After emerging from Moab Tunnel, this UP passenger special is slowly rolling through Bootlegger Canyon. High above the train, we can see the famous Corona Arch on the left side of the frame. One of the countless natural arch formations that can be found in and around Arches National Park. Corona Arch itself is actually location outside of the park.
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Way back in the steep vertical rock cliffs of Bootlegger Canyon, a UP passenger special emerges from Moab Tunnel, slowly heading south on the Cane Creek Subdivision toward Potash, UT.
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About 15 miles south of Brendel (where the Cane Creek Subdivision starts, branching away from the mainline), UP 5898 and special cross over Bartlett Wash on the approach to Mill Canyon Road.
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This Union Pacific passenger special brought out a lot of railfans on this very unique trip south on the Cane Creek Subdivision. There were no fewer than two dozen railfans (and likely more) trackside at various points, getting shots of the unique move.
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This 400mm shot of a UP passenger special on the Cane Creek Subdivision really sets up a nice background with the rocky Book Cliffs visible off in the distance near the Green River Subdivision mainline.
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UP 5898 and this passenger special have left the high speed mainline of the Green River Subdivision behind and the train is now heading south on the 25 MPH Cane Creek Subdivision. The subdivision runs almost 40 miles south toward Moab, UT, actually ending southwest of Moab at Potash, UT.
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This S-Curve (known as Thompson Curve) offers up just about everything you could ask for here in the Utah desert. In addition to the wonderful geography of the curve itself, you get a bit of desert vegetation (what little there is), dirt mounds, and the hard rock fast of the Book Cliffs in the distance. This UP passenger special is carrying UP's upper management (and their families) on a trip from Rifle, CO to Potash, UT at the south end of the Cane Creek Subdivision.
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The appropriate names Thompson Curve near the apex of Thompson Hill is likely the most recognizable location of pictures in the Utah desert on the Green River Subdivision. Here, a UP passenger special is climbing through that famous S-Curve.
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I am a huge fan of the Utah Desert as I love the barren mounds of dirt which create a very interesting landscape. Hopefully, the UP managers (including "C-Level" managers such as CEO Jim Vena) and their families are enjoying the views as they roll west, climbing Thompson Hill.
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This UP passenger special adds some bright yellow to a scene that is already dominated by yellow hues between Sagers and Thompson in the Utah desert. The two exceptions being UP 1616, specially painted in honor of the 16th US President Abraham Lincoln, and the splash of red, white, and blue from the American flag on one of the passenger cars.
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Just east of Whitehouse, where the track swing around and cross from the south side of I-70 to the north side, you can get a good view of the transition from highland, more mountainous terrain to the east, and the dirt mounds of the dry Utah desert.
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After making its way through Ruby Canyon and the sidings of Agate and Cisco, this UP passenger special is starting the steeper part of the climb up the east slope of Thompson Hill. Here, it is rounding the curve, heading toward an I-70 underpass.
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Ruby Canyon is dead ahead for this westbound passenger special as it rolls west along Salt Creek. After Gore Canyon, Ruby Canyon is probably the next hardest to access. There is a dirt road...most suitable for a 4x4...that runs several miles south of I-70 to the north rim of Ruby Canyon. But it is a long, slow, bumpy ride and tends to be a "one and done". In other words, if you go in for a shot of a train, you won't be able to catch the train again.
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The crew for this UP passenger special is based in Grand Junction. The crew was bussed east to Rifle, where this train started this morning. The crew is also taking it all the way to Potash, UT on the Cane Creek Sub. As a result, there was no need for a stop in Grand Junction for a crew change on the way west. Consequently, it did not take log to get to this location west of Mack. The train is headed toward the highly scenic Ruby Canyon.
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Whether you live in Colorado or not, perhaps you have heard of "Palisade Peaches"? Palisade is a small town of 2,600 people. It is a few miles east of Grand Junction, and peaches and vineyards are the largest industry. This UP passenger special just knocked down a green signal at the east switch, passing by green fields.
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