Photo ID: 112363 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG645 (Colton (Crossover)) Utah County, UT 87 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Provo (UP) Union Pacific These fives units were mid-train DPUs on a westbound loaded oil train. The crew followed the train (in a van) to Colton, where the DPUs were de-linked from the oil train and the crew got aboard the five units and cut them out of the oil train. They were getting ready to return to Helper when they discovered PTC was not working on the lead unit, UP 8377. They called UP's "PTC Help Desk" to see if they could get an exemption to return to Helper without PTC enabled. Unfortunately, the lady working the PTC help desk did not understand that these units were cut out here at Colton, about 20 miles west of Helper. The help desk said that they needed to swap units with one that had PTC operationally. As the crew explained (and as you can see in this shot) the other four units are facing west and could not be used as a leader. The crew went back and forth with the help desk for nearly an hour! At one point, the crew lost their patience and said "we've been running trains out here for 150 years...why can't we just get a PTC exemption to run 20 miles east". Finally, after speaking with supervisors, the PTC help desk granted them an exception to return to helper without PTC enabled. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112362 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG645 (Colton (Crossover)) Utah County, UT 69 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Provo (UP) Union Pacific The Skyline Mine on the Pleasant Valley Subdivision still periodically loads coal trains. I was lucky enough during my handful of days on Soldier Summit to catch one heading that direction. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112345 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG645 (Colton (Crossover)) Carbon County, UT 58 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Provo (UP) Union Pacific UP 8310 and three GEs just helped a coal load climb Soldier Summit on Main 1. Here at Colton, the manned helpers have crossed over to Main 2 so they can return to Helper. Before heading down the hill, the conductor will assist the coal load in putting their train back together. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112344 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG645 (Colton (Crossover)) Carbon County, UT 64 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Provo (UP) Union Pacific After setting the air on the back third of the train, the helper crew indicates to the head end that they are good to pull ahead, cutting away from the train. Once they are clear of the crossover at Colton, DS-378 will cross the manned helper over to Main 2 so they can return to Helper. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112343 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG645 (Colton (Crossover)) Carbon County, UT 73 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Provo (UP) Union Pacific The 15 miles or so between Castle Gate and Colton are the steepest part of the climb up Soldier Summit. Indeed, those 15 miles are really the only section of the climb that necessitate mid-train swing helpers. This coal load just passed the crossover at Colton and is starting to slow to a stop. It is here that the mid-train swing helpers will cut out from the train and return to Helper. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.