Photo ID: 112040 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sagers to Thompson Grand County, UT 87 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific I absolutely love the beauty of the Utah desert. Parts almost look like the surface of the moon, such as these dirt mounds on the opposite side of UP 6401 and UP 8584, working as hard as they can to carry a California-bound coal load up the 1% grade of Thompson Hill. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112041 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sagers to Thompson Grand County, UT 92 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific Union Pacific has very slowly been replacing the signals out in the desert. By "very slowly", I mean I saw some signal masts that were up in 2023 that seemingly not been touched in the past two years! I'm not complaining, however, as it means there are still opportunities for shots like this! A westbound coal load passes by old Rio Grande intermediate signals on the approach to Thompson. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112042 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Thompson Curve Grand County, UT 91 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific Just east of the siding of Thompson, you'll find this absolutely fantastic S-Curve. A westbound coal train, which loaded at the West Elk Mine in Colorado, is headed for Trona, not far from Mojave, CA. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112043 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Thompson Curve Grand County, UT 95 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific This westbound coal load has been struggling to climb the 1% grade of Thompson Hill. And it is not too surprising, seeing has how the train only has three units, setup in a 2x1 configuration, to make the climb. This shot offers a great view of both the head end and the tail of the roughly 5,700 foot long train. The lead unit, incidentally, is former SP 265, delivered in scarlet and gray in June 1995. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112044 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sagers to Thompson Grand County, UT 84 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific Following on the yellow signals of a coal train ahead of it, another loaded coal train is making its way up Thompson Hill. This train, similar to the one it is following, is configured 2x(0)x1. However, this train only has 75 loaded hoppers in tow, make it quite a bit shorter and lighter. The 4th tallest mountain in Utah, Mount Waas, stands tall in the distance at an elevation of 12,331 feet (3,758 meters). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112045 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG527 (East Thompson) Grand County, UT 83 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific This westbound coal load is taking the siding at Thompson to wait for the westbound Zephyr to overtake it. Unfortunately, the next two sidings to the west (Floy and Solitude) both have cars being stored on them, so Thompson has to be the place to wait. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112046 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG527 (East Thompson) Grand County, UT 73 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific The last eight or so cars and DPU on this westbound coal load are hanging out of the east end of Thompson. The train is holding off the grade crossing in Thompson Springs until the westbound Zephyr, which will run around the train, gets a bit closer. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112047 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG527 (East Thompson) Thompson Springs, UT 86 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Amtrak The westbound California Zephyr is running about 30 minutes late as it knocks down a clear (green) signal at the east switch of Thompson. From this perspective, you can clearly see the intermediate signal on the approach to Thompson in the distance. You can also see I-70 way off in the distance, making its way across the Utah desert. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112048 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Thompson Thompson Springs, UT 92 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr overtakes a load coal train that is sitting in the siding at Thompson. Fortunately, the coal train crew has only had to wait for about 15 minutes for the Zephyr to show up, and will receive signals to depart behind it and continue west. Note the house track, largely covered in weeds, just off the siding. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112049 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Green River Green River, UT 102 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific In a sky that has had clouds building all day, a sucker hole opened up and provided some direct sunlight at the west end of Green River. This coal train is currently stopped, the crew looking at all red. The westbound Zephyr is going to overtake the train here. The depot at Green River is located on the siding, hence the necessity for the coal train to hold the main track. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112050 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Green River Green River, UT 93 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Amtrak When the Rio Grande Zephyr was running, the stop at Green River, UT was considered a flag stop. Meaning the train would only stop if it was known in advance that there were passengers to drop off or to pick up. When Amtrak's California Zephyr took over for the Rio Grande Zephyr in April 1983, Green River became a regular stop for the Zephyr. That is still true today in 2025. The westbound Zephyr has just completed its stop at Green River, and is now passing a waiting coal train on the main track. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112051 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG556 (West Green River) Green River, UT 116 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Amtrak UP's DS-378 is doing a great job of keeping the Zephyr moving, running around a loaded coal train at Green River. With its station stop now complete, the Zephyr is re-entering the mainline to continue the charge west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112052 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Green River to Sphinx Green River, UT 110 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Greeley (UP) Amtrak In the setting sunlight, the westbound Zephyr kicks up a bunch of exhaust as it accelerates to get up to track speed. The exhaust blows across the code line...no longer used, but not yet taken down. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112053 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG556 (West Green River) Green River, UT 97 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific With the Zephyr now past and the sun now hiding behind clouds to the west, it is this coal loads turn to head west. The two units on the head end "put their backs into it" as they throttle up to start the climb toward Helper and Soldier Summit. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112054 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Green River to Sphinx Green River, UT 92 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific Riding off into the sunset! A fantastic end to a fantastic day as this westbound coal load leaves Green River behind to continue on its journey west toward California. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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