Railyard Coal Chutes

Railyard Coal Chutes

Coal was the primary fuel for steam locomotives. The coal was burned in a firebox, heating water in the boiler to create steam; steam drove the pistons moving the wheels forward.

Union Pacific Railroad stations commonly featured coal chutes as part of their infrastructure to service steam locomotives. These chutes were tall structures, often 50-60 feet high, that held large quantities of coal and were designed to efficiently transfer fuel into the locomotive tenders


Workers would position the coal car at the base of the chute, then use the hoist to pull it up the incline. Once at the top, the coal would be released into the chute's pockets and then gravity-fed into the locomotive's tender

Coal chutes at Union Pacific Stations