Western Railroad Discussion > Late winter on Pocatello Sub

A couple of rare sunny days got me over to the UP Pocatello Sub in Idaho recently. Here are a couple of pics. First is e/b manifest MCONP on February 28th along the Bear River in Pescadero, ID, about to go from single to double track. Train had 77 cars of mixed freight. Second shot shows e/b manifest MHKNP at Lava Hot Springs, ID on March 13 with 84 cars. Still quite a bit of snow on the ground over there, but most of it should be history in another couple of weeks.

A work train was unloading concrete ties just west of Lava Hot Springs on the 13th, and the controlled siding at Pebble was full of loaded tie cars, so it looks like UP might be planning on replacing the existing wood ties in at least part of this area.

Bob

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Wow! Your first photo is gorgeous! Just lovely. Methinks you have your Christmas card image right there.

Thanks for posting these great photos here.

Wow, very short manifest trains by UP's standard.

First one is awesome!

Lovely. Yeah, the trains are shorter, and I wonder if the weather has something to do with it. Also, 4 locos on the front of CONP isn't the usual; the usual is 3 and two DPUs, even if the train length is much greater.

Posted from iPhone

Considering that I saw a CONP a couple years ago with 201 cars and units in 3-2-2 configuration, this one was indeed a "shorty", maybe due to cold temps. It was around zero earlier that day. When I was with Conrail, we regularly reduced train lengths during colder weather, especially on the former PRR over Horseshoe Curve.

Bob

Great pair!

spwolfmtn Wrote:
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> Wow, very short manifest trains by UP's standard.

The last two times I have been track side between Pocatello and Nampa, I have seen considerably smaller freight manifests.
I have wondered why the shorter trains here lately??
I will post a video here in a day or so showing this very scenario.

David
Twin Falls, Idaho.