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Heber Valley Railroad

The Heber Valley Railroad (HVRX) is a heritage railroad based in Heber City, Utah. It operates passenger excursion trains along a line between Heber City and Vivian Park, which is located in Provo Canyon. The HVRX carries over 110,000 passengers a year.[1]

Heber Valley Railroad
LocaleHeber City, Utah
TerminusVivian Park, Utah
Coordinates40°30′8.06″N 111°25′28.14″W / 40.5022389°N 111.4244833°W / 40.5022389; -111.4244833
ConnectionsNone
Commercial operations
NameProvo Canyon Branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Built byRio Grande Western & Utah Eastern Railway
Preserved operations
Operated byHeber Valley Historic Railroad Authority
Reporting markHVRX
Commercial history
Opened1899
Closed1967
1992Operation as Heber Valley Railroad begins.
Website
http://www.hebervalleyrr.org/

The railroad line is approximately 16 miles (26 km) long. A typical round trip ride on the train takes about 90 minutes. There are a total of four passing sidings outside of the Heber yard limit. Notable landmarks seen from the train include Mount Timpanogos, Cascade Mountain, Deer Creek Dam and Reservoir, Provo River, Sundance Ski Resort, Tate Barn, and Soldier Hollow.

Rio Grande branch line History

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Provo Canyon Branch timetable of the Denver & Rio Grande Western in 1956

The line operated by the HVRX was formerly part of a Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad branch line that connected Heber City to Provo, Utah. Construction began in 1897 with the branch line was completed in 1899 by the Rio Grande Western. The line was originally proposed as part of the Utah Eastern Railway a RGW backed plan to build a railroad through Provo Canyon and into Colorado via way of the Duchesne River, but this proposal was abandoned leaving the railroad terminus in Heber City.[2]

Ownership of the line passed to the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (later the Denver and Rio Grande Western) following their merger with the RGW. The Deer Creek Reservoir required rerouting a ten-mile segment of the line in 1941.[3] Freight operations continued regularly until 1966 when regular service was abandoned. The line saw brief use again by the D&RGW in 1968 to haul the National Christmas Tree. After the start of heritage rail services, the D&RGW kept the lower end of the branch line intact until 1971, when it was finally pulled up for scrap.

 
Olmstead Power Plant at entrance of Provo Canyon as seen in 1908, the Provo Canyon Branch can be seen in the upper left side of the photo
 
Bridal Veil Falls station in 1968, prior to reopening of the railroad.

Preservation history

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A group of Utah-based railfans had acquired Weyerhauser Timber Company No. 110 in the late 1960s and began eyeing the soon to be dismantled Heber City branch as a potential location to restore the engine to operation (although No. 110 would be stored at Heber it wouldn't be restored to operation until it was sold to the Black Hills Central Railroad years later).[4] The proposed construction of U.S. Route 189 through Provo Canyon would have removed the old railroad grade, and the rail enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and environmentalists saw a shared incentive to preserve the railroad line from Bridal Veil Falls to Heber City. In 1969 the newly formed Wasatch Railroad Museum approached Tooele City to acquire former Tooele Valley Railway No. 11, but were rebuffed by the city. With Tooele Valley No. 11 no longer available, the museum turned its attention to acquiring former Union Pacific Railroad No. 618 which was at the time on static display at the Utah State Fairgrounds.

The line was saved for tourist use and was reopened in 1970 when No. 618 and other equipment were brought up the line from Provo. On April 22, 1971 another train ran behind newly acquired Pacific Lumber 35 carrying Rayonier 110 and several boxcars from the connection with the Rio Grande up the canyon to Heber as a final run on the lower end of Provo Canyon.[4] Public tourist train services began that year in July.[4] The Provo Canyon branch between Provo and Bridal Veil Falls was later removed disconnecting the Heber Creeper from the national rail network. The segment between Bridal Veil and Vivian Park would later be removed moving the line's terminus to Vivian Park, with the Provo to Vivian Park segment being converted into a recreational trail.

One of the primary investors in the private heritage rail operation was Heber area businessman Lowell Ashton and the Ashton family. The railroad operated publicly with the brand "The Heber Creeper" through the 1970s into the 1980s, using various other business names throughout the years such as the Wasatch Mountain Railroad, Timpanogos Preservation Society, the Deer Creek Scenic Railroad and finally the New London Railroad and Village. 1990 brought financial and operational strain to the railroad, when a new local sales tax impacted the railroad's profitability.[5] In the ensuing financial dispute the Utah Department of Transportation rejected an early state offer to the Ashtons for the state to buy the railroad line upon recognizing that the Ashtons had improperly documented the titles and ownership records of much of the locomotive and equipment used by the railroad.[6] With increasing issues mounting, the last private "Heber Creeper" train ran October 27, 1990 and the line went into bankruptcy.

Citizens in the Heber area successfully petitioned the State of Utah to help save the railroad, leading to creation of the Heber Valley Historic Railroad Authority. The Utah State Legislature voted to fund the purchase and reopening of the railroad line in 1992, selling off excess assets from the New London Railroad and Village operation to fund the rehabilitation of the railroad. Operations resumed in July 1992, while remaining unused equipment was sold to the Nevada State Railroad Museum (with pieces being moved to Boulder City into 1993).[4] The first train on the reopened line ran in May 1993, while No. 618 was re-tubed and steam service returned in 1995.[7] New shop facilities and a station were built with the rail line to the former Heber Creeper shops and station (a few blocks away) removed, while the railroad purchased Great Western Railway of Colorado No. 75 along with its associated "movie train" collection.[8] Since this time the railroad has seen considerable growth. The railroad operates as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

 
UP 618 in service in the 1970s, lettered for the Wasatch Mountain Railroad (WMR)

During the 2002 Winter Olympics the railroad was part of the Olympic Steam Team, carrying spectators to the Soldier Hollow Olympic venue. The railroad's No. 618 and 75 steam-engines, were joined by the Nevada Northern Railway Museum's No. 93 steam-engine, in pulling eight-car trains full of passengers, to the Soldier Hollow depot where they disembarked and continued to the venue entrance on a horse-drawn sleigh.[9] The day prior to the Opening Ceremony of the games, all three locomotives were combined into one triple-headed train, and used to transport the Olympic flame from Soldier Hollow to Heber City as part of the torch relay.[10][11] The railroad would acquire Columbia Steel No. 300 from the Geneva Recreation Assoction in 2003 to bring to Heber as a potential restoration candidate, but plans to restore the engine were dropped upon full inspection of the engine and shortly afterwards the departure of then Chief Mechanical Officer John Rimmasch from the railroad.[12] In 2010, UP No. 618 would be taken out of service at the end of its federal boiler ticket, bringing a temporary end to steam services on the line. The railroad would be featured in a 2012 music video by The Piano Guys for their song Code Name Vivaldi, and the group would return to perform at the railroad in a benefit concert later the same year.[13] In 2013 a former railroad inspector would publicly accuse the railroad of firing him as a whistleblower regarding what he claimed were poor maintenance conditions; which the railroad denied referencing their Federal Railroad Administration safety records.[14] By 2015 the railroad had assessed a need for over $2 Million in track repairs and safety updates to improve the railroad's condition.[15]

 
Heber Valley Railroad "North Pole Express" approaching Soldier Hollow, 2021

In the late 2010s the railroad embarked on a fleet modernization program, purchasing EMD GP9 locomotives from the Pan Am Railways and the Boulder Railroad Historical Society in Colorado.[16] The railroad would also purchase the collection of the National Railway Historical Society British Columbia chapter in 2019 adding a FP9 to the locomotive roster and a collection of passenger cars to the roster.[17] During this time work on returning No. 618 has been ongoing, but the longer and heavier train lengths with the growth of the railroad has had the line considering how it can successfully return steam to service while also matching increased passenger demands on the railroad.[18] In 2019 the railroad acquired the original neon sign from the Salt Lake Rio Grande Depot, storing the sign inside the expanded coach sheds built at the railroad.[19][20] The line was temporarily closed from Vivian Park to Decker Bay Siding starting in 2022 to accommodate expansion and rehabilitation projects along the Provo Canyon trail.[21] In early 2024, train service resumed between Decker Bay Siding and Wallsburg Siding following track work.[22] The railroad added a pair of former Rio Grande flangers to the roster for snow removal in 2024.[23]

Operations

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Live music performance on board the Heber Valley Railroad, 2017

The railroad's main depot is located in Heber City. Other passenger terminals are located at Soldier Hollow (near Midway, Utah) and Vivian Park. The railroad operates year-round and features evening and special event train rides.[24] Among its named trains are the Provo Canyon Limited, a three-hour round trip excursion to Vivian Park and the shorter Deer Creek Express to Deer Creek Reservoir.[24] The railroad can be seen from various points along U.S. Highway 189 between Heber City and Vivian Park and the whistle can be heard throughout the valley.

Locomotive No. 618 was used in the 2006 film, Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy.[25] The locomotive soon turned 100 years old as of July 2007. From 2008 to 2010, No. 618 ran limited capacity and was then taken out of service for a 1,472-day inspection and major overhaul, as required to meet Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety standards in 2010.[26] In October 2014, No. 618 was moved into the shops were restoration officially began.[26] The non-profit railroad raised the $750,000 required for the project to give No. 618 another 30 years of service. Its restoration includes conversion from coal to oil burning. The railroad hopes to get it running sometime in the 2020s.[26][1][27] As of May 2022, restoration work is still in progress.[26] No. 75 has been out of service and undergoing restoration since 2003.[28]

Equipment

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Locomotives

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Locomotive details[27][28][29][30][31]
Number Image Type Wheel Arrangement Classification Builder Built Serial Number Status
618
 
 Steam 2-8-0 C-2 Baldwin Locomotive Works 1907 31250 Undergoing restoration
75
 
 Steam 2-8-0 CB&Q 10-34-E Baldwin Locomotive Works 1907 31778 Undergoing restoration
300
 
 Steam 0-6-0 6-36-D Baldwin Locomotive Works 1925 58379 Display
5926
 
 Diesel B-B EMD GP9 EMD 1957 23224 Operational
5938 Diesel B-B EMD GP9 EMD 1957 23236 Under restoration
296
 
 Diesel B-B EMD GP9 EMD 1954 19893 Operational
1011   Diesel B-B EMD NW2 EMD 1940 1124 Under restoration
1043 Diesel B-B EMD NW2 EMD 1946 3429 For Sale
6300
 
 Diesel B-B VIA FP9ARM EMD 1957 A1196 Operational

Former units

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Number Image Type Wheel arrangement Classification Builder Built Serial Number Current owner Status
110
 
 Steam 2-6-6-2t Class 110 Baldwin Locomotive Works 1937 62064 Black Hills Central Railroad Operational
4   Steam Shay C70-3 Lima Locomotive Works 1920 3092 Sierra Nevada Logging Museum Display
35
 
 Steam 2-8-2 Class 35 Baldwin Locomotive Works 1923 57538 Nevada State Railroad Museum Boulder City Display
36
 
 Steam 2-8-2 Class 36 American Locomotive Company 1925 68278 Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad Stored
100
 
 Steam 2-8-2 Class 100 Baldwin Locomotive Works 1926 59284 Virginia and Truckee Railroad Awaiting restoration
1744
 
 Steam 2-6-0 M-6 Baldwin Locomotive Works 1901 19671 Pacific Locomotive Association Undergoing restoration
4028
 
 Diesel B-B RS-4-TC-1 Baldwin Locomotive Works 1954 61258 Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad Operational
1813
 
 Diesel C-C EMD MRS-1 EMD 1952 15878 The Coffee Depot Mt. Pleasant UT Static Display
1218 Diesel B-B 44-ton switcher Davenport Locomotive Works 1953 3366 Western Elite Landfill; Alamo, Nevada Display
72 Diesel B-B EMD GP9 Electro-Motive Division 1957 23239 470 Railroad Club (never delivered to Heber Valley) Restored to operation

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Wrinn, Jim (February 5, 2019). "No steam at Heber Valley in 2019". Trains magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-02-13. Retrieved 2019-02-12.
  2. ^ Strack, Don. "Utah Eastern Railway (second)". UtahRails. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  3. ^ Strack, Don. "D&RGW Provo Canyon Branch". UtahRails. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Strack, Don. "Heber Valley Railroad". UtahRails. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  5. ^ Fagg, Ellen (October 28, 1990). "HEBER CREEPER MAKES WHAT MAY BE ITS LAST RUN". Deseret News. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  6. ^ Knudson, Mark (August 14, 1994). "EX-HEBER CREEPER ROLLING AGAIN WITH NEW NAME, STATE AID". Deseret News. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  7. ^ Strack, Don. "Heber Valley Railroad Equipment". UtahRails. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  8. ^ "The History of the Railroad in the Heber Valley". Heber Valley Railroad. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  9. ^ Salt Lake Organizing Committee (2001). Official Spectator Guide. p. 211.
  10. ^ Keith Albrandt (2002). "Salt Lake City 2002 XIX Olympic Winter Games Steam Team". Nevada Northern & Railroads of White Pine County website. Archived from the original on 20 April 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
  11. ^ Anderton, Dave (March 21, 2002). "Old train basks in Olympic acclaim". deseret.com. Deseret News. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  12. ^ Terry, Jeff. "No. 300 Steam Locomotive". Heber Valley Railroad. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  13. ^ "RSVP: Piano Guys tickle the ivories for the Heber Valley railroad, Utah women remember their favorite outfits, plus a roundup for military families". The Salt Lake Tribune. September 20, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  14. ^ Davidson, Lee (December 17, 2013). "Fired inspector says Heber Valley Railroad ignores safety problems". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  15. ^ Davidson, Lee (January 23, 2015). "Steam locomotive returning to Heber Valley Railroad". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  16. ^ Franz, Justin (May 17, 2018). "Heber Valley purchases Pan Am GP9s". Kalmbach Media. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  17. ^ Strack, Don. "British Columbia Equipment to Heber Research Notes". UtahRails. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  18. ^ Nelson, Mark (May 6, 2022). "Status of the 618 Steam Locomotive Restoration Project". Heber Valley Railroad. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  19. ^ McKellar, Katie (September 20, 2019). "Rio Grande Depot's historical neon sign replaced with double-sided, LED replica". Deseret News. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  20. ^ Guenzler, Chris (July 16, 2020). "Our Honeymoon Heber Valley Railroad 7/16/2020". Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  21. ^ Lasseter, Ben (February 3, 2022). "Provo Canyon trail proposal moves forward with $2 million Wasatch County pledge". KPCW. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  22. ^ Belmont, James (January 28, 2024). "Return of the Lakeside Limited". flickr.com. Flickr. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  23. ^ Franz, Justin (January 17, 2024). "Heber Valley Acquires Rio Grande Flangers". railfan.com. White River Productions. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Wrinn, Jim, ed. (2009). Tourist Trains Guidebook. Waukesha, Wisc.: Kalmbach Publishing. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-87116-273-1.
  25. ^ Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy (DVD). Feature Films for Families. 2007.
  26. ^ a b c d "The No. 618 Restoration Blog". Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  27. ^ a b "No. 618 – Heber Valley Railroad". Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  28. ^ a b "No. 75 – Heber Valley Railroad". Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  29. ^ "No. 300 – Heber Valley Railroad". Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  30. ^ Franz, Justin (July 3, 2023). "Heber Valley Repaints Pan Am Heritage Unit Black and Gold". railfan.com. White River Productions. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  31. ^ "Heber Valley Railroad Equipment". Retrieved 2021-10-25.
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