Western Railroad Discussion > Meadow Valley Wash Question

UP 7475 pokes out of Tunnel 5 south of Boyd, Nevada, on its run south to Arden with a loaded train of Herzog hoppers. The train had sat on the #1 main in Caliente for almost an hour while a maintenance crew checked to see if the train could dump ballast, something the crew, lacking a brakeman, was adament of their inability to do regardless of whether the ballast was frozen, so that gave it enough time to pass through the Wash in good lighting.

My question is, does anyone know what the large UP herald on the east side of the tunnel portal was for, what it was made out of or why it was placed there to begin with? Considering how lightly travelled the road is through the wash and I've never seen a herald of any kind on any other tunnel in the area, only build dates at the ones at Etna, Boyd, etc, I'm curious as to its purpose, if it had one.

-Zach

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Well, there used to be passenger trains on this route, the last ones being Amtrak 35/36 The Desert Wind.

PHall Wrote:
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> Well, there used to be passenger trains on this
> route, the last ones being Amtrak 35/36 The Desert
> Wind.

Well yeah, but unless there were signs like that at all the other tunnels along the route I highly doubt that it was just for passenger trains.

I dunno- I think he's right.  Intended to be seen from the domes of the COLA
SR

Appears to be "dumped there", not original location.  If there were other, probably long gone.
Looking at left side of portal(photo view) it kinda looks like it was hung there.
COLA is City of Los Angeles.

Bob



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/19 13:43 by robj.

That same UP hearld was in that same spot back in 2003, the last time I stayed in Caliente.

Larry

Saw it in 1982, somewhat faded. Someone has painted it

If I remember, PACIFIC RAIL NEWS, when they did Annuals, This was around 1990, 1991 and 1992, There was a photo of a UP shield on the side of a tunnel in the Meadow Valley Wash. It seems that it was dedicated either for a UP employee that died at this location, or dedicated to a rail fan that had passed away The date was probably 1988 to 1992. I have one of the annuals, and it isn't in it.

Maybe some one will have their memory come up with something. 

The photo that I remember the shield higher up. The photo that is in this posted, the tunnel sure has fallen down.

ACL3042
Gary Rich