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Railroads and mining in Bingham Canyon have gone hand in hand since the first railroad was constructed in the canyon in late 1873. Bingham Canyon in the early years was a gold and silver mining camp, and the railroads were small operations. Copper mining took hold in the late 1890s, and the mines, mining companies, and railroads that served them expanded rapidly. Bingham Canyon soon became the largest and richest mining district in the western United States and was the source for as much as a third of the copper mined in the nation. A variety of locomotives worked in the canyon, including a small number of Shay locomotives, several large articulated steam locomotives, and the nations largest roster of electric locomotives. The last Bingham Canyon ore train ran in late 2001. While the railroad tracks have been removed, the mine itself is very much in full production and remains the source for 25 percent of the nations copper production.
About the author
Don Strack has been researching the railroads and mining in Bingham Canyon for over 35 years, assembling a large library of information and images. He has written 10 books and contributed to an additional five books, all about Utah railroads and Union Pacific. He has also authored or coauthored 33 magazine articles. Don owns and maintains a large website, UtahRails.net.
