Photo ID: 112066 Date Shot Photo By Friday, March 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Thompson Hill Grand County, UT 266 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific UP's Potash Local makes easy work of the 1% grade as it climbs through the S-Curve at the top of Thompson Hill. This is my personal favorite spot for shooting westbounds out in the Utah Desert! The clouds are even cooperating a giving a little sunlight on what is forecast to be an overcast day. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112065 Date Shot Photo By Friday, March 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sagers Grand County, UT 294 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific While UP's Potash Local waits for a signal out of the siding at Sagers, we take note of a new signal mast that will eventually replace the westbound mainline signal that still stands to the left. For many decades, railroads would try to always place block signals on the righthand side of trains moving toward them. However, that practice seems to have given way to placing signals where ever it is most convenient! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112064 Date Shot Photo By Friday, March 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sagers Grand County, UT 293 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific After meeting the eastbound California Zephyr, the westbound Potash Local is waiting on a signal to depart the siding at Sagers. The local has four units today, and is hauling 36 empty covered hoppers to the Potash plant. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112060 Date Shot Photo By Friday, March 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Green River Green River, UT 205 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific As this westbound UP oil train starts to pick up speed, it blurs by one of the Amtrak station signs for Green River under a cloudy, cool morning. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112059 Date Shot Photo By Friday, March 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Green River Green River, UT 308 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific Amtrak's station stop in Green River was, like it usually is, extremely fast. There were no passengers to drop off and no passengers to pick off. The train came to a stop and the conductor immediately informed the engineer they could highball and continue east. As the Zephyr pulls away from the platform, a westbound UP oil train passes by on the main. Not the interesting number board on the conductors side of UP 8222, using a non-bold serif font. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112055 Date Shot Photo By Friday, March 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Green River Green River, UT 417 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande The former yard at Green River, small though it once was, has now been largely converted into a dirt maintenance of way and storage area for Union Pacific. A couple of oil Rio Grande signals and several other control boxes sit in the quite morning. 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 251 (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. Photo ID: 112053 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG556 (West Green River) Green River, UT 275 (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: 112049 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Green River Green River, UT 259 (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: 112046 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG527 (East Thompson) Grand County, UT 206 (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: 112045 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG527 (East Thompson) Grand County, UT 261 (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: 112044 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sagers to Thompson Grand County, UT 216 (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: 112043 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Thompson Curve Grand County, UT 291 (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: 112042 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Thompson Curve Grand County, UT 235 (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: 112041 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sagers to Thompson Grand County, UT 266 (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.

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