Nostalgia & History > Battling Snow in Provo Canyon

Each year in late October, Utah's Heber Creeper tourist railway cuts back it's round trip from Heber City to milepost 11.0 at the Wallsburg passing track near Deer Creek dam. It's just too much trouble to keep the seven miles of track down Provo Canyon to Vivian Park open for service due to winter snowfall.

In November of 1978, Heber Creeper management booked a charter run from Heber City to Vivian Park thinking snow would not be a problem that early in November. Oops, think again! Check out this view of former Union Pacific NW-2 #1011 at Vivian Park crossing. The crew first had to dig out the frozen grade crossing, then dig out both switches of the Vivian Park passing track...

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It appears the brakeman is having a great time working the head end of UP 1011 at the north end of the Vivian Park passing siding. The crew had just spend a half an hour digging out the switches only to have a blizzard show up to add additional moisture to deal with...

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By the time the train departed Vivian Park for Heber City the blizzard had tapered off and the UP 1011 and charter were moving along nicely along the Provo River. The location is at Wildwood (MP 17) in Provo Canyon, where parallel highway #189 splits and a second roadway heads west to Robert Redford's Sundance ski resort.

Union Pacific had donated NW-2 #1011 to the Heber Creeper that year and no modifications had been made to it by that point. The 1011 continues to serve on this line today, now owned by the State of Utah as the "Heber Valley Railroad". The NW-2 has often times been assigned "fire patrol" duties and (believe it or not) as a helper when the train is packed. I have seen it shove on the tail end of the train from Wildwood to Wallsburg many times. A few years ago it was painted black with yellow and red "Road of the Challengers" lettering and logo.

James

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Great pictures, Sir James. It's nice to look back on these chilly images next to a warm computer.

Thanks for posting these and Happy Holidays,

Rich

Your 3rd image is a real winner...man o man...too cold for me...brrrrr...

Mike
Henderson, NV

Very nice. I never paid much attention to the operation. Too bad for me. Was there in the
summer several times, but before the NW arrived.

Keith A