Train Museum Ogden Utah

January 30, 2020
Union Station - 28 Photos

(Up-to-date from text initially released in 2005 included in the book, Ogden Rails)

Ogden Rails, Past Railroading In The Crossroads From The West
(Union Off-shore Historic Society, 2005)

Museum History

Within an early attempt for railroad upkeep in Ogden, on This summer 18, 1959, two upon the market -6- steam switching locomotives were devoted in Ogden's John Affleck Park on Wall Avenue. Union Off-shore 4436, a 1918 Baldwin engine, and Southern Off-shore 1297, a 1921 Baldwin engine, were contributed through the railroads and displayed nose to nose (like the 1869 Golden Spike ceremony), having a granite stone and bronze plaque between. The years of display weren't kind to those two little workhorses, plus they were finally removed to Ogden Union Station in 1993. They continue to be area of the Ogden Union Station museum collection.

The initial intends to turn Ogden Union Station right into a museum and convention center were first given to authorities of both Union Off-shore and Southern Off-shore in the celebration from the Golden Spike Centennial in 1969.

In December 1971, following the May 1971 takeover by Amtrak of passenger trains with the city, the very first formal proposal for any railroad museum within the Ogden Union Station was presented inside a letter towards the leader of Ogden Union Railway &lifier Depot Co. in Bay Area. The letter, from Ogden Mayor Bart Wolthuis, requested the empty building be contributed towards the city to be used through the Golden Spike Empire like a museum. It required a few years for that proposal to become given serious attention, and much more here we are at discussions to become completed, but Ogden's city fathers were persistent.

On November 3, 1972, Ogden Union Station was utilized because the venue to have an art auction and dinner for the advantage of the Bertha Eccles Community Art Center. It was the very first utilisation of the depot building for just about any activity or group apart from railroad employees with regards to either passenger service or freight service around the railroads. There's just one eastbound Amtrak train, and something westbound Amtrak train each day while using depot building. "More often than not, the depot's empty, aside from a couple of dozen SP or more employees who devote many of their powers to handling freight services or being careful of engineering and communication particulars." The skill auction and dinner would be a precursor of potential utilisation of the large structure like a community event center. "A committee of social leaders and railroad authorities continues to be created to untangle the numerous particulars of these a conversion." An offer of transforming the depot to some community center had first been presented in 1969 throughout the celebration from the driving from the golden spike. A credit card applicatoin have been ready to add Ogden Union Station towards the listing of National Historic Places.

In 1973, the town organized the Union Station Development Corp. to handle and operate the wished-for prize.

By June 1975, Ogden Mayor Stephen Dirks introduced that the general agreement have been arrived at for that city to get the station, with particulars from the purchase still to become exercised. By early 1977, both sides were agreed and also the vacant station was surrended towards the city to become tourist and convention center. Restoration work started immediately, underneath the direction of Elizabeth "Teddy" Griffith, who like a volunteer for that Junior League of Ogden, had finished research from the building's history that placed it around the National Register of Historic Places.

Restoration ongoing by mid-1978, a dedication ceremony was scheduled. To celebrate, Union Off-shore operated its broadly known 1944-built 4-8-4 steam locomotive number 8444 along with a special train from Cheyenne. The train showed up per week early and it was held ready at Salt Lake City, waiting for the large day. On October 21, 1978, the train left Salt Lake City with Utah Governor Scott M. Matheson or more Leader John C. Kenefick within the locomotive cab for that quick go to Ogden.

In 1986, Continental Engineering of North Might, Missouri, contributed Union Off-shore Gas-Turbine locomotive number 26-26B. It absolutely was saved at Continental's facility for 13 years, since UP had offered the upon the market models in 1973. The Gas-Turbines were effective locomotives that operated regularly from Ogden in their service lives, from 1960 until their retirement in 1972. Turbine 26-26B showed up in Ogden on This summer 10, 1987, and it was repainted and cosmetically restored by volunteers from the local Golden Spike Chapter from the Railway &lifier Locomotive Historic Society.

In September 1987, Southern Off-shore contributed its GP9E 3769, single, 750-horsepower EMD road switcher in the nineteen fifties, so it had upon the market at the end of 1986, together with caboose 1555.

Union Station was designated because the official Utah Condition Railroad Museum on Feb 26, 1988. Once the station was devoted in 1978, UP contributed a upon the market steam derrick, along with a steam rotary snowplow, two last bits of steam-powered equipment remaining around the railroad. To construct a group, other donations were searched for from Ogden's railroads and using their company companies. In October 1985, Union Off-shore contributed certainly one of its upon the market EMD Model DDA40X 6, 600-horsepower Centennial diesel road locomotives, number 6916. Extra 2200 South, Problem 84, p. 28

Throughout 1991, the museum acquired in the U. S. Air Pressure at Hill Air Pressure Base an accumulation of 35 former military cars and locomotives. Incorporated were four specifically built training cars accustomed to train bomber deck hands for that Proper Air Command. From the 35 bits of moving stock, 12 were in better condition and were maintained for that historic collection, using the remaining 23 pieces being offered for his or her scrap value, and also the proceeds likely to renovate the rest of the pieces.

A task to function tourist trains between Ogden and also the Promontory site from the driving from the Golden Spike was introduced in Feb 1992, underneath the title from the Ogden-Promontory Tourist Rail Line. The proposal known as for the whole process of a tourist line from Ogden Union Station to Corinne on Union Off-shore tracks. There, the people would transfer to 20's-era railroad equipment and continue their journey towards the Nature Service's Golden Spike National Historic Site at Promontory. Running trains between Corinne and Promontory will need re-lounging a part of SP's Promontory Branch (abandoned and torn in 1942) - the path from the original 1869 transcontinental railroad. The feasibility from the tourist operation was confirmed with a 1991 study funded with a $10Thousand grant from Ogden City. An answer, backed by Weber County Senator Winn Richards, and went by the Utah Condition Legislature in Feb 1992, requested the us government to supply $300Thousand for any more in depth study. The 1991 study confirmed that the whole process of tourist trains along the way would certainly barely pay operating expenses, but would not recover the expected construction price of $12 million. Local public authorities continue to look for methods to fully fund the work.

Source: utahrails.net
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