Union Pacific Logan Utah Depot

Vanishing Breed of Railroad Passenger Stations

Originally built for Oregon Short Line

In 1873 the Utah Northern narrow gauge railroad finished its line into Logan Utah. Four years later, the railroad was purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad and converted to the standard U.S. railroad gauge. Hard financial times, however, led to the line being sold to the Oregon Short Line in 1889.

It is believed the Logan, Utah, passenger station was built shortly before the turn of the century, during the railroad’s ownership by Oregon Short Line. By 1899, the line was once again part of the Union Pacific Railroad.

A typical 19th Century railroad depot, the Logan station had some attractive details, such as the grayish sandstone with dark red brick trim. A hip roof covered 178 feet of platform.

The symmetrical floor plan featured separate men’s and women’s waiting rooms and dual baggage rooms, one on each end of the building. The telegrapher’s bay features ticket windows in each of the waiting rooms.

This depot is a timeless classic perfect for any model railroad layout based from the end of the 19th Century to the modern era. The small size of the building would fit well as a smaller town station, and the long porches could be selectively compressed if need be to fit a smaller space.

This depot was recorded as part of a survey under the joint sponsorship of the Historic American Buildings Survey, the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation of the National Park Service, and the Utah Heritage Foundation. Field work, research, and drafting of plans was supervised by Paul Goeldner with the assistance of John L. Giuati. Photographs were made by P. Kent Fairbanks. The plans were deliniated by Keith Sorenson, Robert M. Swanson, C.W. Barrow, Jr., and Kenneth L. Lambert.