Western Railroad Discussion > Would you like some salt with that?

So, today, I was cruising along westbound on I80 about 35 miles or so west of Salt Lake City when I spied a headlight off to the west. I pulled off the highway and found myself looking at the eastbound Wendover Local making a pick up off of the Ellerbeck spur. The weather was terrible for photography, completely clouded over, pretty dark and also cold. There was also a UP maintenance crew looking over the crossing of the spur and a dirt road and these guys protected the crossing while the pair of SD70M’s made a 19 car pickup of salt loads from the Ellerbeck spur. Salt is a big business here along the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. The 2 SD70M’s left their train on the Shafter Sub main line and then made the pick up on the spur and pulled back onto the main, coupled up to the remainder of their train and took off east towards Salt Lake City. I got several shots on the spur and then got ahead of the local once again and took a final shot at Stauffer, which until recently was called Burmester.

Dick Ebright 
Roosevelt, Utah

!.  Wendover local pulling 19 loads of salt under I80 on the Ellerbeck spur.
2.  Crossing an unpaved road under the watchful eye of a MOW crew.
3.  Going away shot of the local nearing the mainline switch. That's a Morton Salt plant in the far background.

One more shot below
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/18 20:11 by 2ebright.

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One last shot of the eastbound Ellerbeck local at the west end of the small yard at Stauffer (formerly Burmester). This is on the UP Shafter sub about 30 miles or so west of Salt Lake City.

 

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I always like to see images that show the day-to-day work of Railroading, like these.
Thanks for posting- looks like a cold and gloomy day, but these hardy fellows got it done!

How did they paint the limit line on the unpaved road?

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Interesting. The salt is in the covered hoppers, right? Any idea if it goes to be used as road salt?

maybe just the crossing is paved?

1.  I don't know how they painted the line. I do know that where I was standing was not paved and across the tracks where I turned around was also not paved. The road surface looked to have been graded and compacted with a roller and then maybe sprayed down with mag chloride water.
2.  I believe these salt plants ship liquid brine water in tank cars,  bagged salt like for water softeners and residential use for driveway snow melt, etc., and bulk salt in covered hoppers. If you look on pict. 3. ahead of the loco and to the left of the Morton plant you can see a huge pile of salt crystals.

Dick

Precision Salt Railroading!

TJY

Looking at the picture that crossing is paved and has had at least one overlay too.
Most likely just the crossing and the immediate area is paved. Keeps the crossing in good shape longer with less maintenance needed.

Neat series! Looks like if you are not careful, you can really get your car stuck in the muck!

SP8595 Wrote:
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> Neat series! Looks like if you are not careful,
> you can really get your car stuck in the muck!

Sounds like the voice of experience talking. How much was the tow bill?

Oh, wonderful stretch of road in Winter, couple spots that seem to freeze badly on I-80 leading to
some real interesting driving. My Salt Lake guys had contracts with the salt plants and we used to
go out there in just such (daily, all Winter) weather. Mass props for your efforts, better you than us!

Out