I awoke early in Park City and finished yesterday's story. I then dressed and decided to hike the Union Pacific Hiking and Bicycle trail. No, I don't count this as rail miles! I had a nice walk and the pictures are below.
Pictures from my hike this beautiful morning. I returned to the room and wrote this before Robin and I left and drove over to Heber City for breakfast at MacDonald's, then we drove over to the railroad.
Heber Valley RailroadThe Heber Valley Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Heber City, Utah. It operates passenger excursion trains along a line between Heber City and Vivian Park, which is located in Provo Canyon, carrying over 94,000 passengers a year.
The railroad line is approximately 16 miles long. A typical round trip ride on the train takes about 3 hours. There are a total of four passing sidings outside of the Heber yard limit.
Notable landmarks seen from the train include Mount Timpanogos, Cascade Mountain, Deer Creek Dam and Reservoir, Provo River, Sundance Ski Resort, Tate Barn and Soldier Hollow. A variety of wildlife including deer, eagles, fox, moose, turkeys, hawks, mountain lions (cougars) and beavers have all been seen from the train as well.
EquipmentThe Heber Valley Railroad has two 1907 Baldwin 2-8-0 Consolidation-type steam locomotives: former Union Pacific No. 618 and ex-Great Western No. 75, although they are both out of service pending completion of their 1,472 day inspections and service. Also on display is former Columbia Steel Company 0-6-0 No. 300 built by Baldwin in the 1920s.
The HVRX is home to four EMD diesel-electric locomotives: Ex-Union Pacific EMD NW2 No. 1011, Ex-Union Pacific EMD NW2 No. 1043, Ex-Union Pacific EMD GP9 No. 296, and Ex-USATC EMD MRS-1 No. 1813, as well as Ex-United States Army Transportation Corps Baldwin (rebuilt with a Caterpillar prime mover) RS4TC-1 4028. It also has a former United States Army Davenport 44-ton diesel-electric locomotive No. 1218, which is very similar to a GE 44-ton switcher. Recently in 2018, the railroad purchased 3 GP9's which are numbers 52, 72, and 77 from New England's Pan Am Railway. With the arrival of the GP9s, the Heber Valley's former U.S. Army MRS-1 will be retired.
HistoryThe line operated by the HVRX was formerly part of a Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad branch line that connected Heber City to Provo, Utah. The branch line was completed in 1899 and operated freight (and passenger) service until the line's abandonment in 1967.
The line was saved for tourist use and was reopened in 1970 when No. 618 and other equipment was brought up the line from Provo. The track between Provo and Vivian Park was later removed and converted into a recreational trail. During the 1970s and 1980s the railroad operated as the "Heber Creeper". In the late 1980s this railroad went out of business.
Citizens in the Heber area successfully petitioned the State of Utah to help save the railroad, leading to creation of the Heber Valley Historic Railroad Authority in the early 1990s. Since this time the railroad has seen considerable growth. The railroad operates as a non-profit 50 organization.
During the 2002 Winter Olympics the railroad was part of the Olympic Steam Team, carrying spectators to the Soldier Hollow Olympic venue. The railroad's No. 618 and 75 steam engines, were joined by the Nevada Northern Railway Museum's No. 93 steam-engine, in pulling eight-car trains full of passengers, to the Soldier Hollow depot where they disembarked and continued to the venue entrance on a horse-drawn sleigh. The day prior to the Opening Ceremony of the games, all three locomotives were combined into one triple-headed train, and used to transport the Olympic flame from Soldier Hollow to Heber City as part of the torch relay.
Current operationThe railroad's main depot is located in Heber City. Other passenger terminals are located at Soldier Hollow (near Midway, Utah) and Vivian Park. The railroad operates year-round, and features special event and evening train rides. Among its named trains are the Provo Canyon Limited, a three-hour round trip excursion to Vivian Park and the shorter Deer Creek Express to Deer Creek Reservoir. The railroad can be seen from various points along U.S. Highway 189 between Heber City and Vivian Park and the whistle can be heard throughout the valley.
Locomotive No. 618 was used in the 2006 film "Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy". The locomotive, 100 years old as of July 2007, ran from 2008-2010 in limited capacity and was then taken out of service for a major overhaul and restoration, as required to meet Federal Railroad Administration safety standards. The non-profit railroad raised the $750,000 required for the project and the 618 engine will not be retired. The rebuild should give the engine another 30 years of service. As of July 2018, No. 618 is out of service while a 1,472-day inspection and rebuild is completed. Locomotive 75 has been under restoration since 2003 (15 years as of 2018).
Our visitWe pulled up to the corner then parked and started looking around.
United States Army 44 ton switcher 1218, built by Davenport in 1943 and painted as Heber Valley Railroad 1218.
United States Army RS-4-TC 4028, built by Whitcomb in 1954, painted as Heber Valley Railroad 4028.
Former United States Army box car 27028 built by Pullman Standard.
Former United States Army box car 27023 built by Pullman Standard.
United States Army box car 26309 built in 1951 by Pullman standard, painted as Western Maryland 26309.
D&RGW three-bay hopper car 17488 built in 1958 by American Car and Foundry.
Union Pacific centre-cupola caboose 3950 built in 1952 as Union Pacific 25250 and donated to Heber Valley Railroad in 2011.
Heber Valley steel caboose 12300 built as Burlington Northern 12300 in 1980 by International Car Company and donated in 2001.
Salt Lake, Garfield and Western wooden box car 100.
Northen Pacific wooden box car 11111 built by American Car and Foundry in 1923.
Union Tank Car Company {UTLX} tank car 85302.
Former United States Army box car 26060.
Colorado and Southern wooden cupola caboose 10593, originally Great Western 7593. It is in service as Union Pacific 3270, a simulation of their only end-cupola wooden caboose. We moved the car to the parking area across the street.
HVRR coach 3568, originally Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 2568 built in 1930 by Pullman/General Electric, later became Conrail 2568 then New Jersey Transit 2568 in 1979, before going to the Knox and Kane Railroad and finally Heber Valley Railroad in 2005.
HVRR lounge 7508, originally Western Pacific coach 338 built in 1910 by Pullman. It was sold to the Denver and Rio Grande Western and rebuilt in 1935.
HVRR coach 3593, originally Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 2593 built in 1930 by Pullman/General Electric, later became Conrail 2593 then New Jersey Transit 2593 in 1979, before going to the Knox and Kane Railroad and finally Heber Valley Railroad in 2005.
Station scene.
Denver and Rio Grande Western box car 64009.
Unknown box car.
Minerva Scenic "Village of Minerva" coach 3227, originally Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 327 built in 1925 by Pullman. It was converted to "low roof" M.U. trailer 1930.
HVRR coach 4966 "John L Martinez", ex. Canadian National 27818, nee Canadian Northern 7237, built in 1919 by Pullman as a colonist sleeper and re-built into a coach.
Union Pacific coach 2700, built by Pullman in 1910. It was re-built into a combine and became Union Pacific 1069.
HVRR coach 324 built by Pullman in 1925 as Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 324. In 1930, it was converted to "low roof" M.U. trailer.
United States Army MRS-1 No. 1813, painted as Heber Valley. It was built by EMD in 1952 and moved to the Heber Valley Railroad in 1995.
Sinclair tank car 10896.
Union Pacific observation car 1006 built as Union Pacific observation 820 in 1914. It would become Diesel Instruction Car 03163 in 1949 and was retired in 1973. The next year, the car was donated to the Promontory Chapter-NRHS then displayed at Independence Hall, a private office building in Murray, Utah, and sold to the Heber Valley Railroad in 2007.
Museum scene.
HVRR business car 100 built by Pullman in 1912 as Chicago Rock Island & Pacific business car 1858, named "Indiana" then sold to Western Pacific in 1916 and named "Nomad". The Denver and Rio Grande Western purchased the car in 1925 and it was assigned to railway's president. It was retired by D&RGW in October 1965 and displayed at the Forney Museum in Denver. In August 1987 it became New York, Susquehanna & Western 510 "Otto Kuhler" and was sold to Heber Valley Railroad in 2016.
Rio Grande lounge car 850, originally Atlantic Coast Line 237, built by Pullman in 1949. It became Seaboard Coast Line 5459 in 1968, then Amtrak 5459 in 1973; before going to the New Georgia Railroad in 1987 and was re-built as a lounge car, then sold to Western Maryland Scenic Railway 850 before arriving in Heber City.
Boston & Maine GP9 77 built by EMD in 1957, nee Boston and Maine 1738, which was acquired in 2018.
United States Steel Corporation 0-6-0 300 built by Baldwin in 1925 which became Geneva Steel.
Our train ready to go.
Great Western GP9 296 built by EMD in 1954 as Union Pacific 296.
Station scene.
HVRR coach 3571, originally Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 2568 built in 1930 by Pullman/General Electric, later became Conrail 2568 then New Jersey Transit 2568 in 1979, before going to the Knox and Kane Railroad and finally Heber Valley Railroad in 2005.
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The signal bridge at the south end of the station property.
Museum scene.
The semaphore signal at the south end of the station property.
Crane and leader flat car.
Boston & Maine GP9 77.
Kennecott Copper covered hopper 5078.
Unknown passenger car.
Unknown baggage car.
HVRR coach 7510, originally Denver and Rio Grande Western 1010.
HVRR baggage car 7504, originally Colorado and Southern.
HVRR baggage car 7503, originally Colorado and Southern.
Denver and Rio Grande Western caboose 01418 built in 1941, which had been on display in Spanish Fork.
Department of Defense flat car 36001 with various parts stored on top.
Unknown caboose.
Wooden work car 3661.
Kennecott Copper Company flat car 538.
American Crane C-280.
Beautiful views in the Heber Valley.
Our train is still waiting to leave at 11:00 AM.
The Heber Valley Railroad Station. At 10:47 AM they started boarding the train which consister of Great Western GP9 296, Minerva Scenic "Village of Minerva" coach 3227, HVRR coach 4066 "John L Martinez", Union Pacific chair combine 2700 concession car and HVRR coach 324. We boarded and took seats in coach 3227. The train would leave on time at 11:00 AM.
Robin making his first trip on the Heber Valley Railroad.
Chris making his first trip on the Heber Valley Railroad.
Mountain views are the order of the day.
The Provo River.
The north end of Deer Creek Lake.
Snowcapped peaks rule the scene over Deer Creek Lake.
Deer Creek Lake.
Osprey in their nest.
Deer Creek Lake. I went to the vestibule to take pictures.
Two views of our train this morning.
Deer Creek Lake.
The train came to the Sparks signpost.
Looking back at Sparks.
Our route behind and ahead.
Snow capped peaks are the order of the day.
The train takes a curve on our route.
Both ways along Deer Creek Lake.
Many fishermen are out and about in their boats this late morning.
What a view from this unique train.
Can you spot the fisherman in these pictures?
The Milepost 7 sign.
A bay in Deer Creek Lake.
The train, a boat; does it get any better that this?
Beautiful view on this railroad.
The train took more curves.
More bays along our route.
The train took another curve.
More boats on the lake.
The train took another curve.
The fantastic view ahead of the train.
The train ran by Milepost 9.
The train took another curve.
US 187 rounds that peak to continue on to Provo Canyon.
Looking towards Provo Canyon.
The view looking forward.
The Deer Creek Lake Dam has come into the view.
The Milepost 10 signpost.
The train is approaching the dam.
The Deer Creek Lake Dam.
The Deer Creek Lake Dam.
US 187 is part of the dam.
That great mountain peak.
The train still heading for that great mountain peak.
At Milepost 11 the train is about to go under US 187.
Views of the Deer Creek Lake Dam.
The train enters Provo Canyon.
Taking a turn in the upper reaches of Provo Canyon.
The train, the peak and a great time riding this railroad.
The Provo River at Milepost 12.
The Provo River in Provo Canyon.
Does it ever get better than this?
Views along the Provo River.
Those peaks loom ahead of us.
We arrived at Vivian Park. We would be here for 30 minutes so we detrained.
The engine ran around the train.
The engine returned to the train and we soon departed.
The US 187 Highway Tunnels. I relaxed on the way back to Heber City and it hadd been an excellent train ride on the Heber Valley Railroad. Robin and I were first off the train and headed to the Old Goat Restauant where I had the house wings with us eating outside. We then saw a caboose and when we made our stop, we found three items of interest.
Heber City Rio Grande station.
The Heber Valley Railroad emblem.
Utah Railway wooden caboose 53.
Heber City Union Pacific station. We then drove back to Park City where I found my day one pictures. I wrote that story, then this one and was caught up by 10:00. It was then to bed to be ready for another rail adventure tomorrow.
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