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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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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In the distance, a westbound BNSF manifest approaches a green intermediate signal between the sidings of Grassy and Cedar. The Book Cliffs offer a great backdrop further in the distance.
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In between the sidings of Cedar and Grassy, the terrain loses quite a bit of altitude. To avoid a grade that is too steep to conquer, the tracks make several sweeping curves back and forth. Here, the Zephyr makes its way through one of the final curves before hitting a straightaway that leads toward the siding of Grassy.
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In the middle of the Utah desert, east of the towns of Price and Wellington, the eastbound Zephyr descends the roughly 1% grade from the siding of Cedar. The tracks loop through some fantastic curves here to spill out on the open plains of the desert at the siding of Grassy.
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