You can clearly see the ups and down of building a railroad across the desert (or really any terrain) in this shot. The tracks move up and down over small hills in the distance as BNSF's Provo-Denver makes track speed on its journey east. Here, the train is between Desert and Sphinx. Six units on the head end, and two DPUs bringing up the rear.
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It has been a generally cloudy morning, but the sun decided to break through here at Woodside, as the Provo-Denver crosses over the Price River. Love it when everything just comes together!
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An empty oil train has been tied down in the siding at Mounds for awhile, without any power. On this particular afternoon, four units were sent east out of Helper to pick up the train and take it west to Wash. A UP maintenance of way train works along the Sunnyside Subdivision in the distance.
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You generally have to be quick on the trigger to get a shot of the Zephyr out here in the Utah desert. With the wide open spaces, many spots have a track speed of 79 MPH for passenger trains, and the Zephyr takes advantage of that! In this shot, the train is on the main at Desert, a very appropriate name for a siding here!
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The eastbound California Zephyr is running about 45 minutes late this morning, moving at track speed (79 MPH) on the approach to the west switch of Desert. US-6 follows the tracks along here.
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The final picture of an epic trip to Utah, the westbound California Zephyr heads west on the main at Woodside toward an fantastic sunset.
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Just minutes before sunset, the westbound California Zephyr, running about 40 minutes late, knocks down a clear (green) signal at the east end of Woodside in the Utah desert. The train just passed through a 30 MPH slow order and is now accelerating to get back up to track speed.
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With the Book Cliffs in the distance, the Rocky Mountaineer is now on the 1.1% grade, climbing up Cedar Hill. The train only has another 35 miles or so before reaching Helper and the end of the Utah desert.
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About 12 miles west of Green River, US-6 moves to join the tracks after crossing over them west of the siding of Desert. A pair of UP DPUs brings up the tail end of an eastbound loaded oil train.
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An eastbound oil load navigates the plains of the desert between Vista and Desert along the Book Cliffs. If you look in the distance, you can see a string of open hoppers being stored in the siding of Vista.
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The Book Cliffs pass in and out of the shadows from slowly forming afternoon storms as an eastbound loaded oil train accelerates on the straight track leading east. Ahead is the siding of Grassy, one of the few sidings not filled with cars currently being stored by UP.
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The last DPU on this loaded eastbound oil train passes by the sign indicating a change in speed. The train is now free to accelerate from the 35 MPH it has been going up to 50 MPH as the train hits straighter track on the open desert along the Book Cliffs.
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An eastbound loaded oil train wraps around the large curve at the base of the grade that climbs up to Cedar. A pair of GEs bring up the tail end. Since there is no crew on board the DPUs, there is no need for a "buffer car" between the last tank car and the power.
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Looping through the curves east of Cedar, this loaded oil train descends the 1% grade from Cedar down on to the open plains of the desert toward Grassy and points east.
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As afternoon thunderstorms roll through the area, dumping some rain on the hills in the distance, an eastbound loaded oil train approaches a clear (green) signal at the west end of Cedar.
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