Pioche (Nevada) Narrow Gauge

With a gentle nudge from Matt Mihalo, I have been looking into the narrow gauge engines used at Pioche, Nevada. On my Pioche web page I previously had a note that the former DSP&P 4-4-0 283 was sold to Pioche Consolidated in 1980 when that company was reorganized with new funding. They built a concentrator and smelter to reduce their transportation costs, due to the lack of railroad service between Pioche and the mills and smelters at Salt Lake City. As part of the improvements, the Pioche Consolidated built a narrow gauge railroad that connected its mines with the mill and smelter, about 18 miles.

[utahrails.net]

Here is note that has been removed. It was part of the original page posted in March 2015. "Built in 1874 as Denver, South Park & Pacific no. 2, named "Platte Canyon;" renumbered to DSP&P no. 283 in 1885; to Denver, Leadville & Gunnision Railroad in 1889; retired by DL&G in 1890; sold to Pioche Consolidated Mining and Reduction Company in 1890, nicknamed "Jackrabbit;" operated with Denver, Leadville & Gunnison lettering; further disposition unknown."

I removed the note because Matt asked for my source, and eight years later, I can no longer reference whatever source I used. It might have been from D. B. Robertson's "Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History," but I no longer have those books (or any other books) in my possession.

Maybe someone can look in their own source material to confirm if DSP&P/DL&G 283 was either scrapped in 1890, or sold to Pioche Consolidated.

The attached illustration and news item from the January 1, 1892 Salt Lake Tribune, show that at least one of the Pioche engines certainly looks like a former DSP&P engine.

Don Strack