Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive

Faculty Publications

2002

From Mules to TRAX : A Brief History of 's Mass Transit

J. Michael Hunter Brigham Young University - Provo, [email protected]

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BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Hunter, J. Michael, "From Mules to TRAX : A Brief History of Salt Lake City's Mass Transit" (2002). Faculty Publications. 1409. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/1409

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~ ·~ ~ ·1 In addition While crossing a narrow bridge over a twen­ cables. A giant stationary steam engine ~ to pollution ty-foot sewer trench, the mules changed sides pull ed a continuous cable through conduits O ~c~:ber l..,,. problems, and turned to face the driver. The reins and beneath the street. The cable cars had a grip 1889,Salt . Salt Lake City's tugs became tangled, and as the mules twist­ on the bottom to hold them to the moving Lake City's first ~" animal-transit ed and cavorted to get loose, they fell off the cable. :;;: electric streetcar ~ system had side of the bridge, ha nging in the air. A few other cities started cable car sys­ went into opera­ IQ) Miraculously the streetcar stayed on the track "" irritants unique tems that proved successful. Chicago operat­ tion. The new "":::: to its mule-pow- to the relief of panic-stricken passengers. ed a cable system at half the cost of horse cars, electric system ~ ered system, The driver ended up cutting the mules loose but cable cars needed paved streets to protect ~"' took care of the Ci t-':: namely stubborn and letting them falJ.3 their conduits. Salt Lake C ity never experi­ pollution problem 1l c3 mules. Another hindrance was keeping cars on mented with a cable-car system.5 but brought prob­ °"" the tracks, as any bump on the rails could In 1887, Frank J. Sprague, president of lems of its own. Ui ~~ft'- knock a car off the track. By shifting the pas­ the Sprague Electric Motor Car Company, :::::· ±. sengers about, it was often possible to swing obtained a $75,000 contract with the U nion ~ the car back into position. This had to be H orsecar Company of Richmond, Virginia, ~ done carefully, however, because if passen­ to develop "a rail system of 16 miles, a pow­ gers crowded to one end, the other end would erhouse, an electricall y generated overhead often raise off the ground. system and 80 motors for 40 horse cars." Since these cars only traveled four to six Sprague's innovative electric streetcar system miles per hour, passengers got cold from sit­ started service in Richmond on 2 Febru.ary cars. A ten cent fare was being charged.7 around town as far as North Salt Lake and ting so long in the winter. In Salt Lake City, 1888.6 On 11 October 1889, Salt Lake City's Emigration Canyon, or thirty-five cents stoves were installed to heat the cars. Coal Sprague's invention foreshadowed the first electric streetcar went into operation. round trip to Saltair. In 1914, a record 38.9 stations were placed along the line, where end of animal-drawn streetcars with their Competition soon grew between three elec­ million fares were collected.I I motormen could step from the car and get a inevitable messes. Cities all over the country tric streetcar companies- Salt Lake Rapid Wanting to save every nickel, Salt Lake's pan of coal fo r the stove.4 converted to electric-powered lines. At the Transit, Popperton Place and Fort D ouglas streetcar company devised a plan to crack Major cities began to look for alterna­ time these conversions were taking place, Rapid Transit, and East Bench Street down on abuse of transfer privileges. T he tives to the animal-transit system. In 1873, a Salt Lake C ity's animal-powered streetcar Railway Company. By 1901, they had all transfer stated that they were "N ot San Francisco man named Andrew Smith system included some fourteen miles of track merged into the Consolidated Railway and Transferable," and streetcar officials made Hallidie developed a horseless and twenty-one street- Power Company. sure they stayed that way by designing a tick­ streetcar system powered The new electric system took care of the et with seven faces on it- five men's faces by underground poll ution problem but brought problems of and two women's faces. The men's faces its own. Most of the electric cars were open, ranged from clean-shaven to handlebar mus­ and no provisions were made fo r heating taches to beards. The women's faces were of them in the winter. To help avo id frostbite, two sorts- the younger sporting a sa ilor's straw was spread deeply over the car floors. cap and the older a bonnet. When a patron The single-track cars often centered them­ requested a transfer, the conductor punched selves on humps in the tracks and stopped. out the face that most closely matched the Passengers and crew would unload and vig­ patron's appearance.12 orously rock the car over the hump.8 By 1917, there were 45,000 miles of U.S. Another problem was street congestion. streetcar lines. By the 1920s, there were Salt Lake City's downtown streets were cov­ 80,000 streetcars in America. By 1923, over ered with track and overhead power lines. $9 million was invested in Salt Lake City's The streetcars also hit careless pedestrians.9 streetcar system with 143.92 miles of track, Yet, by all indications, the electric streetcar 217 cars, and three million passengers a system was a success. By 1914, E.H. month.13 H arri man had bought controlling interest in So what happened to it all ? The first Far left: Early photo of mule-drawn streetcar. the streetcar system and renamed it blow to the trolley system in the U.S. came in Light and Railway Company. It operated as 1893 with the development of the automo­ A bove: Streetcars that ran a subsidiary of the U nion Pacific Railroad bile. Streetcar investors had nothing to fear between Calder's Park until Utah Light and Traction Company at first. The automobile was little more than (now N ibley Park) and assumed management. By this time the sys­ a toy for the rich for more than a decade. But Warm Springs on N orth 200 U0st. Pictured probably tem was used extensively. JO when H enry Ford put his Model Tinto mass on 700 East where there Approximately half of the adult popula­ production in 1908, the car became afford­ was a small section of tion of Salt Lake City rode the streetcars able to the masses. double tracks where cars every day. Passengers paid five cents for rides Soon editorials in the newspapers began met to pass.

16 SPRIN G 20 02 17 pproximate to complain about the mix of trains and cars that destroyed their railway systems would torn up and repaved, ending A ly half of traveling side-by-side through downtown painfull y have to rebuild them."15 the era of the streetcar and the adult streets. Ironically, the streetcars were seen as Salt Lake City didn't give up its streetcar beginning the era of the gaso­ population of Salt the invaders and not the automobiles. The system without a fight, however. The Salt line-powered mass transit Lake City rode the Salt Lake papers carried editorials asking for Lake Traction Company developed a new bus system.16 streetcars every the removal of the rails. Some people van­ type of motor with a lower starting torque By the 1970s, people day. Passengers dalized the streetcars, greasing the tracks and that permitted the use of air-fi ll ed tires on were beginning to realize paid five cents for pulling the arms from the electric wires. 14 trolleys, allowing electric trolleys to ride on that gasoline-powered rides around town However, the deathblow came with the streets rather than rails. The company man­ engines were in many ways as far as North development of the motor truck. At first aged to attract business capital before actually worse than horse manure Salt Lake and companies transporting goods used it, but manufacturing the new streetcar by doctor­ and carcasses. Pollution and Emigration people could be transported in large numbers ing a photograph. congested highways had Canyon, or thirty­ by these motor vehicles as well. When Frank Company officials induced the driver of become a problem in many five cents round J. Sprague, the father of the electric trolley, a gasoline-powered bus that was passing U.S. cities. trip to Saltair. died in 1934, streetcars were already in through Salt Lake City to park his bus in People once again decline as the country converted to buses. front of the Salt Lake Temple. The officials looked to the electric streetcar By 1949, General Motors was involved took a photograph of the bus and then super­ to solve their problems. In in the replacement of more than 100 electric imposed a trolley on the bus. The resu lt was 198 1, San Diego opened its transit systems with GM buses in forty-five a photograph of the new electric trolley bus light ra il system, a modern, cities, including New York, Chicago, operating on Salt Lake City's streets. electric version of the nine­ Philadelphia, Detroit, St. Louis, Baltimore, When these trackless streetcars were teenth-century streetcar. Transportation officials stressed that this was Above: Folks and Los Angeles. Cities across the nation finally put into service in Salt Lake City, rep­ Other cities fo llowed suit: Baltimore, Boston, only one component to the solution and not posed for the last began to pull up or pave over old railways. resentatives from twenty-six states and thir­ Buffalo, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Los a cure-all. trip of this Main That same year, sixty-one years after starting teen foreign countries were sent to Utah to Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans, Newark, Utah's $312 million TRAX light ra il sys­ Street trolley, it all , Richmond, Virginia's Sprague Electric study the design and operation of the new Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, tem includes fifteen miles of track between 31May1941. Motor Car Company destroyed their street­ system. Sacramento, St. Louis, San Francisco, and and Sandy. Trains Recognize anyone cars by setting them ablaze. In the end, the trackless troll ey couldn't San Jose.17 of two to four cars controlled by one operator in this photo??? In his The American Heritage History of compete with gasoline-powered vehicles. A Like other cities in the U.S., Utah cities take about 30 minutes to get from Sandy to Railroads in America, Oliver Jensen describes 31 May 1941 headline faced difficult transportation problems in the downtown, stopping at 17 transit centers Send positive identifica­ the sad scene: ''As the flames roared through announced, "Streetcars to Make Last Run in 1980s. In the early 1990s, Utah's transporta­ along the way. Buses traveling east and west tions to Pioneer the very last car, a strange thing happened­ Salt Lake Tonight." One li ne, from 900 tion officials began to look at options for solv­ feed into the system. Magazine, 3301 East agonizingly and slowly it turned right side South and 1300 East to the University, con­ ing these problems, including monorail and It is not surprising that critics of the light 2920 South, Salt Lake Below: streetcar traffic on up, as though it were trying to say something tinued to operate until about 1946 (Students commuter rail technologies. Their findings rail system complain about the same issues City, UT 84109, Main Street and 200 South to forgetful Richmond and ungrateful could buy a book of ticket for 50 rides at a concluded that a light ra il system was the voiced by critics of the nineteenth-century or e-mail us at looking north. America, a message about a day when cities cost of$2.00). Tracks in Salt Lake City were most effective, economical solution. streetcars. After all, light rai l is simply a sonsofutahpioneers@ modern version of old streetcars. Light rail, networld.com.) however, is faster and more efficient. Passengers don't have to jump off and push the cars over humps, nor do they have to warm themselves in knee-deep straw. li There are other improvements as well. t Light rail can travel fifty-five miles per hour ~ and has crossing gates to protect traffic. The ~" :::: rails are flush with the pavement so that cars, " bikes, and even wheelchairs can cross them .~ 0 with no problems. Whether light rai l will ' l"' win over its critics at the start of the century, 0 -~ as the old streetcar system did at the turn of :i: ~ the century a hundred years ago remains to 01" be seen. Salt Lake's TRAX light rail system :::;"'" began transporting passengers on 4 December f 1999. 18 i::e About this same time, Salt Lake City ~ approved an alignment from existing tracks on 0:

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ight rail is Mai n Street eastward along 400 South to Ri ce­ fro m being used during the Winter Olympics. L simply a Eccles Stadiu m. Transportation offi cials Meanwhi le, transportati ons offi cials began modern ver ­ hoped to have the line completed by February seeking funding fo r a 1.5-mile extension to the sion of old street­ 2002 so it co uld be used to transport spectators Unive rsity of Utah Medi ca l Center, and offi ­ cars. Light r ail, to the opening and clos ing ceremonies of cials along the Wasatch Front bega n planning however, is faster the Salt Lake . The fo r eventual light rail access to their cities. 'T and more effi­ 2.5-mile, $ 11 8- million TRAX line from cient. Passengers downtown Salt Lake City to the Uni ve rsity of f. Michael H unter is the Ame1ican, Bn'tish, and don't have to Utah opened on 15 D ecember 200 1. M ormon H istory librarian at Brigham Young jump off and H owever, security concern s prevented this line University. Many of their wagons push the car s over humps, nor Notes had broken down and do they have to warm themselves l. New York Ti mes, 25 Sept. 1983; "Journal History 9. Deseret News, 15October 1873. there was neither timber in knee-deep of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Sa ints," 10. McCullough, 45. 13 Oct. 1923. I l. McCullough, 125. straw. 2. Chi cago Tribune, 19 Sept. 1993; j ohn McCormick, 12. McCullough, 126. nor iron for repairing Salt Lake City (Salt Lake City: Utah State H istorical 13. Auto Week, 4 April 1994, Michael G. H. Scott, Society, 1980 ), 47. " 1888- 1949 Tro lley Cars;" Journal History, 13 Oct. them. "There we were, 3. Journal H istory, 13 October 1923. 1923. 4. Journal History, 28 Januaiy 1917. 14. Deseret News, 4 December1996. 5. Chicago Tribune, 19 Sept. 1993. 15. Scott, 56. completely shut out from 6. New York T imes, 18 Oct. 1998; "Light Rail : Two 16. McCullough, 127-129. H istorica l Footn otes," Railway Age 193:2 17. Rail way Age 90:2 (Feb. 1989): LR3, "Light Rail : (Feb. 1992): 80. the Afford abl e Alternative. " the world . . . " 7. Utah H istorica l Quarterl y (1956), C. W. McCullough, 18. Dese ret News, 28 June 1997; Light Rail: O ne "The Passing of the Streetcar," 123-124. Component of an Integrated Transit System (Salt 8. Journal History, 28 Januaiy 1917; McCullough, 124. Lake City: Utah Transist Authori ty, 1997), video. By Susan Lofgren

n 1853, a rare pamphlet was pub­ I lished in Live rpool, E ngland, by Preserve the of Pioneer Magazine Benj amin Brown, a Mormon mis­ sionary who had been bishop of the Salt Lake City Fourth Ward in 1849. Writing of 0 YES! Start or renew my the condition of the Saints before the subscription to PIONEER Gift Subscription to: magazine at $12.00 fo r l yea r. Gold Rush, he said they were living on roots, work cattle, and a small 0 YES! I'd like to share the Address ______ration of cracked grain . Their clothes were PIONEER legacy with the C ity ______St ate ___Zip ____ wearing out, and agricultural implements fo ll owing gift subscriptions: MY ADDRESS: were used up, broken, or destroyed. Many of their wagons had broken down and Name ______Gift Subscription to: there was neither timber nor iron fo r Name ______Address ______repairing them. "There we were, com­ Address ______pletely shut out from the world ... the C ity ______S tate ___Zip _____ [nearest] shop was a thousand miles off, " C ity ______S tate ___Zip ____ the pamphlet stated. And then came the Total number of subscri ptions: "miracle" of 1849. 0 YES! I would like information on how I can Will iam G . H artley, "On the Trail in ___ x $12.00 = TOTAL COST: ______become a member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers. September," Ensign, Sept. 1997, writes: "A 0 YES! I would like to make a contribution to the Mail to: SONS OF UTAH PIONEERS contingent of more than 200 Mormon Battalion soldiers, who had been released Pioneer Magazine Legacy Trust Fund (c heck one). 3301 East 2920 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84109 from se rvice in July 1847, had headed D HANDCART D OXCART D COVERED O BIG D THIS IS D ENSIGN north through California in ord er to cross $50-99 $100-499 WAGON MOUNTAIN THE PLACE PEAK the Sierra N evada and go eastward, back $500-999 $1,000-4,999 $5,000-9,999 $10,000 & above to their fa milies. While ca mped within two miles of Sutter's Fort (in present-day Visit our website at: www.sonsofutahpioneers.org

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