Utah — Hathaway to Gordon Creek Bridge

UT · Hathaway → Gordon Creek

The Utah Railway's main line into coal country — out of service since the mid-2000s.

The Utah Railway was formed in 1912 by the coal companies of western Carbon and Emery counties. They were tired of relying on the Denver & Rio Grande, so they built their own line. It was finished on October 31, 1914, running from the mines at Hiawatha and Mohrland north to a junction near Martin, just outside Helper, at a cost of about $3.4 million.

The railroad bought huge 2-8-8-0 Mallet steam engines to drag coal out of the mountains. At its peak around 1929 it handled about two million tons a year — roughly 40% of Utah's coal.

As the southern mines closed, traffic dried up. By 2008 the railroad said it hadn't run a train over this part of the line in two years. The rails remain, and Utah Railway has said it could need the line again someday. About ten miles north, at Castle Gate, Butch Cassidy and Elzy Lay robbed the Pleasant Valley Coal Company payroll in April 1897 — one of the Wild Bunch's most famous jobs.

⚠️ Before you go: every railroad on this map is private property. A line that looks abandoned may still be owned by a railroad, used to store rail cars, or put back into service at any time — sometimes with no warning. Before going near any track, make sure it's truly abandoned (no recent use, rails not polished, no signals or cars stored on it) and that you're allowed to be there. Never assume a track is dead.

📷 Photos & stories from riders

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