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UTAH COPPER
RAILROAD

The Utah Copper CO was established in 1903 by Danial C. Jackling and Enos A. Wall. The company immediately constructed a 300 tpd gravity pilot mill at Copperton. By 1906, the first open-pit mining began in Bingham with steam shovels used to load the trains for transport to the mill. Utah Copper used Shays for part of there early operations. For a list, please go to the Shays page.

Construction of the first mine rail haulage tunnel began in 1946. The main rail line was completed in 1948 and replaced the Bingham and Garfield line. This new line had a central traffic-control system to provide safer and faster movement of longer trains. Electric locomotives replaced steam locomotives for ore haulage to the mills in 1948.

The decade of the 1950s began with the opening of electrolytic refining at the Garfield refinery. This process produced copper cathodes, gold bars, silver bars, and commercial-grade selenium (used in electronic devices). By 1958 construction began on a third mine rail haulage tunnel. For decades the Utah Copper Railroad held the record for the highest traffic density and greatest tonnage hauled of any industrial railroad in the world. Kennecott purchased ASARCO's Garfield smelter in 1959.

For more information, please go to the Kennecott Utah Copper page.

Last Update 01/30/01

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