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Photo ID: 112361
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Colton to Summit (MP 644.9 to MP 649.9)
Wasatch County, UT
60
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Provo (UP) Union Pacific
As this Intermountain Power coal empty crosses UT-96, the train is also slowing as it is running on a yellow over flashing red (Approach Restricting) signal. The train will be leaving Main 2 ahead at Colton to enter the Pleasant Valley Subdivision.
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Photo ID: 112362
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
CP RG645 (Colton (Crossover))
Utah County, UT
70
(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.
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Photo ID: 112363
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
CP RG645 (Colton (Crossover))
Utah County, UT
89
(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.
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Photo ID: 112364
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Colton Yard (MP 1)
Utah County, UT
59
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Pleasant Valley (UP) Union Pacific
An Intermountain Power coal train is leaving the main tracks at Colton, and is headed up the Pleasant Valley Sub. Intermountain Power is planning to end its use of coal by the end of 2025, which is certainly have an impact on the number of coal trains that run on Soldier Summit.
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Photo ID: 112365
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
MP 1 to Scofield Dam (MP 1 to MP 10)
Carbon County, UT
83
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Pleasant Valley (UP) Union Pacific
The Pleasant Valley Sub follows the Price River through a valley that is virtual inaccessible except by rail and by foot. The relative lack of trains makes it even harder to shoot. I lucked into some perfect lighting and a coal empty climbing through the valley on this Saturday afternoon.
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Photo ID: 112366
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
MP 1 to Scofield Dam (MP 1 to MP 10)
Carbon County, UT
75
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Pleasant Valley (UP) Union Pacific
UP 5941 is nearing the top of the climb through the valley with the Price river, approaching the Scofield Reservoir Dam.
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Photo ID: 112367
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
MP 1 to Scofield Dam (MP 1 to MP 10)
Carbon County, UT
94
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Pleasant Valley (UP) Union Pacific
This coal empty will load at the Skyline Mine at the end of nearly 19 mile long Pleasant Valley Subdivision. The only industry on the branch line is the mine. I am very fortunate that I had the opportunity to get a few shots from a truly beautiful line that sees little traffic.
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Photo ID: 112368
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Scofield Dam to Scofield (MP 10 to MP 15)
Carbon County, UT
82
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Pleasant Valley (UP) Union Pacific
After the climb through the Price River Valley, the Pleasant Valley Sub breaks into more open terrain as the tracks follow along the south short of Scofield Reservoir.
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Photo ID: 112369
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Scofield (MP 15)
Carbon County, UT
76
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Pleasant Valley (UP) Union Pacific
The valley that Scofield Reservoir (and Scofield State Park) are in is truly a beautiful one! I could not have asked for better weather on this afternoon as this coal empty makes its way along at the max track speed of 20 MPH. The train is approaching the small town of Scofield, which has a population of roughly 27.
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Photo ID: 112370
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Valcam (MP 17)
Carbon County, UT
80
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Pleasant Valley (UP) Union Pacific
At Valcam, near the Skyline load out, UP 5941 passes by some empty coal hoppers as it slows down, not too far off now from the Skyline load out.
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Photo ID: 112371
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Skyline Load Out (MP 19)
Carbon County, UT
93
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Pleasant Valley (UP) Union Pacific
This Intermountain Power coal empty has made its way 18 miles up the Pleasant Valley Sub and has arrived at the Skyline load out. The conductor hopped off the train to find somebody that works at the load out to coordinate loading the train.
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Photo ID: 112372
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Skyline Load Out (MP 19)
Carbon County, UT
74
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Pleasant Valley (UP) Union Pacific
This UP coal empty has stopped short of the coal load out at Skyline Mine near the end of the Pleasant Valley Sub. The conductor is searching for one of the mine operators to facilitate loading the train. The big question is...how much life does the Skyline Mine and this load out have left in it?
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Photo ID: 112373
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Kyune (Center Siding) (5,230 ft)
Utah County, UT
79
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Provo (UP) BNSF
BNSF's Denver to Provo manifest winds its way through the S-Curves at Kyune. The train is running on Main 2 as it heads west this morning. That's the beauty of CTC! The dispatcher can run trains in either direction, on either Main 1 or Main 2.
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Photo ID: 112374
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Kyune (Center Siding) (5,230 ft)
Utah County, UT
71
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Provo (UP) BNSF
Two ES44ACs and an SD70ACe lead BNSF's Denver to Provo on Main 2 alongside the Price River at Kyune. With no opposing traffic...and a second main, even if there was...the train will have a straight shot all the way to Provo.
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Photo ID: 112375
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Soldier Summit (7,840 ft)
Wasatch County, UT
107
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Provo (UP) BNSF
One of the regular trains to run over Soldier Summit is BNSF's Denver-Provo (and its counterpart). Here, the Denver-Provo is just coming up and over the top of Soldier Summit, 7,477 feet above sea level. It's roughly 50 miles to go for the train to reach Provo...its final destination.
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