Sandy-Alta Railroad - 401 - D.U.P. Historic Markers on Waymarking.com

No. 401
Erected 1977

SANDY-ALTA RAILROAD

In 1871, Utah Southern Railroad from Salt Lake was finished and station built here. Wasatch and Jordan Valley Line ran east to granite quarry to bring to this junction huge rocks for constructing S.L. Temple. Later, a narrow-gauge, completely covered with a snowshed, was extended to Alta silver mines. Empty cars were drawn up the steep grade by horse team. Two ore-filled cars were coasted down backwards. The brakes were operated by one man from the rear car. Between Wasatch and Alta the grade was too steep for even the most powerful locomotives, being at one place nearly six hundred feet to the mile; consequently, the empty cars had to be drawn up by horses. The traffic consisted almost entirely of ores from the Alta mines bound for sampling works at Sandy.

Flat Iron Camp

Marker Name: Sandy-Alta Railroad Marker Number: 401 Marker Text: rected 1977 SANDY-ALTA RAILROAD In 1871, Utah Southern Railroad from Salt Lake was finished and station built here. Wasatch and Jordan Valley Line ran east to granite quarry to bring to this junction huge rocks for constructing S.L. Temple. Later, a narrow-gauge, completely covered with a snowshed, was extended to Alta silver mines. Empty cars were drawn up the steep grade by horse team. Two ore-filled cars were coasted down backwards. The brakes were operated by one man from the rear car. Between Wasatch and Alta the grade was too steep for even the most powerful locomotives, being at one place nearly six hundred feet to the mile; consequently, the empty cars had to be drawn up by horses. The traffic consisted almost entirely of ores from the Alta mines bound for sampling works at Sandy. Flat Iron Camp

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