Re: The Strange Story of Sumpter Valley Caboose #4 / U.S.A. Caboose #909

Yet more relating to caboose S.V. Ry. #3: Page 187 of American Narrow Gauge Railroads by George Hilton [no relation to me] states that the Utah & Northern Ry. used Westinghouse brakes from the time that it was completed. From that, you know that the original underframe and original brake system of S.V. Ry. Caboose #3 did not originate on the Utah & Northern. The only alternative that I can think of is the Utah & Western - the narrow gauge that went from Salt Lake City to the south side of Salt Lake. It had a lot of excursion cars, with passenger trucks as the No. 3 had. These cars were 27 feet long, as was the original length of No. 3. That still does not create a certainty that the chassis of one of the Utah & Western excursion cars became the underframe for No. 3. I still do not know directly what kind of brakes that the Utah & Western originally had.

The Utah & Western was absorbed into the OSL&UN in 1889. Maybe the Union Pacific altered the brakes after that date - but I doubt it. Most likely the No. 3 was modified to be a Westinghouse when the S.V. Ry. rebuilt it after 1907. In any event, it did not come from the Utah & Northern.

Robert