Western Railroad Discussion > A little drama on Silver Zone Pass

Saturday, May 26 was a cruddy day all around weather wise on Silver Zone Pass on the UP Shafter sub in eastern Nevada. I woke up to dark, cloudy skies, wind and intermittent rain. I headed out of Wendover at the eastern foot of the climb to the pass and immediately began hearing talk about a stalled train on my scanner. It seems that UP 5459 west with an iron ore train bound for the bay area and export had stalled on Silver Zone Pass at Cliffside siding. There was a lot of radio talk between the DS, the crew and the UP Power Desk about the possible cause, but the crew’s claim that the problem was wet rail was eventually accepted as likely.

There happened to be a loaded westbound grain, UP 8490, following the ore train up the hill and the decision was made to tie down the grain train on the main near Pilot siding, cut the power off and go up the hill to shove the stalled ore train over the top. I hustled up I80 and made a bee line for the loop area. I got to the uppermost of the two road crossings just as the ore train swung into view followed by its 2 borrowed helpers. The train continued over the pass and down the west side and was put away in the siding at Shafter as the crew was nearly out of hours. I continued on to the loop area and took up a good position for some more photos. Then the two helpers from the grain train backed east over the pass, around Arnold’s Loop and on down to their train at Pilot. After coupling up and knocking off the hand brakes they got underway westbound and made it over the pass OK. All of this under gray, dark leaden skies with intermittent rain and sleet.

Ore train on the move up Silver Zone Pass after getting a shove.

Borrowed helpers pushing the ore train. Power is from the grain train tied down at
Pilot siding.

Helpers backing eastward around Arnold’s Loop to return to their train.

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More shots from Silver Zone

Grain train approaching Arnold’s Loop after helping ore train over the pass.

The length of the grain train was just right so as to make possible this shot of the head end power directly above the DPU helper as the whole train rounded Arnold’s Loop.


Dick
Roosevelt, Utah



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/12 20:25 by 2ebright.

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Nice work,Dick. Seems like there's been more traffic on the Shafter sub in recent years. Won't be able to get out that way anytime soon so please continue to get out that way regularly. When I was a teenager I made the trip to Elko many times with my father, a general contractor who would have to make frequent trips there for work. Many good memories. I don't make much past Smelter these days. Thanks for sharing!
Spencer Evans
Salt Lake City, Ut

Posted from iPhone

Interesting event! Thanks for sharing it. Was there any chatter about what the major factor was that contributed to the stall beyond the wet rail, which sounds more like an excuse than anything else? I would think wet rail would always be factored in as a possible event when ordering up power for a train.

Posted from Android

Fred Harrison
Central Point, OR
CORPpower/JSS/EORS



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/12 21:18 by fredkharrison.

fredkharrison Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting event! Thanks for sharing it. Was
> there any chatter about what the major factor was
> that contributed to the stall beyond the wet rail,
> which sounds more like an excuse than anything
> else? I would think wet rail would always be
> factored in as a possible event when ordering up
> power for a train.
>
fred,

It wasn't raining in Omaha so the computer figured it wasn't raining anywhere. The computer is ALWAYS right.

J.

J.Ferris Wrote: It wasn't raining in Omaha so the computer figured it wasn't raining anywhere. The computer is ALWAYS right.

Reply: It could be something like that, but I'm thinking somebody miscalculated the true weight of the train.

Posted from Android

Fred Harrison
Central Point, OR
CORPpower/JSS/EORS



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/12 00:54 by fredkharrison.

Wow, Dick. What a great catch. Manned helpers over Silver Zone Pass. Gotta love it!

James Belmont
Salt Lake City, UT

Nice catch, Dick! Sometimes gloomy weather can add to the activity you're shooting even if the light isn't the greatest.

Nice catch. Interesting area, what happens to the access roads when it rains out there?
I would think it's not a pretty event.

Or, the power desk can't diagnose a poor preforming unit.. I had a deadheading engineer on my second unit and I asked him if that second unit was loading. He replied it's in run 8. I asked twice more before I walked back to see for myself. It indeed was in run 8. But was not loading.......Got it loading and we went up the hill faster than 15mph.
And that GE sucks on wet rail.

I love crap weather trains, thank Dick..

Great photo story and you caught one of my camping spots in photo 1. With precipitation the road east to Pilot offramp of I 80 is pretty tolerable. Otherwise, just spend a night near Clifside and enjoy the cool breezes and the fragrance of wet sage. And contemplate the ill fated Donner Party which passed through this location in September, 1846.

Posted from BlackBerry

NICE pics!!!!!! Great story!!!!!!