Western Railroad Discussion > Rio Grande coal cars in service, Provo UT

A classic coal train of steel hoppers rolled through Provo yesterday.  

I didn't think they were still using steel hoppers, I don't recall when I've last seen one.  Both had the original speed lettering and "The ACTION Road" slogan.  

The train was in town for over an hour.  It got two units attached to the head end, including the veteran SD 70 UP 4017, still looking very clean on one side, but tagged on the other :^(  then they had to back the entire train into the old UP yard, presumably to set out a bad order car?  

I was very pleased to see two Rio Grande hoppers on the train.  I didn't think I'd ever see another one in service.  They've even been absent from the scrap lines in the Rio Grande Provo yard for a couple years.  

pic 1, rolling past the Amtrak station
pic 2, seen from the FrontRunner station at the 200 W crossing. 
pic 3, backing off the Rio Grande mainline into the UP yard, with a legacy Rio Grande "No Trespassing" sign.  The Rio Grande car is between the two signals.  And a Utah Railway switch operation in the background.  
(this sign had the "DRGW" patched over with white paint, and an "SP" stenciled over it around 1989.  Fortunately, the SP paint has now completely weathered away).  

Ted in UT



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/20 20:53 by gobbl3gook.

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Still see them delivering coal to the cement plant at Monolith and to the Trona Ry.

Wow - it's been forever since I saw an old Action Road steel hopper actually hauling coal.  Very nice catch! 

Was the build date stenciled on them I presume these would be early mid 1970s Era?

Posted from Android

Where did this coal originate?

TrackGuy

bakersfielddave Wrote:
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> Was the build date stenciled on them I presume
> these would be early mid 1970s Era?
>
> Posted from Android

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/other_cars/drgw_cars/drgw_type/hopper/4b_open.htm

Bakersfielddave -- build date is 1982.  There used to be a lot of these around, was a big order.  I once saw some newer bathtub gondolas, about 15 years ago, but had been sold to a lease fleet.  The 1982s seemed to be the last big order.  Mid 80s was a recession, and SP merger was 1988?

thanks for the comments.  Stay healthy, everyone!  

Ted in Utah