With snow still falling on a stormy-looking Bookcliffs in the background, westbound Union Pacific “dirt train” local LJP45 rolls into brilliant sunshine as it passes the east switch at Banning, Utah, on February 5, 2004. This local hauled contaminated dirt and municipal trash (and other waste) to a landfill at East Carbon from its home terminal of Helper, and was the last stompin’ grounds for Rio Grande’s EMD SD40T-2 Tunnel Motor fleet as they dwindled on UP’s roster in the early 2000’s. Here, the Rio Grande lived on as long as it could…
