Western Railroad Discussion > Shooting the Potash local

This past Friday (Jan. 11) I made the journey West out of Grand Junction into Utah to follow Union Pacific's Potash local. This local only runs once-a-week, on Fridays, departing out of Grand Junction usually around 9 AM. It travels Westbound on the mainline through Ruby Canyon and then out onto the Utah desert to Brendel. At Brendel (Crescent Jct. on I-70) the Cane Creek Branch heads South away from the mainline, traveling roughly 35 miles to the Intrepid Potash Plant which is also at the end of the line. If the train meets are favorable and no lengthy delays are incurred enroute, the Local will usually make the round trip from GJ to Potash and back into Grand Jct. just before the crews 12 hours of service is up. The Potash is the only business on the Branch and with Union Pacific's new "cut everything", I mean Precision Railroading plan being implemented, who knows what the future holds for this line! Oh, did I mention that the scenery on the bottom half of the Branch is pretty Incredible as well:}

While heading West on I-70, I heard the Dispatcher tell an Eastbound that they would be meeting the Potash Local at Cisco. Train meets out in this area can have rather lengthy wait times as over half of the sidings are stuffed with stored cars:{

1) A grab shot of the Potash local heading Westbound, just East of Cisco. The pair of flats on the rear of the train will be setout at Brendel for the "Dirty Dirt" train.
The Dirt train also runs on the Cane Creek Branch between Emkay (milepost 28) and Brendel, heading South on Sunday and Tuesday, North on Monday and Wednesday. It hauls contaminated Dirt, which is leftover from the Uranium Mines that used to frequent the area, away from the Colorado River bottom near Moab to a large dump just North of the mainline at Brendel. The Dirt train was supposed to have increased to 2 train sets but with the recent Government shutdown, I believe the second train is on hold for now.

2) The Eastbound train was a Long Beach, CA to W. Elk Mine empty coal train with the UP 8338, CSXT 5323 and CSXT 892, also seen just east of Cisco. The train had picked up a pair of MOW gons at Woodside, UT.

3) Departing from the mainline at Brendel and starting the journey down the Cane Creek Branch, the Book Cliffs in the background were mostly obscured due to fog in the area.

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From Brendel, I drove directly towards Bootlegger Canyon. I thought that I knew how to access the location where you can shoot the train with Corona Arch in the background but after hiking in about a half mile, it didn't seem right so I turned around. As it turns out, I was on the right trail and just needed to go a little bit further:{ Oh well, I luckily still had enough time to get back to the car, drive up to the Corona Arch Trailhead and then walk along the tracks to a rock outcropping and wait about 15 minutes for the train.

4) In subdued light from the Sun obscured by high clouds, UP 7734 exits scenic Bootlegger Canyon. Corona Arch is just to the left out of the picture.

5) Once out of the Canyon, the tracks follow the road and the Colorado River down to the Potash plant. Jug Handle Arch is visible above the 7734 in the background.

6) After about an hour or so at the Plant dropping the empties and picking up the loads, the train is now returning Eastbound. Here you can see the tracks pulling the grade away from the River and gaining elevation to then head up into Bootlegger Canyon.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/19 10:13 by SP8595.

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7) UP 2683, the new leader heading East, snakes uphill.

8) At the Corona Arch Trailhead, some hikers view the train as it turns away from the River and into the Canyon.

9) Due to the return trip being mostly in shadows, one of the only shots I got of the Local heading North on the Branch was near Lee. There was a lot more snow with just the little bit higher elevation. The La Sal Mountains are in the background.

Unfortunately not quite the same as Rio Grande Tunnel Motors but hopefully this Branch stays around for awhile. With snow in the forecast, if I am available, I might make another run this Friday looking for some white on the ground:}



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/19 10:41 by SP8595.

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Drop dead Gorgeous!
SR

Very NICE series!!

Larry

I can see your not even finished posting all your shots, but I’m just going to say it now. Spectacular!! :) Need to get my butt out that way before that train goes away like so many others.

Great chase and photos SP8595!  You really captured the unique scenery of this line.

A great day and series of photos!!
Good to hear the dirt train frequency might pick up.

Todd Busse

My hero!!

Out

Outstanding scenery, lighting, and photos!

Rich

Great series, thanks for posting.  In looking at Google Maps (see below), it looks like there is a very simple loadout that does not have an overhead chute, so I wonder if it is just done with a skip loader or wheel loader?  Also, I can't make out a switch at the south end with enough room to run units around: is there a run-around that just doesn't show up here?

Bruce

Great series of shots, John! Thanks for sharing and the background info. Have you ever shot Amtrak #5 or a westbound freight on the big curve at the west end of Cisco? I've thought about it but never managed to catch anything there... 

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

Here is the loadout and closeup of disaster memorial which had not been installed yet.  11/2/2014.

Reading up on disaster is a worthwhile, how the town came together for families of victims some of whom came from distances.

Nice series, good light and a little snow adds interest.  Haven't seen too many photos lately from the branch, most of what I saw in recent past was 4 axle.
When I was there it was a Sunday train and they would bring the new power for the dirt train with them.
I hiked up to Arch the day before and it is woth it outside of train watching but didn''t go up on day train ran, depending on time of year and train time, could be a mistake.
The time they took at loadout might have given me time to "run" up to arch after train passed going in. Sun did come out for me.

Bob Jordan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/19 11:28 by robj.

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Stunning stuff, John! It's amazing to see so many locations I've never seen before. Surely "they" went and built all that fantastic, brand new scenery right after you moved into the area (wink, wink). Kudos on finding all those shots!!!

Lance

After looking at the loadout picture, I discovered that what I had thought was the "end of the line" (near the 191/271 junction) was in fact a tunnel.  I looked up on Maps again the correct location and found the loadout. 

Bruce



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/19 13:02 by StStephen.

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Nice day alright. Obviously you are not first out enough.
JB

Oh.  My.  Goodness!!!!  GOTTA DO THIS!!!!!

Jerry

Awesome shots!!

Fantastic series!

Man those are EXELLENT pictures.  It brings back memories for me when I worked that job back in 2010.  That last picture should be on the UP calendar.