We spent the night at a shabby motel in Helper, Utah – it’s good location was the selling argument. On the morning of june 2nd, we only needed a short ride up Price River Canyon to Colton to witness the sunrise. We underestimated the temperature at this altitude though: shorts are not the recommended clothing when it’s -literally- freezing outside!
We knew a passenger train was supposed to pass, so we climbed to our spot. Even if we didn’t know if a train would be coming, we wouldn’t have returned to get decent clothing: it all looked way too beautiful. And lucky we were: after seeing the passenger train and freezing for only 60 minutes or so, a Utah Railways freight train is arriving at the summit.
The empty train is hauled by 6 engines, representing 17500 horses. 2 of these carry the colors of genesee & Wyoming, who purchased Utah Railways in 2002. Locomoives 1, 4 and 5 are MK50-3 types built by MK Rail in 1994, and repowered in 2003. Utah Railways owns all units built (8) of this type. Locomotives 2 and 3 are SD50S types, built under license by EMD in Australia. Utah Railways acquired them in 2001.