Near Park Valley in Box Elder County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Ombey
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 20, 2017
1. Ombey Marker
Caption: (bottom left) "View of Part of the Western Slope of Promontory Range Great Salt Lake" Historic drawing showing the mountainous landscape of northern Utah, take from a book by Howard Stansbury first published in 1852
The railroad siding at Ombey was completed in 1879. Within two years , a section house, tool house, and Chinese bunk and cookhouses had been constructed. The nearby facilities of Gravel Pit were abandoned in favor of the new siding at Ombey. It was used as a fuel stop, as wood from the Raft River Mountains to the north was plentiful.
Located among foothills, Ombey served as the section station near the summit of Red Dome Pass. Helper locomotives were needed to assist trains over "Red Dome Hill," sometimes using as many as four additional engines to pull the heavy loads up the pass. A wye was constructed in 1900 to turn the newer, heavier locomotives. A small town was established at Ombey to provide freight services to local ranchers and sheep herders.
Erected by Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Transcontinental Railroad series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1879.
Location. 41° 38.076′ N, 113° 13.254′ W. Marker is near Park Valley, Utah, in Box Elder County. Marker is on Transcontinental Railroad Back Country Byway, on the
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Peplin (approx. 3.6 miles away); Romola (approx. 4.2 miles away); Matlin (approx. 8.9 miles away); Kelton (approx. 9.6 miles away).
More about this marker. The Transcontinental Railroad Back Country Byway is a 90 mile dirt/gravel track on top of or beside the old Central Pacific Rail Road grade between Old Lucin and Promontory Summit. Other than markers designating old station and sidings there are few, if any, road signs identifying any of the side roads. Any other road names or numbers use on this marker page have been taken Google Maps which identifies the Byway variously as Golden Spike Loop Road, Old Railroad Grade Road, Salt Wells Road, etc.
Neither are there any mileage posts, though one could do the arithmetic using the "Mile ... from San Francisco" on the markers to determine distances. Nor is there any mail delivery, so no street addresses either.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 20, 2017
2. Ombey Marker
Photographed By Google Maps
3. Satellite View of the Ombey Wye
Credits. This page was last revised on July 11, 2017. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 531 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 11, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
