Uintah Railway 0-6-2 Locomotives in the USA

Class 20 (Locobase 12801)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 27, p 307; Baldwin's Class 8 20 1/3 D 2 builder's card, and Uintah Railway Assorted Steam Locomotive diagrams supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also George E Long, "The Uintah Railway: The Crookedest Railroad in the West", dated May 1972 at [], last accessed on 30 June 2011. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 31 December 2022 email in which he attached this class's builder's card.) Works numbers 25896 in July 1905 and 25953 in August.

Chris Hohl supplied the Baldwin builder's card, which he noted fessed up to some low weight estimates. (Locobase has found such undershoots often in Baldwin's specs.) In this case, the spec offered 56,000 lb (25,401 kg) on the drivers and 62,000 lb (28,123 kg) for the engine.

Both of these tanks never left the Gilsonite Route's rails from the time they were delivered to the line's closure in 1939. They traveled the troublesome alignment described in Long's account. As exciting as the prospect of decades of mining Gilsonite, a nearly pure hydrocarbon, from its remote location with no competition may have been: "There was though only one "hitch," and that was the mountain itself. The only feasible place to cross this obstruction was at 8,500 foot Baxter Pass, This pass was named after Frank and Charles Baxter who were promoters of the Gilsonite business."

Oops. Well, they could go around it, right? Well ...

"There was no other alternative place to cross this barrier in order to reach their holdings at Dragon. This would mean grades of 7.5 percent and even 65 degree curves in places, a situation practically unheard of in the history of railroading. There was mile after mile of these sharp curves and steep grades. There weren't many level stretches on the entire track. Nonetheless, it was surveyed and construction soon started."