Home Open Account Help 311 users online

Nostalgia & History > A Busy Day on Rio Grande's Garfield Branch


Date: 08/10/05 16:47
A Busy Day on Rio Grande's Garfield Branch
Author: GrandeGold

I was lucky to be out railfanning on crisp a October morning in 1988. My good fortune brought me not one but TWO trains on Rio Grande's rural Garfield Branch southwest of Salt Lake City. This line was constructed to connect the Grande's Bingham Branch to Kennecott Copper's smelting operations at Garfield, Utah, on the southern shore of the Great Salt Lake.

My first train on the branch (pictured) was the daily "Midvale Tramp" just west of Salt Lake Airport #2. When I found it, the train was at a standstill just north of 7800 South. This location is out in the flats of the west side of the Salt Lake Valley.

I walked up to the cab of GP30 #3003 and asked the engineer what was going on. Apparently a second train was pulling into the clear at the yard at Welby and the "Tramp" was waiting it's turn to proceed. Yipee!!!




Date: 08/10/05 16:50
Highball Rio Grande 3003
Author: GrandeGold

Once the crew of the Midvale Tramp got the go-ahead that the work train was in the clear at Welby, they wasted no time proceeding south towards the yard. Here the train smokes it up at 78th South, along the dry wheat fields of western Salt Lake County...




Date: 08/10/05 16:53
Yes, That's a Caboose!
Author: GrandeGold

The Midvale Tramp still ran a caboose in the 1980's. All of those clean white tank cars were loaded with sulfuric acid from Kennecott bound for points east on the Rio Grande mainline.

Notice all of the open real estate? It's all built up now with storage units on the left and a cracker box housing development on the right.

Sigh...




Date: 08/10/05 16:56
Re: Yes, That's a Caboose!
Author: RickH

Scenes, that have forever vanished from the railroad scene. Thanks for brining them back.

RickH



Date: 08/10/05 16:57
Arrival at Welby Yard
Author: GrandeGold

The 3003 and company have arrived at Welby and are lined through the wye to proceed up the Bingham Branch to Interstate Brick at Bagley and to Lead Mine in Bingham Canyon. Of course they won't take that big long train with them...just the one black tank car and the box cars.

If you look closely along the right side of the image you will spot the work train, already departing the yard for Magna. The previous photo was taken in the distance near the head end of the departing train...




Date: 08/10/05 17:02
Work Train Working
Author: GrandeGold

Rio Grande management determined that the old 90 pound rail on much of the Garfield Branch was just just too frail and decided to replace it. Here the Rio Grande 3093 and 3125 move along at walking speed while crews drop replacement rail, angle bars, spikes, bolts, nuts, and tie places along the right of way...




Date: 08/10/05 17:08
Approaching Highway U-111
Author: GrandeGold

The work train is now approaching busy highway U-111. This roadway connects Garfield with Bingham and includes the Bacchus area inbetween. The crossing will be blocked for quite some time while the crew continues to drop materials along the track. In the distance are the Oquirrh Mountains, Kennecott's two haulage rail lines and the Bonneville concentrator...




Date: 08/10/05 17:09
Dropping Rail
Author: GrandeGold

A moveable boom crane moves along the top of a mill gondola, dropping second hand mainline rail along the right of way...





Date: 08/10/05 17:11
More Materials Dropped
Author: GrandeGold

This train had a couple of different boom cranes with magnets dropping material along the tracks. This one, named "Jimbo" was placing bags of new spikes and bolts along the track...




Date: 08/10/05 17:16
Bringing up the Rear...Huh?
Author: GrandeGold

It seemed rather odd to catch a Southern Pacific caboose on the tail end of a Rio Grande work train. The two roads had recently merged, and SP was becoming more visible. The D&RGW simply pooled one of SP's cabooses for a few weeks.

The Garfield Branch was completely rehabilitated during that era. By early in 1989, dozens of rotten ties were replaced and the branch would be in great shape for many years to come.

James





Date: 08/10/05 22:10
Re: Bringing up the Rear...Huh?
Author: syscom3

Nice set of pix.




Date: 08/16/05 15:28
Re: Bringing up the Rear...Huh?
Author: ProAmtrak

Agreed, and shows that a class one can upgrade branches for better service compared to most being abandoned!



Date: 11/22/16 05:09
Re: Bringing up the Rear...Huh?
Author: dcfbalcoS1

      I would think 'thousands' of ties instead of dozens.



Date: 11/26/16 18:15
Re: Bringing up the Rear...Huh?
Author: SP8100

Does this branch still operate today, James??


SP8100



[ Share Thread on Facebook ] [ Search ] [ Start a New Thread ] [ Back to Thread List ] [ <Newer ] [ Older> ] 
Page created in 0.0817 seconds