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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At the west switch of Mounds, three tracks converge. On the far left is the mainline. The center track is actually the siding. The far right track is the Sunnyside branch, running 17½ miles out to Sunnyside. UP has replaced the signals at the west end. This is one of the few places where a dwarf is still used (on the siding).
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Near the west end of Mounds, we find a string of hoppers tied down and being stored in the siding at Mounds. Two empty yard tracks sit next to the hoppers. And, to the left of all of that, we see the Sunnyside branch line. UP's trash train periodically takes trash from the Salt Lake area.
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A pair of DPUs bring up the tail end of BNSFs Denver-Provo manifest as it winds through the S-Curve east of Cedar.
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A BNSF manifest climbs west, away from the camera, toward the siding of Cedar. Although the tan colors of the desert dominate the scene, the blue mountains that represent the climb to Soldier Summit are visible in the distance.
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An SD70ACe and an ES44AC bring up the tail end of this Denver-Provo manifest. The head end, now out of view, is wrapping around toward the east end of the siding of Cedar. This portion of the desert has a roughly 1% climb up toward the start of Soldier Summit.
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One of my favorite shots of this particular trip to the Utah desert has BNSF's Denver-Provo manifest climbing through a long S-Curve between Grassy and Cedar, the Book Cliffs offering a beautiful and somewhat dramatic backdrop.
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A quartet of units leads BNSF's Denver to Provo manifest up the 1% grade between Grassy and Cedar. US-6, which has generally had the tracks in view since Whitehouse, will now lose site of the tracks until reaching the town of Wellington. You can see US-6 in the distance in this shot.
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A BNSF manifest is slowing to around 35 MPH in preparation for the multiple curves it is approaching. The curves provide for a minimal grade...around 1%...for the climb from Grassy up to the siding of Cedar and points west as the train gets closer to the real start of Soldier Summit.
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