Western Railroad Discussion > Empty oil train east over Soldier Summit and Wildcat Midstream

This Sunday as I returned from Eastern Utah spotted a train entering Spanish Fork Canyon on traffic cameras as I left Helper. I managed to get a decent video at Soldier Summit. On Friday I had the opportunity to tour Wildcat Midstream, this trains's destination. There I leaerned that Wildcat Trains have been going west over Soldier Summit and taking the long way over the Overland and down through Colorado because UP won't run 100+ car trains over the Moffat route. Shorter trains from the other oil terminal in Carbon County run immediately east over the Rio Grande.  

I have included an image of Wildcat switching with their SD60 at the Martin Yard. 
 

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Paniolo_man Wrote:
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> This Sunday as I returned from Eastern Utah
> spotted a train entering Spanish Fork Canyon on
> traffic cameras as I left Helper. I managed to get
> a decent video at Soldier Summit. On Friday I had
> the opportunity to tour Wildcat Midstream, this
> trains's destination. There I leaerned that
> Wildcat Trains have been going west over Soldier
> Summit and taking the long way over the Overland
> and down through Colorado because UP won't run
> 100+ car trains over the Moffat route. Shorter
> trains from the other oil terminal in Carbon
> County run immediately east over the Rio
> Grande.  
>
> I have included an image of Wildcat switching with
> their SD60 at the Martin Yard. 
>  

The oil trains loading at Wildcat near Helper have been going west (north) to SLC and Ogden, then east via Cheyenne for quite awhile now. I really doubt train length had anything to do with it. More likely crew and locomotive utilization.

Keith_Kevet

Posted from Android

Keith_Kevet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Paniolo_man Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This Sunday as I returned from Eastern Utah
> > spotted a train entering Spanish Fork Canyon on
> > traffic cameras as I left Helper. I managed to
> get
> > a decent video at Soldier Summit. On Friday I
> had
> > the opportunity to tour Wildcat Midstream, this
> > trains's destination. There I leaerned that
> > Wildcat Trains have been going west over
> Soldier
> > Summit and taking the long way over the
> Overland
> > and down through Colorado because UP won't run
> > 100+ car trains over the Moffat route. Shorter
> > trains from the other oil terminal in Carbon
> > County run immediately east over the Rio
> > Grande.  
> >
> > I have included an image of Wildcat switching
> with
> > their SD60 at the Martin Yard. 
> >  
>
> The oil trains loading at Wildcat near Helper have
> been going west (north) to SLC and Ogden, then
> east via Cheyenne for quite awhile now. I really
> doubt train length had anything to do with it.
> More likely crew and locomotive utilization.
>
> Keith_Kevet
>
> Posted from Android

More likely to assuage Colorado hostility towards operation of loaded oil trains along the Colorado River.   BSB

> The oil trains loading at Wildcat near Helper have
> been going west (north) to SLC and Ogden, then
> east via Cheyenne for quite awhile now. I really
> doubt train length had anything to do with it.
> More likely crew and locomotive utilization.
>
> Keith_Kevet

Good to hear there is a bit more traffic over Soldier Summit.  Might be worth a trip up there again even though sometimes you can spend 4 or more hours staring at tracks and hoping for at least a squelch on the scanner.

BigSkyBlue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Keith_Kevet Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Paniolo_man Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > This Sunday as I returned from Eastern Utah
> > > spotted a train entering Spanish Fork Canyon
> on
> > > traffic cameras as I left Helper. I managed
> to
> > get
> > > a decent video at Soldier Summit. On Friday I
> > had
> > > the opportunity to tour Wildcat Midstream,
> this
> > > trains's destination. There I leaerned that
> > > Wildcat Trains have been going west over
> > Soldier
> > > Summit and taking the long way over the
> > Overland
> > > and down through Colorado because UP won't
> run
> > > 100+ car trains over the Moffat route.
> Shorter
> > > trains from the other oil terminal in Carbon
> > > County run immediately east over the Rio
> > > Grande.  
> > >
> > > I have included an image of Wildcat switching
> > with
> > > their SD60 at the Martin Yard. 
> > >  
> >
> > The oil trains loading at Wildcat near Helper
> have
> > been going west (north) to SLC and Ogden, then
> > east via Cheyenne for quite awhile now. I
> really
> > doubt train length had anything to do with it.
> > More likely crew and locomotive utilization.
> >
> > Keith_Kevet
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> More likely to assuage Colorado hostility towards
> operation of loaded oil trains along the Colorado
> River.   BSB

Yes, a possibility. But the rerouting would have made more sense once the other oil loading facility at Wellington (Price River Terminal) completes their expansion.

Westbound oil loads leaving Wildcat have a much easier time entering the ex-DRGW main line and heading straight west toward Provo.

Keith_Kevet

Keith_Kevet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BigSkyBlue Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Keith_Kevet Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Paniolo_man Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > This Sunday as I returned from Eastern Utah
> > > > spotted a train entering Spanish Fork
> Canyon
> > on
> > > > traffic cameras as I left Helper. I managed
> > to
> > > get
> > > > a decent video at Soldier Summit. On Friday
> I
> > > had
> > > > the opportunity to tour Wildcat Midstream,
> > this
> > > > trains's destination. There I leaerned that
> > > > Wildcat Trains have been going west over
> > > Soldier
> > > > Summit and taking the long way over the
> > > Overland
> > > > and down through Colorado because UP won't
> > run
> > > > 100+ car trains over the Moffat route.
> > Shorter
> > > > trains from the other oil terminal in
> Carbon
> > > > County run immediately east over the Rio
> > > > Grande.  
> > > >
> > > > I have included an image of Wildcat
> switching
> > > with
> > > > their SD60 at the Martin Yard. 
> > > >  
> > >
> > > The oil trains loading at Wildcat near Helper
> > have
> > > been going west (north) to SLC and Ogden,
> then
> > > east via Cheyenne for quite awhile now. I
> > really
> > > doubt train length had anything to do with
> it.
> > > More likely crew and locomotive utilization.
> > >
> > > Keith_Kevet
> > >
> > > Posted from Android
> >
> > More likely to assuage Colorado hostility
> towards
> > operation of loaded oil trains along the
> Colorado
> > River.   BSB
>
> Yes, a possibility. But the rerouting would have
> made more sense once the other oil loading
> facility at Wellington (Price River Terminal)
> completes their expansion.
>
> Westbound oil loads leaving Wildcat have a much
> easier time entering the ex-DRGW main line and
> heading straight west toward Provo.
>
> Keith_Kevet

They don't head straight towards Provo though. UP crews take them to Helper Yard. Utah crews take them back to Martin and down to Wildcat. Wildcat runs the loaded cars to Martin with their own power, Utah picks them up and brings them to Helper yard where UP crews take them west over Soldier Summit.

It's quite the logistics dance.

Paniolo_man Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Keith_Kevet Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > BigSkyBlue Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Keith_Kevet Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > Paniolo_man Wrote:
> > > >
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > >
> > > > -----
> > > > > This Sunday as I returned from Eastern
> Utah
> > > > > spotted a train entering Spanish Fork
> > Canyon
> > > on
> > > > > traffic cameras as I left Helper. I
> managed
> > > to
> > > > get
> > > > > a decent video at Soldier Summit. On
> Friday
> > I
> > > > had
> > > > > the opportunity to tour Wildcat
> Midstream,
> > > this
> > > > > trains's destination. There I leaerned
> that
> > > > > Wildcat Trains have been going west over
> > > > Soldier
> > > > > Summit and taking the long way over the
> > > > Overland
> > > > > and down through Colorado because UP
> won't
> > > run
> > > > > 100+ car trains over the Moffat route.
> > > Shorter
> > > > > trains from the other oil terminal in
> > Carbon
> > > > > County run immediately east over the Rio
> > > > > Grande.  
> > > > >
> > > > > I have included an image of Wildcat
> > switching
> > > > with
> > > > > their SD60 at the Martin Yard. 
> > > > >  
> > > >
> > > > The oil trains loading at Wildcat near
> Helper
> > > have
> > > > been going west (north) to SLC and Ogden,
> > then
> > > > east via Cheyenne for quite awhile now. I
> > > really
> > > > doubt train length had anything to do with
> > it.
> > > > More likely crew and locomotive
> utilization.
> > > >
> > > > Keith_Kevet
> > > >
> > > > Posted from Android
> > >
> > > More likely to assuage Colorado hostility
> > towards
> > > operation of loaded oil trains along the
> > Colorado
> > > River.   BSB
> >
> > Yes, a possibility. But the rerouting would
> have
> > made more sense once the other oil loading
> > facility at Wellington (Price River Terminal)
> > completes their expansion.
> >
> > Westbound oil loads leaving Wildcat have a much
> > easier time entering the ex-DRGW main line and
> > heading straight west toward Provo.
> >
> > Keith_Kevet
>
> They don't head straight towards Provo though. UP
> crews take them to Helper Yard. Utah crews take
> them back to Martin and down to Wildcat. Wildcat
> runs the loaded cars to Martin with their own
> power, Utah picks them up and brings them to
> Helper yard where UP crews take them west over
> Soldier Summit.
>
> It's quite the logistics dance.

That's ridiculous. It's not how it was originally proposed. The Utah was supposed to handle all the empties and loads while on Utah Railway tracks (not on the trackage rights).

Taking something simple and making it difficult...splendid!

Keith_Kevet

Who or what is "Wildcat" and were do they run? I know Helper and Martin but have never heard of "Wildcat"

RRBMail Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Who or what is "Wildcat" and were do they run? I
> know Helper and Martin but have never heard of
> "Wildcat"

Sorry for the late reply. See my detailed response in the other thread.