Nostalgia & History > UP Gay Mine Job, Idaho 8-20-1992 Part 1

Jointed rail, with a caboose!, Engineer Jim Lance, Conducter Walt West, morning job, heading east toward the Gay Mine.

Jim gives us extra horn, and some extra throttle too!

This was East of Fort Hall, Idaho, where the branch started from UP mainline.

Now long gone, tracks pulled up.

Any info is more than welcome.

This is only one of many scenes I video taped on this day, more to come later.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/19 23:57 by RailRat.

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Nice catch. Clean power, graffiti free cars and, a caboose which appears to be former WP? Unusual a caboose in '92, must have been state mandated. Most cabooses gone mid eighties.
JB

Nice video!! I worked this job many times and the engineer would have been Walt West and conductor Jim Lance with both most likely off the extra board. The day Gay was a high seniority job. Worked with Walt many times on the Menan Local out of Idaho Falls and other jobs. I think this has to be close to when the Gay Mine shut down going by the date and the small train. There were two Gays, a 1st Gay that ran about 0700 and the 2nd Gay on duty about 1900. Train was usually about 70 cars and went to the JR Simplot plant at Don, just west of Pocatello. Some of the ore would be high grade and it went to the FMC plant that was adjacent to the Simplot plant for elemantal phosphorus.  Gay was JR Simplots daughter.

x6924w Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice video!! I worked this job many times and the
> engineer would have been Walt West and conductor
> Jim Lance with both most likely off the extra
> board. The day Gay was a high seniority job.
> Worked with Walt many times on the Menan Local out
> of Idaho Falls and other jobs. I think this has to
> be close to when the Gay Mine shut down going by
> the date and the small train. There were two Gays,
> a 1st Gay that ran about 0700 and the 2nd Gay on
> duty about 1900. Train was usually about 70 cars
> and went to the JR Simplot plant at Don, just west
> of Pocatello. Some of the ore would be high grade
> and it went to the FMC plant that was adjacent to
> the Simplot plant for elemantal phosphorus.  Gay
> was JR Simplots daughter.

Glad to bring back memories, and thanks for the additional info.

Back then, I worked for Orkin, and serviced the Pocatello yard buildings,
Pretty much had free run of the property, (safety always in mind), Video taped a lot of trains there, plus I used to ask questions, and that's how I found out about the Gay job, where it goes, and the crew names.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/19 06:05 by RailRat.

The "hopper train" as I called it when I was a young'un.  That branch, and the Dry Valley line around Soda Springs, are two places back home I regret not getting a chance to railfan on.

There was no law requiring cabeese in Idaho.  Did it require a shove at the mine?

The caboose is one of the ones UP bought for Rock Island, then got back when RI folded in 1980. The spotting feature (besides the number) is the oval window on the end of the bay. WP cars had a more angular pane there.

Thanks, and they pick up more empties at "9 mile" siding, on way up to the mine. I have more video of that too, will post later.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

Nomad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There was no law requiring cabeese in Idaho.  Did
> it require a shove at the mine?

Yes

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

Jim,

Thanks for sharing.   Great video.   Brings back lots of memories.

Northridge Switcher

looking at old maps it appears the branch opened very  late 1940s or early 1950s is that correct ?

Yes, it opened in the late 40's.
The tracks are still in place, both on the branch and in the yard at the mine.  There is some serious sagebrush and various other bushes between the tracks, better part of 5' high in places.  Most of the rail dates from 1919-1920 time frame.  Some real interesting home made cattle guards on the tracks to keep cattle from leaving the grazing land by sneaking through the rail line.  There is a road that follows the tracks through a fantastic canyon beneath Mt. Putnam, but it is pretty much a 4x4/high clearance road.  Oh, and the line is on reservation land, but the locals are very friendly (as long as you respect thier land).

Please share any photos/videos of the area.  I recently moved into the area, live about 20 miles from it.  Great place to chase history and rail fan a nearly forgotten branch.

jhjeeper

Caboose is a Rock Island overhauled.

3rdswitch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice catch. Clean power, graffiti free cars and, a
> caboose which appears to be former WP? Unusual a
> caboose in '92, must have been state mandated.
> Most cabooses gone mid eighties.
> JB