Near Park Valley in Box Elder County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Matlin
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 20, 2017
1. Matlin Marker
Track laying crews reached the site of Matlin on April 5, 1869. Matlin was used by the railroad from 1869-1904 as a section station. Chinese railroad workers built a small community next to the facilities. Population records show between 15 and 25 people living in Matlin in the early 1870s. Adding the Chinese community would have doubled those figures.
Although the nearest roundhouse was in Terrace, a wye was installed in 1900 and may have replaced a light-duty turntable. A wye is a "Y" shaped railroad siding that allows locomotives to turn around.
The building plan (left) and illustration (below) represents a round house. The building was used to service and house the train engines for the railroad. The defining feature of the roundhouse is the turntable which allowed the engine to be directed into a specific bay in the building.
A turntable was a railroad track that rotated and turned the locomotives around. Early train locomotives moved forward only, and the turntable made it possible to turn the engine around for the return journey.
Erected by Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars
this page online
Location. 41° 33.539′ N, 113° 21.639′ W. Marker is near Park Valley, Utah, in Box Elder County. Marker is on Transcontinental Railroad Back Country Byway near Flat Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Park Valley UT 84329, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Red Dome Siding (approx. 4.7 miles away); Romola (approx. 4.9 miles away); Old Terrace (approx. 7.8 miles away); Terrace Cemetery (approx. 8.4 miles away); Ombey (approx. 8.9 miles away); Terrace (approx. 9 miles away); Watercress (approx. 11.4 miles away); Peplin (approx. 12.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Park Valley.
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,
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 20, 2017
2. Matlin Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 13, 2017. It was originally submitted on July 13, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 287 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 13, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
