Adventurers in Utah for Spike
150
Promontory Summit -
150 years later
A Sesquicentennial
Chapter Three
Riding the Heber Valley Railroad
May 4, 2019
Saturday
by
Robin Bowers
Text and Photos by Author
The
author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed
without the author's consent
Comments are appreciated at...yr.mmxx@gmail.com
Today began with a relaxing
start as we didn't have to pack up and load the car which I
enjoyed because we were spending the night again. It is nice to
be able stay a few nights in the same place. Heading out of Park
City we met up with US 40 going southbound. Route 40 is an old
friend as I crossed it twice every day going to high school. It
was Main Street in my home town.
Views along US 40 southbound going to Heber City.
Heber City
Founded in 1859 and named
for Heber C. Kimball, counselor to Mormon leader Brigham Young,
Heber City is the farming and livestock center of the pastoral
Heber Valley. Glider and sailplane rides are available spring
through fall. Snowmobile and dog sled races are popular winter
events.
Heber Valley Railroad
The 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
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.
Equipment
The 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
GP-9 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 number 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.
History
The 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 operation
The 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).
After finding the rail yard, we parked and started looking
around.
US Army RS4TC # 4028 and US Army 44 ton # 1218.
D&RGW hopper car 17488, Union Pacific caboose 3950 and Heber
Valley caboose 12300.
SLG&W wooden box car 100.
Northern Pacific wooden box car 11111.
UTLX tank car 85302.
Union Pacific wooden caboose 3270.
HVRR Coach 3568 and HVRR Coach 3598.
HVRR lounge 7508.
Loco # 296, our power for scenic sightseeing tour of Provo Canyon
with cars coupled up and ready to depart soon.
HVRR coach 4066 John L. Martinez and Union Pacific combine 2700
concession car.
Minerva Scenic Village of Minerva coach 3227.
HVRR coach 324.
From here we drove over to the station parking lot.
Heber City Station.
Boston & Maine GP-9 77.
New engine house under construction.
HVRR coach 7510.
HVRR baggage car 7504 with HVRR baggage car 7503 and Rio Grande
caboose 0141.
New engine house under construction.
US Steel Columbia Geneva Div. Ironton Plant 0-6-0 300.
Parking lot side of station. Elev 5569.
Station platform and snack car.
At Heber Valley Railroad
Station it was at 10:47 AM they started boarding the train. The
train consisted of Great Western GP-9 296, 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 the Village of Minerva coach
3227. The train would leave on time at 11:00 AM.
Inside our coach, Village of Minerva # 3227.
A contented author ready to make his first trip on the Heber
Valley Railroad.
Chris is also making his first trip on the Heber Valley Railroad.
Today we are taking the
Provo Canyon Limited excursion and will travel all 15.5 miles on
railroad track around the Deer Creek Reservoir and along the
scenic Provo River to Vivian Park. A three hour round trip.
The Provo River.
A large bird.
Each car had a host/guide
that gave us information on their railroad's history and
information about what was passing by the windows. One of their
paramount points was that this year was 120th year as a railroad
that started in 1899. They have a good reason to cerebrate as
this is an excellently run operation.
Somewhere in route, the train pickup several
train robbers known as Krazy Ani and the Soldier Hollow Gang and
they were going from car to car looking for a strong box of cash
and gold. They were also prone to ask the passengers for their
cash and valuables. Then a shout was heard that the strong box
was found so the gang was happy.
Later the gang reappeared
sans their bandana mask and talked to the passengers and telling
stories and jokes. I was interested in the stories about Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Butch took his name because he was
a butcher and Cassidy was the last name of his best friend.
Kid's story was he was in the area and heard about a widow in
danger of losing her farm. So he rode out to her place to visit.
She invited him to dinner and explained her troubles. Her
husband had passed away and she was left with children to raise
and no income. Also the banker was coming in the next morning to
foreclose on her land. It was, pay off the loan or leave without
a home. The Kid took his saddle bag inside and gave the widow
enough money to pay off the mortgage and said not to worry about
paying him back. In the morning when she got up the stranger was
gone and later the banker showed up, expecting to foreclose and
gain some land. When he arrived the widow said she had the cash
and wanted to pay off the loan and keep her farm. So the banker
left with the money and no deed. On way back into town the
banker was robbed by a highwayman. We can only speculate as to
who the highwayman might be.
A penthouse with a bird's eye view. Sorry, no stairs or elevator.
Deer Creek Reservoir.
The Provo River.
US 189 along side the Provo River.
We arrived at Vivian Park. We would be here for 30 minutes while
the engine switched ends on the train, so we detrained and walk
around the park.
The engine ran around the train at Vivian Park.
Great Western GP-9 296.
After the engine was reconnected to the train, we boarded and left
for the return trip.
The Provo River.
Looking forward.
Looking back at Mt. Timpanogos.
Overpass of US 189.
Deer Creek Reservoir.
The Heber Valley Railroad also was more involved in history.
Solider Hollow
Soldier Hollow is located 53
miles (85 km) southeast of downtown Salt Lake City, in the
Wasatch Mountain State Park near Midway, Utah. Soldier Hollow
was the furthest venue from Salt Lake City with an estimated
drive time of 2 to 2 1⁄2
hours from downtown during the games. The venue was one of only
three which was built and designed by Salt Lake Organizing
Committee specifically for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Soldier Hollow was chosen by SLOC as an Olympic venue in October
1997, over several other possible locations including Sherwood
Hills near Logan, Utah. Preliminary work began soon after the
venue site was chosen, but major construction didn't start until
1999. Work at the venue had been completed enough (80% complete)
to host its first major event, U.S. Cross Country Championships,
on January 8, 2000. Construction on the venue's day lodge began
with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 2000. The lodge was
completed in December 2000 and dedicated on January 5, 2001. The
venue cost SLOC $22 million to construct, and is still in use
today.
During the 2002 games Soldier
Hollow hosted the biathlon, cross-country skiing, and Nordic
combined events. The venue itself hosted 64,160 biathlon
spectators, 99,320 cross-country spectators, and 1,794 Nordic
combined spectators during these events. During the
2002 Winter Paralympics the venue hosted the biathlon and
cross-country events.
In order to help cut down on
vehicle traffic in the canyons, and to give spectators a unique
experience, SLOC reached an agreement with the Historic Heber
Valley Railroad to transport spectators to the Soldier Hollow
venues. A special station was constructed along the railroad's
tracks near the venue which would allow two to four trains
carrying 200 passengers each per day. The former Union Pacific No. 618 steam-engine
would pulled eight-car train carrying the passengers to the
Soldier Hollow depot where they disembarked and continued to the
venue entrance on a horse-drawn sleigh.
Conductor escorts the train robbers off at the Soldier Hollow
Station.
Single family or multi family residence? Or commercial building?
Anyway, it is very nice in a lovely setting.
All to soon we had arrived
back at the station. What a great ride and adventure. After
getting in the car and leaving the station we decided to have an
early diner here in Heber City. We headed to The Old Goat - Heber's
Neighborhood Eatery- and were seated on the outdoor back
patio which was surrounded by a facsimile of a pioneer western
town that could pass as a movie set. The food was good with
Chris having the House wings while I had the Blackened Salmon
BLTA with fries. It was much to big to eat in one seating for me
so I took half with me to eat later in the day.
As we were leaving the restaurant we saw a
caboose so we drove over to check it out and found three things
of interest to us.
Heber City Rio Grande Station.
The Heber Valley Railroad emblem. Heber Creeper, Provo Canyon
Wasatch Mountain, Scenic Line of the World.
Utah Railway wooden caboose 53.
Heber City Rio Grande Station.
Then we drove back to Park
City. Later, after finishing my take home meal, I needed a drink
so I decided to walk to the nearby 7-11 for a Pepsi and some ice
cream, if I could remember the way. Coming back I took a
long way for sightseeing. Then it was time to pack for leaving
in the morning. Going to Ogden and Promontory Summit tomorrow,
that and more.
Thanks
for reading.
Next Chapter - Lagoon
Amusement Park, Golden Spike Heritage Site and the Spiral
Jetty.
Text and Photos by Author
The
author retains all rights. No reproductions are
allowed without the author's consent.
