Robin and I arose for the last day in Salt Lake City and walked over to JB's Restaurant where I had the breakfast buffet and orange juice. Back at the hotel, I put the corrections into my stories before we loaded the car and I had our keys extended so we could get out of the parking lot. We had our final NRHS safety meeting before loading the buses. We then drove straight to Heber City, pulled into the parking lot and unloaded the NRHS pasengers.
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. The HVRX carries over 94,000 passengers a year.
The railroad line is approximately 16 miles long. A typical round trip ride on the train takes about three 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.
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.
The NRHS TripOnce everyone was off the bus, I started looking around.
Maine Central GP9 52, originally Boston and Maine 1726 built in 1957.
Our NRHS Special Train in Heber City.
Heber Valley business sar 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..
Heber Valley 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.
Heber Valley 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.
Heber Valley 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.
Heber Valley 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.
Union Pacific coach 2700, built by Pullman in 1910. It was re-built into a combine and became Union Pacific 1069.
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.
Heber Valley coach 324 built by Pullman in 1925 as Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 324. In 1930, it was converted to "low roof" M.U. trailer.
Heber Valley 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.
Heber Valley steel caboose 12300 built as Burlington Northern 12300 in 1980 by International Car Company was my assignment on the train. I met an NRHS member who walked down to those two stations with me in Heber City.
The former Rio Grande was used by the old Heber Creeper railroad.
The former Rio Grande station.
Utah Railway wooden caboose 53.
The old Heber Creeper emblem.
We are 726.7 miles from Denver at this station.
Heber City Rio Grande Station.
Old Town Heber City. We returned to the station area and at 9:30 AM, we boarded the caboose and were ready for our trip to start. I was working with fifteeen-year-old Allie.
The view out of the rear of the caboose.
Tommy and Marianne Nealy from Greenfield, Wisconsin.
Vince Jakubowski of Seawell, New Jersey.
A female NRHS member.
A married couple in the cupola of the caboose.
Another NRHS member up in the cupola.
We started the trip off by passing the Heber City station.
Our last member of our group in the caboose.
We passed the Heber station sign then the train went into an emergency stop and I went flying down the aisle before someone grabed my shirt, safely stoppping me. Almost immediately the Heber Valley police arrived.
Next we saw our conductors going by us in a pickup truck.
Everyone had their own ideas of what happened. Skip Waters then came back and told me that the engine and business cars had both derailed, after which I let my passengers know the new plan. The trip could still happen if both pieces could be re-railed, we would leave at noon and go straight to Vivian Park and return, but both photo runbys would be cancelled. Everyone thought that was a good idea.
Front-end loaders were used to try to re-rail the train along with hydraulic jacks. I read the history of the Heber Valley Railroad to my passengers just to pass the time.
One of the views we hope to get. It was then announced that the trip was cancelled and we would be bussed back to Salt Lake City.
Passengers getting off the train. We loaded Bus 1 and while we were waiting, my driver Chris suggested we returned to Salt Lake City via Provo Canyon. I got the all-clear from the NRHS and our driver also told me he would stop to let people take pictures of the derailed car.
Views of the derailed car in Heber City on our way out of town. Once we arrived at Deer Creek Lake, I gave a running commentary most of the way back and collected the lanyards for use in the future then thanked my pasengers and had them gave a hand to Chris, our bus driver. We returned to the Radisson Hotel where we unloaded the bus for the final time and turned in my time statement, vest and radio. That ended my 2019 NRHS duties. Robin returned and we both said goodbye to Elizabeth before going to my car. We got out of the parking lot and turned in our keys before we drove all the way to Ely, Nevada.
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