Photographed at Pi time on Pi Day - Shot on 3/14/15 at 9:26 (3.1415926) ... Well, close enough, anyway, as my camera said it was 9:27 and James Belmont's said 9:26 ... And as I never doubt Mr. Belmont, I'll defer to his camera's clock! Utah Railway train HUTAHJ-14 (a buffer hopper car and 22 empty tank cars) heads eastward from Provo to Helper. This train is powered by some exotic power: UTAH MK5000C 5003 (ex-Southern Pacific 503, one of only six MP5000C locomotives built), SD50S 6060 (ex-NREX 6060, née-Hammersley Iron 6060), SD50S 6064 (ex-Hammersley Iron 6064), MK5000C 5006 (ex-MKCX 9903, née-MPEX 9903) and MK5000C 5005 (ex-MKCX 9902, née-MPEX 9902).
The MK5000C is a 5,000 hp (3.7 MW) North American diesel-electric locomotive developed by MK Rail. At the time of its introduction in 1994, the MK5000C was the most powerful single prime mover diesel-electric locomotive ever made, a title it would hold for only for one year until GE Transportation released its competing 6,000 hp (4.5 MW) AC6000CW model in 1995.
The SD50S designation was also used for five diesel-electric locomotives built by EMD Australian licensee Clyde Engineering, Adelaide for Hamersley Iron. Shorter than production SD50s, they were equipped with a special double cab roof for insulation against the hot Australian desert sun in the Pilbara region. Withdrawn in November 1995, they were sold to National Railway Equipment Company and exported to the United States in February 1999 and used in national lease service. They were subsequently sold to the Utah Railway in June 2001.
Sadly, this rare power is no longer working for the Utah Railway.
The train is passing a relic of the days when telephone booths along the mainline were a common sight before the advent of better radio communications. This old Rio Grande phone booth is, according to the unimpeachable James Belmont, the last of its kind. (Gilluly, Utah – March 14, 2015)
