America 2010

Day 9: Helper to Mexican Hat

This morning dawned bright and sunny in the motel room it felt almost summery, but I changed my mind on that aspect as soon as I stepped outside! I decided my time in Helper was up for now, so I packed up, consulted the maps and decided to head south. While I was packing I heard a horn, and it wasn't an Amtrak horn, and it wasn't a modern diesel horn, so I decided to check out the Utah Railway depot on the way out of town. Sure enough there were many extra coal wagons there, and plenty more signs of life than there had been Saturday or Sunday. Maybe they'd be running a coal train today? And yes, as I watched the train started moving, so up the highway I raced to catch it.

The train eased down off the Utah Railway track and onto the UP mainline, but had to wait at the signal bridge for a green light. While waiting the morning UP manifest came squealing down the hill with a very heavy aroma of burnt brake shoes.

Waiting for permiss...

Day 8: Helper again

Up bright and early today to find a cold crispy Helper. So while NZ was fast asleep I was busy suiting up with layers of merino, polar fleece, ski pants, insulated boots, multiple socks, etc and so on. Worked out how to use my shoelaces to tie seal gators in my ski pants tight around my shoes, so not a drop of snow got into my boots all day :-) Not bad when I spent half of it stomping round in knee high snow.

First port of call was the Wildcat loadout facility, but all was empty and not a train or person in sight. Second call was Walmart to stock up on food, I now have Oreos with a weird vaguely radioactive green looking mint icing. Third stop was the Savage load out, but again all was empty, although I couldn't find any roads anywhere near it. What I did find were some dear bouncing along in the snow…

Flying deer, near Wellington, UT.

Called back in at Wildcat, still no train! Stopped in at Helper yard and saw t...

Day 7: Helper

Today, for once, I wasn't travelling. Woke up to a knock on the door; Mark and Courtney had come over to invite me to breakfast. A bit of snow had fallen overnight, but only an inch or so. Helper looked very pretty with its fresh dusting. Breakfast was a fairly drawn out affair and Courtney made me a plate-sized inch-thick pancake, which kept me going for most of the day!

By lunchtime I had finished most of the pancake and was ready to start railfanning. I went down to the railway yard to see what was happening, and as it turned out a big UP manifest had just arrived. As I watched they uncoupled the first 2 locos and put them to one side, then uncoupled the remaining 3 locos and put them in a siding and reattached the first 2 locos back on the train. Obviously the 3 locos had been an extra helper set added before its journey over Soldier Summit.

Large line up of locos in the Helper yard, the Book Cliffs clearly visible behind. Ma...

Day 6: Wendover to Helper

A very snowy day today. Fantastic! The snow was gently falling as I went to bed last night, and when I woke in the morning there was a light dusting over the cars and buildings.

The beast, still filthy after yesterday's endeavours.

I packed the car and was soon on the road for the Bonneville Speed Flats. What a place (naturally). I cruised down the road a way, put the car in cruise control after a while.

Then suddenly I noticed there was water on 3 sides of the road… and the road just ended!

Click to enlarge and read the plaque.

Reading the plaque I was amused to note the same Donner Party that had (famously) got stuck on Donner Pass (and hence earning the pass its name) had also had troubles here crossing the salt flats. Seems that once things dry out the Bureau of Land M...

Day 5: Winnemucca to Wendover

Good morning Nevada. Fairly patchy cloud this morning, weather definitely deteriorating as I head East. Was soon on the road and heading for the Utah border. Called in at Paliside Canyon where you can get a reasonable view of the trains, but passed one just as I was coming in and then didn't see any more.

Look cold? There were large frozen ponds down there and a cool breeze blowing. Didn't hang around long; even if a train had come along the lighting wasn't being very cooperative.

Next stop was… can't remember… but I only wanted petrol. Saw a fairly serious trailer on a ute though…

Continued on my way and passed a number of huge industrial sites. One made mining lubricants, another appeared to be a steel mill, and another was a power station, all way out in the middle of the desert, miles from anywhere.

As I drove I came across a BNSF trackage rights ...