Tooele Valley Railroad Complex

This railroad existed to serve a smelter. Built in 1909, the Tooele Valley Railroad ran a short line connecting the International Smelting and Refining Company's plant, five miles east of town, to the Union Pacific and Western Pacific mainlines two miles west, carrying ore, metal, and passengers between them. The depot here was its nerve center. Graveled roads and trucking took away its small freight by 1950, and when the smelter came down in 1972 the railroad lost its reason to run. The complex — depot, section house, cabooses, and a 1905 locomotive — became a museum in 1983.

What the plaque says

This railroad complex was built in 1909. Its historic structures consist of the Tooele Valley Railroad depot, the section head's house, a frame maintenance shed, and four period railway cars. These four cars include two cabooses, a coal car, and a ca. 1905 locomotive. The Tooele Valley Railroad was built as a connection between the International Smelting and Refining Company plant five miles east of Tooele and the Union Pacific and Western Pacific railways two miles west of Tooele. It also provided passenger service to these major railways. The depot was the operations center for the railroad. By 1950, with the advent of graveled roads, a trucking line had taken over all the railroad's small lot shipments. In 1972 the smelter was dismantled and the railroad complex was abandoned. In 1983 it was donated to Tooele City for use as a museum.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Bingham Canyon Mine — 7.3 mi
  The largest man-made excavation on Earth
• Saltair — 18 mi
  A haunting lakeside resort with a storied past
• Great Salt Lake — 19 mi
  The largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere
• International Peace Gardens — 23 mi
  A hidden garden where 28 countries are represented in miniature

More markers nearby

• Pioneer City Hall — 0.5 mi
• Pioneer Log Cabin — 0.5 mi
• Old Tooele County Courthouse — 0.5 mi
• Old Tooele Ward Church (2) Markers — 0.5 mi