In the snow-covered desert of Utah, Union Pacific’s LJP45 dirt train approaches the ECDC landfill at East Carbon on February 5, 2004. Three Rio Grande EMD SD40T-2 Tunnel Motors, Nos. 5349, 5371 ... (more)

With Union Pacific LJP44 “dirt train” local from Salt Lake City late this particular morning, still crossing the grade over Soldier Summit, the LJP45 local out of Helper had some time to kill ... (more)

Even in Utah desert country, the Price River brings autumn colors to the short canyon between Mounds and Wash on the afternoon of October 6, 2004. Curving through the scene is a trio of Rio Grande... (more)

Union Pacific’s LJP45 dirt train local rolls westward from the rotor at East carbon Development Corporation (ECDC) landfill at East Carbon, Utah, on April 7, 2005. The local is led by Rio Grande... (more)

A trio of Rio Grande SD40T-2s pull the LJP45 dirt train local toward a mainline connection with the Green River Subdivision and a westbound trip home to Helper at Mounds, Utah, on the afternoon of... (more)

Led by Rio Grande SD40T-2 No. 5390, Union Pacific’s LJP45 dirt train rolls through the desert between Wash and Mounds, Utah, on April 5, 2005.

By mid-2002, there were still 47 former Rio Grande EMD SD40T-2s running on the Union Pacific system, but only seven were not patched or painted yellow. At this time, a quartet called Helper, Utah,... (more)

It’s a mostly cloudy early afternoon in the desert country of Utah on February 4, 2003, as a fortuitous sliver of sun illuminates a quartet of Rio Grande Tunnel Motors on Union Pacific’s LJP45... (more)

Snow is falling on stormy-looking Book Cliffs in the background as Union Pacific’s LJP45 “dirt train” local rolls into brilliant sunshine as it passes through Banning, Utah, on February 5, 2... (more)

Passing through quintessential desert scenery beneath the Book Cliffs, Union Pacific LJP45 “dirt train” local approaches the junction to the Green River Subdivision main line at Mounds, Utah, ... (more)

As early summer thunderstorms rumble over the Book Cliffs, a trio of Rio Grande SD40T-2 Tunnel Motors, Nos. 5349, 5390 and 5371, head westbound out of Mounds, Utah, with Union Pacific’s LJP45 �... (more)

Four Rio Grande EMD SD40T-2 Tunnel Motors bring the westbound Union Pacific LJP45 “dirt train” local into Mounds, Utah, on the sunny afternoon of January 30, 2003. The train is about to enter ... (more)

A quartet of Rio Grande EMD SD40T-2 Tunnel Motors power Union Pacific’s LJP45 “dirt train” past mile 607.4 east of Wash, Utah, on February 4, 2003. The train is hauling contaminated dirt and... (more)

A Grande View! Rio Grande power dominates this January 2000 elevated view of the yard at Helper, UT. UP's LJP45 "Dirt Train" local has just arrived back in town and is seen passing a few ... (more)

The westbound UP "dirt train" has paused at Wash (just east of Wellington, UT) to pick up a single empty hopper from the small, mostly unused yard there. I assume this was a bad order c... (more)