On a frigid New Year's Eve morning, Rio Grande 5371 awaits it's next call to duty on the Dirt Train.
The flanks of Amtrak's California Zephyr train #6 catch the sun's rays in Price River Canyon, approaching the Utah Power & Light generating station at Castle Gate.
Assigned to swing helper duty, UP 5565 prepares to cut into a westbound coal train while UP 3270 (assigned to the LJP45 "dirt train" local) idles away the afternoon at Helper yard.
The last D&RGW unit on the Union Pacific prepares to work the famous "dirt train" local. The 5371 has been assigned out of Helper for more than 10 years, but it's duty may be over by November 13th... (more)
Union Pacific's Rio Grande heritage SD70ACe #1989 glows in the early morning sun as it visits D&RGW's Helper yard for the very first time.
Rio Grande veteran SD40T-2 #5371 takes a breather on the service tracks at Helper yard. The D&RGW 5371 is more than 31 years old with it's original EMD factory applied paint and road number. Not ... (more)
Another coal empty is prepared to depart and head east to the Savage loadout near Wellington. Four empty coal trains were in Helper's upper yard this morning...quite rare!
Check out this vintage D&RGW snow and ballast spreader. It was retired by the UP and donated to a museum in Helper. The frame it was built on dates to 1913.
For a Rio Grande "fix" Helper is still the place to be (but just barely). In bright morning sun, D&RGW 5371 and company switch at the west end of Helper yard.
BNSF 5182 leads a Utah Railway coal empty parked in UP's former D&RGW Helper yard.
Three Union Pacific DC traction units lead a Utah Railway coal empty up the Utah's coal mainline to Wildcat. A rare catch!
A bad ordered UP SD90MAC awaits a trip west to the Roper diesel shop for repairs.
BNSF road power awaits a Utah Railway crew at UP's Helper yard. The train will load on the CV Spur near Wellington.
UP C44-9W #9583 (ex-SP 8119, built May 1994) and D&RGW SD40T-2 #5371 (built August 1975).
Just after sunrise, Rio Grande 5371 works the former D&RGW yard at Helper.
