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May 2025- Engine 51
Carnivale on the Green: A Railcar Based Traveling Carnival
I've been asked many times where I get the ideas for the rail cars and their subsequent articles. This idea came in the form of a gifted LGB 2-6-6-2 articulated locomotive, labeled UINTAH RAILWAY, from a fellow club member. As with almost every new idea, the true, not so true, and usually strange dark back story would develop along the way. While doing research about the prototype, I discovered a story, a true story, even one that I couldn't have come up with.
CARNIVALE ENGINE 51
HISTORY:
The Gilson Manufacturing Co. began mining Asphaltum in 1888, which was marketed as 'GILSONITE'. The Gilsonite veins were located in an isolated and rugged mountain area along the northern Utah/Colorado border. 1903 brought the construction of 28 miles of track, replacing a wagon road. The completed line would reach Salt Lake City 62 miles away. In 1926 the Mallet (pronounced may-lay) locomotive replaced the underpowered and slow Shays, a second one, the prototype #51 was added. They were retired in 1939, replaced with trucks, then later with a pipeline, used for pumping Gilsonite that was made into a slurry. The Mallets were sold to the Sumpter Valley Railway in Oregon, and eventually to Guatemala to be scrapped.
PROLOGUE:
Although the UINTAH RR was a mining hauler, it was also classified as a common carrier: it also transported passengers, freight, farm goods and even delivered and picked up library books along the route at no charge for the local library. In 1914, the weight limit for a Parcel Post package was increased nationally to 50 lbs. by the Postal Service (here we go).
THE RUSE:
The local USPS office, contracting with the RR to carry the mail to the communities along their route had to pay the higher Interstate freight rates, while being required to charge their customers the lower postage rates. This opened the door for increased Parcel Post mailing of previous RR freight.
THE RUB:
It didn't take long for everyone that shipped by RR freight at their hefty rates, to realize they could now 'mail' their goods at the lower Parcel Post rates. Parcel Post shipping exploded. The local Post Office got overwhelmed and suffered huge financial losses.
THE PROVERBIAL STRAW:
Actually, it was a brick that broke this camel's back. While building a bank building in Vernal, CO with locally manufactured red brick, the builders planned to use a more costly white brick for the building's facade, that was produced in Salt Lake City. With the recently increased Parcel Post weight limit, they could now reduce the RR shipping costs by mailing the bricks! So, they rubber stamped each brick with
the Vernal address......13,700 of them......35 tons......then mailed them........ONE BRICK AT A TIME.......go figure.
CATCH PHRASES:
Do I really need to mention the obvious one? It was coined in the New York papers upon printing this 'TO GOOD TO BE TRUE' story. Another..........a S___ LOAD OF BRICKS........though not proven, this was no doubt also the source.
