back when. I guess that Roper is almost in central SLC now.

Con

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Here's view #112 and its special movement.

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Here's view #3, it's to the west from Grant Tower. This is looking at the WP line as it comes from the west and starts to curve to head east, and to Salt Lake City Union Station about 3 blocks to the east. Roper was about 21 or 22 blocks to the east. Just one point of fact here, Salt Lake City blocks are about twice as big as most any other city blocks as far as I know.
view #4 isn't a very good photo, nor is it very interesting, so I'll not include it here.

Con

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xtra1188w Wrote:
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> Here's view #3, it's to the west from Grant Tower.

Con,

Thank you for posting your father's very interesting photos of Grant Tower from the perspective of an operator.

James