Friday August 7, 1987 on the Union Pacific
Portola, CA to Smelter, UT
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From Portola the grade lessens and finally peaks out at Chilcoot (mp339) at 5,003 feet. After passing through tunnel 37, the line heads out into the desert. It joins the SP just east of Winnemucca at Weso (mp536), 4,340 feet. The UP line is used eastbound and the SP westbound. The UP track stays north of the SP until crossing over it just west of Palisade Canyon. Both tracks follow the Humboldt River to near Alazon (mp714), 5,502 feet. Here, the shared trackage ends. The line then zigzags to cross two mountain ranges and then drops down to the southern edge of the Great Salt Lake. It joins the line from Los Angeles at Smelter (mp911)
Union Pacific train OANPZ Chilcoot
STSC departed Oroville at 1255AM and met the SLOAZ at Pulga.
Engines 3271, 2484, and 2455 were scurrying along with nine loads and 37
empties, 2,280 tons, near Gerlach (mp438).
CVYBB began with engines 3749, 2423, 3137, and 3325 picking up the loads at Sharp yesterday as train CSRVY. It departed at 1025AM with 84 loads and a caboose at 10,801 tons. It met STSC at Delle, OANPZ at Clifside, MINPZ at Shafter and STUS at Sage. After unloading and changing symbols at Valmy, the CVYBB was now crossing the Humboldt River near Dunphy (mp610) with 85 cars at 2,534 tons. It would leave Elko at 1235PM and go to Black Buttes, WY to load out.
Union Pacific train NPOAZ at Palisade, NV
NPOAZ departed North Platte with 52 loads, 3,575 tons. It set out
three cars at Cheyenne and set out engine 3761 and 11 cars
at Salt Lake City. It departed at 335AM with engines MP9029
and MP9026 pulling 38 loads, 2,743 tons, and met Amtrak 6 at
Delle. It was creeping through the SP yard at Carlin after
being delayed an hour and 25 minutes while SP train 2OGOAT
was switching from the main line.
Union Pacific train NPST at Palisade, NV
USST was at Elko. It began its journey on the UP at Fremont,
NE at 300AM on the 2nd with 102 loads at 13,003 tons. At
North Platte, it traded engines CNW5079, CR6319, CR6478, and
CR6474 for 3668, 3205, 3786, and 3483. At Rawlins it set out
3205 and added engines 2476 and 3470. It let the CSSEZ and
APLA6X run around it at Riner, set out the 3668 at Green
River, and let the SLOAZ run around it at Granger. Out of
Salt Lake City, it met STUS at Arinosa (mp825), CVYSR and STSC at
Ola (mp799). It arrived in Elko on the 4th at 1210AM and was
waiting until the surplus of steel at Pittsburg, CA
decreased. It would be called later this evening.
Union Pacific train USST Elko, NV
NPST had been consolidated with the SCST at Salt Lake City
and left at 515AM. It had engines 3520, 2924, 2443, and 787
dragging 62 loads and 26 empties, 7,805 tons. It met the OANP at Arinosa,
met the ELROB at Shafter (mp766), and was roaring
through Wells(mp718). Yesterday, it departed North Platte at 130AM with
45 loads and 19 empties at 5,481 tons. It picked up at Cheyenne
and let the NPLAZ run around it at Riner. At Green River, it
picked up four cars, let the NPOAZ run around it, and left
at 910PM with 51 loads and 20 empties at 6,276 tons.
Oakland to Portola