Heber Valley Railroad Equipment
Index For This Page
This page was last updated on July 25, 2024.
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Steam Locomotives
(listed in numerical order)
Sacramento Valley & Eastern No. 2
- 2-6-2T
- Built by Baldwin in January 1908 (Baldwin 32651)
- Baldwin Class 10-28 1/4 D-22 (17x44 cylinders, 44 inch drivers)
- SV&E operations were between Pitt, California, and a lumber company's mill; operations ended with the depression of the 1930s, and the railroad was scrapped during the construction of Shasta Dam
- Sold to Hyman-Michaels in 1942
- Sold to M. Davidson Company in 1946; moved to salvage yard in Stockton, California, and stored along with Yosemite Lumber Shay No. 4 and State Belt 0-6-0 No. 4
- Ownership of M. Davidson Company passed to Levin Metals and Steel Corporation in the mid 1960s.
- Donated on April 30, 1969 to Promontory Chapter, National Railway Historical Society in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Moved to Heber City, Utah, in December 1971. (Pacific News, January 1972, page 8-9)
- Privately-owned Heber Creeper operations formally ended on January 31, 1991; replaced by state-owned Heber Valley Railroad on July 1, 1992
- Sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1992; moved to Boulder City, Nevada, in February 1993
- Sold to Shasta Cascade Rail Preservation Society in 2003; moved to Redding, California in March 2006; on display at the Fairdale Oaks RV Park in Portal Inn, California (10 miles north of Redding)
- (Read more about SV&E No. 2)
Yosemite Lumber Company Shay No. 4
- 70-ton, 3 truck Shay
- Built by Lima in July 1920 (Lima 3092)
- To Yosemite Sugar Pine Lumber Company in November 1929
- Sold to M. Davidson Company in May 1943; moved to salvage yard in Stockton, California, and stored along with Sacramento Valley & Eastern 2-6-2T No. 2 and State Belt 0-6-0 No. 4
- Ownership of M. Davidson Company passed to Levin Metals and Steel Corporation in the mid 1960s.
- Donated on April 30, 1969 to Promontory Chapter, National Railway Historical Society in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Donated to Wasatch Railroad Museum & Foundation
- Moved to Heber City, Utah, in December 1971. (Pacific News, January 1972, page 8-9)
- Privately-owned Heber Creeper operations formally ended on January 31, 1991; replaced by state-owned Heber Valley Railroad on July 1, 1992
- Sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1992, moved to Boulder City, Nevada, in February 1993
- Sold to Sierra Nevada Logging Museum, White Pines (Arnold), California in August 2002
On February 26, 2013, the Sierra Nevada Loogging Museum returned the Shay to operation. The museum had a web page about the Shay returning to operation, but that page has been removed.
(Read a PDF of the removed web page about the Shay returning to operation, courtesy of Archive.org)
The Sierra Nevada Logging Museum also had a web page about how the Shay survived. The web page has since been removed.
State Belt No. 4
(not moved to Heber)
- 0-6-0
- Built by Vulcan Iron Works in 1911
- Sold in 1932 to Modesto & Empire Traction No. 5
- Sold in 1938 to A. D. Schader, San Francisco, California
- Sold to Permanente Cement as no. 400, Permanente, California
- Sold in 1942 to U. S. Army as no. 6956, Lathrop, California
- Sold in 1946 to M. Davidson Company; moved to company's salvage yard in Stockton, California, and stored along with Sacramento Valley & Eastern 2-6-2T No. 2 and Yosemite Lumber Shay No. 4
- Ownership of M. Davidson Company passed to Levin Metals and Steel Corporation in the mid 1960s.
- Donated on April 30, 1969 to Promontory Chapter, National Railway Historical Society in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Moved to Salt Lake City in December 1971. (Pacific News, January 1972, page 8-9)
- Never moved to Heber; ownership remained with Promontory Chapter.
- Sold to Golden Gate Railroad Museum in 1995; loaded on heavy duty flat car on November 13, 1995; arrived at Hunters Point on December 1, 1995; restoration begun, with partial dismantling, while stored at Hunters Point
- State Belt No. 4 ownership changed to San Francisco Trains in 2005, at the time the GGRM collection was moved to Pacific Locomotive Association's Niles Canyon location
- State Belt No. 4 was moved directly from Hunter's Point to multiple storage locations in the south San Francisco area; as of January 2013, it is stored at the former Southern Pacific Bayshore yards, near the old roundhouse.
Pacific Lumber Company No. 35
- 2-8-2
- Built by Baldwin in 1924 (Baldwin 67538)
- Sold to a couple private individuals, but never left Scotia, California
- Donated to NRHS Promontory Chapter in 1971
- Moved to Heber City, Utah, on April 22, 1971 (along with Rayonier no. 110 and several freight cars).
- Operated at Heber from 1971 to 1976; retired and stored at Heber after September 1976
- Privately-owned Heber Creeper operations formally ended on January 31, 1991; replaced by state-owned Heber Valley Railroad on July 1, 1992
- Sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1992, moved to Boulder City, Nevada, in February 1993
Jeff Terry wrote on January 3, 2010:
The 35 was the second locomotive the Wasatch Mountain Railway (A.K.A. the "Heber Creeper") acquired back in 1971. It had been sold to a private owner in 1967-1968 and stored in California after the Pacific Lumber Company stopped using it. He sold it to the Wasatch Railway Museum & Foundation in 1971, and after a trip via flatcar to Provo and unloading at Olmstead, it ran to Heber City under its own power hauling ex-Rayonier 2-6-6-2T 110 dead in tow. That was the last train over the line before the connection with the D&RGW was severed.
No. 35 was painted up the first season (1971) in a red and white paint scheme, and then for 1972 it was painted yellow--like you see now--thanks to General Manager Ed McLaughlin; the train was painted up the same way. The tender logos were originally plywood--later painted on.
Some of the guys at Heber, especially Doug Brown, have told me some great stories about this locomotive. They used to put the current year in the number boards , and it wore "1776" in 1976.
Doug was the last to run it, and it was quite worn out when he parked it in 1977. I climbed on it as a kid, and was sorry to see it go in 1993 -- that's the year that the Wasatch Mountain Railway sold its equipment to the Nevada State Railroad Museum. The current Heber Valley Railroad tried to buy it, and made an offer, which was later accepted, but only after 35 had been trucked all the way to Boulder City. "No thanks, it'll be too expensive to bring back" was the response.
Note that it's an oil burner. The principal person behind the Wasatch Mountain Railway also owned a Conoco dealership in Heber City, and gave himself a kickback (or so I've been told) on the oil they burned in 35. As such it was the preferred power on the ‘Creeper in the 1970s, over coal-burning ex-UP 618. She was parked after the White Mountain Scenic engines arrived and never turned a wheel at Heber after that.
Sierra Railroad No. 36
- 2-8-2
- Built by Alco in January 1930 (Alco 68278)
- Built for Sierra Railroad, Jamestown, California
- Possibly built as a coal-burning locomotive for an unknown railroad; sale not completed and converted to oil burning and sold to Sierra Railroad
- Sold to Reed Hatch in December 1961; moved from Jamestown to White Mountain Scenic Railway at McNary, Arizona in mid June 1965
- Moved to Heber and leased to Heber Creeper in September 1976
- Operated on Heber Creeper until Fall 1983
- Sierra No. 36 was sold to Fred Kepner (Great Western Railroad Museum) in about 1987, along with Santa Maria Valley No. 100
- Moved by Kepner to Ogden in 1989 for storage
- Moved to Ogden, Utah in 1989, stored at SP shops; completely stripped of any removable items
- Sierra No. 36 and Santa Maria Valley No. 100 were moved from Ogden in April 1999, loaded on two flatcars, MP 819610 for Sierra No. 36, and MP 819891 for SMV No. 100, with a third flatcar, MP 819978, being used for the two tenders; the locomotives and tenders, loaded on three flatcars, were seen at Eugene, Oregon in June 1999, and at Merrill, Oregon in July 1999.
Great Western No. 75
- 2-8-0
- Built by Baldwin in 1907
- Retired by Great Western Railway in 1965
- Sold to Everett Rohrer in 1966 and used for movie and excursion work, until his death in 1999
- Sold to Heber Valley Railroad in April 1999
- Undergoing rebuild during March 2006 that included having its extended smokebox cutback to its as-built length. (S. C. Lewis, March 20, 2006)
- As of April 2016, disassembled and undergoing complete refurbishment
As far as number 75 goes, she is going through an extensive 1472-day inspection. In addition the the boiler work, she is getting a brand new tender. The cab is having more than half the steel replaced, only a little more than just the roof will be original (if you want to consider the cab as original - the current cab was built 100 percent new in the 1940's). The running gear is having some heavy attention as well. Boxes, crown brasses, journals, spring rigging pins and bushings, lead truck journals, new liner in bottom of smokebox, smokebox front door ring, and yes - we did cut the forward 18 inches off the smokebox, new tender wheels, completely new air brake system ... the list goes on. We would like to have the locomotive out running sometime in later 2006. The date is not cast in stone, you cannot ever predict what other "hot projects" may fall into your lap that need attention. (Michael Manwiller, posted to Railway Preservation News, November 30, 2005)
Santa Maria Valley No. 100
- 2-8-2
- Built by Baldwin in June 1926 (Baldwin 59284)
- Built for Charles E. McCormick Lumber Company
- Sold to Pope & Talbot Lumber Company
- Sold to Santa Maria Valley Railroad
- Sold to Reed Hatch in December 1961; moved from Jamestown to White Mountain Scenic Railway at McNary, Arizona in mid June 1965
- Moved to Heber and leased to Heber Creeper in September 1976
- Operated on Heber Creeper until August 1985
- Santa Maria Valley No. 100 sold to Fred Kepner (Great Western Railroad Museum) in about 1987, along with Sierra No. 34
- Moved to Ogden, Utah in 1989, stored at SP shops; completely stripped of any removable items
- Santa Maria Valley No. 100 and Sierra No. 36 were moved from Ogden in April 1999, loaded on two flatcars, MP 819610 for Sierra No. 36, and MP 819891 for SMV No. 100, with a third flatcar, MP 819978, being used for the two tenders; the locomotives and tenders, loaded on three flatcars, were seen at Eugene, Oregon in June 1999, and at Merrill, Oregon in July 1999.
- Upon Fred Kepner's death, this locomotive was sold to the Oregon Scenic Railway at Girbaldi, Oregon; then re-sold to Virginia & Truckee Railroad at Virginia City, Nevada; arrived by truck at Virginia City on May 25, 2022.
Rayonier No. 110
- 2-6-6-2
- Built as Weyerhauser 110 by Baldwin in August 1928 (Baldwin 60561)
- Sold in 1954 to Rayonier as 110
- Retired in 1968, sold to Rod Edwards and Chick Nielson, who then organized the non-profit Wasatch Railway Museum and Foundation in July 1969 to operate the engine; later in association with the Promontory Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
- Rayonier 110 was shipped from Washington to Utah on a railroad flat car in summer 1969; upon arrival in Salt Lake City, the flat car was moved into UP's diesel shop and the shop's 250-ton overhead crane was used to remove the steam engine from the flat car
- Rayonier 110 was stored in Salt Lake City awaiting movement to Heber; inspected in October 1970 by UP at Salt Lake City for movement
- Moved by UP from Salt Lake City to Provo on April 14, 1971, and by D&RGW to connection with Heber Branch for movement to Heber
- Moved to Heber City, Utah, on April 22, 1971 (along with Pacific Lumber no. 35 and several freight cars).
- Privately-owned Heber Creeper operations formally ended on January 31, 1991; replaced by state-owned Heber Valley Railroad on July 1, 1992
- Sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1992, moved to Boulder City, Nevada, in February 1993
- Sold to Black Hills Central Railroad in 1999 and moved to Hill City, South Dakota; restored to operating condition and returned to operation in January 2001 (Currently the only operational articulated logging locomotive in North America)
"Rayonier 110 was the reason the Heber line was saved in the first place! Here's a condensed history. Two Utah railfans, Charles "Chick" Nielson and Rodney Edwards bought the 110 back in the late 1960s. They needed a place to run it, and the D&RGW had just abandoned the Provo Canyon Branch. Chick told me that the Heber line was perfect for a recreational railroad, and soon they got the Promontory Chapter NRHS involved (they were both members) and several businessmen from Heber, including Lowe Ashton, who owned a lumberyard adjacent to the Heber depot and wye. There was a battle to save the right-of-way (it had been purchased by the state to relocate US 189), but the train buffs prevailed in 1970. UP 618, which was on display at the state fair grounds in Salt Lake was transferred to the custody of the Promontory Chapter NRHS, and was refurbished with minimal effort in November 1970. Unfortunately, the 110 never ran there, after 618 and Pacific Lumber 35 were acquired. The "old heads" at Heber (many employees of the Bingham & Garfield) said it was in terrible shape - too bad to ever restore - but they were fortunately proved wrong, and after restoration it's now living the good life on the Black Hills Central." (Jeff Terry, posted to Trainorders.com on March 22, 2010)
UP No. 264
- 2-8-0
- Built by Baldwin in March 1907 (Baldwin 30116)
- Renumbered to UP 6264 in 1953
- Retired in March 1959 and donated to Sons of Utah Pioneers; displayed at Corinne, Utah
- Displayed at Corinne, Utah, from 1958 to 1980
- Sold to New London Railroad and Village, Inc., at Heber, Utah, under a long term progressive sales agreement
- Boiler and cab assembly moved by truck to Heber, Utah on April 20, 1980; tenders from UP 6264 and SP 1744 were moved the same day, on a second truck (SP 1744 cab and boiler assembly were moved on a third truck, on April 22, 1981) (Pacific News, Number 234, February 1981, page 4-11)
- Moved by truck to Heber, Utah in April 1980 (due to weight considerations the boiler was separated from the frame, and the tender was separated from locomotive)
- Privately-owned Heber Creeper operations formally ended on January 31, 1991; replaced by state-owned Heber Valley Railroad on July 1, 1992
- Sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1992, moved to Boulder City, Nevada, in February 1993 (sale included final cash settlement between SUP and New London)
- As with the move from Corinne to Heber, the move from Heber to Nevada was by truck, and again, due to weight considerations the boiler was separated from the frame, and the tender was separated from locomotive
- (As of December 8, 2016, UP 264 is displayed at Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City, Nevada.)
Columbia Steel Corporation No. 300
- 0-6-0
- Built by Baldwin in May 1925 (Baldwin 58379)
- Donated to Geneva Recreation Association (GRA) in 1960, placed by crane on May 28, 1960 for display in GRA Park, Provo, Utah
- GRA park closed in January 2003; locomotive donated to Heber Valley Railroad
- Moved to Heber City in July 2003; locomotive was missing one of its main drive rods, which was to be fabricated as part of its restoration. (21x26 cylinders 51 inch drivers)
- The locomotive was lifted by cranes from its display at GRA park on the morning of July 7, 2003; then trucked to Vivian Park on the Heber Valley Railroad, where it was placed on the rails, and towed to Heber by UP 618, all on the same day.
(View a photo and article at SteamLocomotive.info)
UP (OSL) No. 618
- 2-8-0
- Built as OSL 1068 by Baldwin in July 1907 (Baldwin 31250)
- Retired in May 1958 and donated to the State of Utah
- UP 618 was moved to the Utah State fairgrounds in Salt Lake City on Thursday July 10, 1958. (Deseret News, July 10, 1958)
- Displayed at Utah State Fairgrounds from 1958 to 1970
- Loaned to NRHS Promontory Chapter in 1970; ownership remained with State of Utah
- Inspected by UP for movement on October 12, 1970, located at state fairgrounds
- Moved slowly on portable tracks from fairgrounds to SLG&W yard during October and November 1970 (crossing North Temple Street on Thanksgiving weekend)
- During last week of November and first week of December 1970, moved by UP from Salt Lake City to Provo, and by D&RGW within Provo to Hale, Utah, on the abandoned Heber Branch, where a road crossing had been paved over
- Steamed for first time since 1958 on December 5, 1970, located on D&RGW abandoned Heber Branch
- Moved under its own power on December 7, 1970, along with several other pieces of equipment, from Hale to Heber City.
- Public excursion service began on July 10, 1971
- In regular and standby service on the Heber Creeper from 1971 to 1976, and then from 1986 to 1990 (Craig Lacey, Railway Preservation News, January 18, 2008)
- Privately-owned Heber Creeper operations formally ended on January 31, 1991; replaced by state-owned Heber Valley Railroad on July 1, 1992
- Ownership transferred from State of Utah to Heber Valley Rail Authority (an entity of State of Utah)
- Locomotive re-tubed in 1995 and returned to regular service (Craig Lacey, Railway Preservation News, January 18, 2008)
- Special number and lettering as OSL 1068 during May 2007 to commemorate the locomotive's 100th anniversary
- Repainted and reconfigured in 2008 to match its appearance on Union Pacific in the 1920s, including high cantilevered headlight and Modified Railroad Roman lettering
- As of April 2016, partially disassembled and undergoing extensive repairs to boiler, cab, and running gear, as well as conversion to oil-burning; tender undergoing refurbishment, including tender trucks being rebuilt.
U.P. 618 was nearing the end of her 1472 service days. After the current 1472 service days were consumed, the locomotive was required by federal law (CFR part 230) to be fully inspected. (Michael Manwiller, posted to Railway Preservation News, November 30, 2005)
"The 618 worked the last public steam runs for the 2009 season on August 7-8. August 8, 2009 was Doug Brown's last day as engineer of the 618. He has been an engineer on the Heber line for about 34 years." (Stan Jennings, email dated, August 10, 2009)
SP No. 1744
- 2-6-0 (SP Class M-6)
- Built by Baldwin in November 1901 (Baldwin 19671)
- Built as Vauclain Compound, converted to simple in 1912
- Retired by SP on September 24, 1956, at Sacramento
- Used by SP for several railfan excursions in 1957
- Last operated by SP on Knights Landing excursion trip on May 4, 1958
- Donated to Sons of Utah Pioneers on April 18, 1959, delivered to SUP at Corinne on May 9, 1959
- Displayed at Corinne, Utah, from 1959 to 1980
- Sold to New London Railroad and Village, Inc., at Heber, Utah, under a long term progressive sales agreement
- Moved by truck to Heber, Utah on April 22, 1980 (The tenders from SP 1744 and from UP 6264, and UP 6264's boiler/cab assembly were moved on April 20th) (Pacific News, Number 234, February 1981, page 4-11)
- Returned to service in September 1980 for the Labor Day weekend. (Pacific News, June 1980, page 21; published in November 1980)
- Sold to Tarantula Corporation in December 1989, lettered for Fort Worth & Western Railroad (sale included possible final cash settlement between Sons of Utah Pioneers and New London)
- Moved to Texas in November 1990, by truck from Heber to Ogden, then by railcar from Ogden to Fort Worth (Privately-owned Heber Creeper operations formally ended on January 31, 1991; replaced by state-owned Heber Valley Railroad on July 1, 1992)
- Stored at Fort Worth until 1999; sold to Rio Grande Pacific Corp.; moved to New Orleans
- SP 1744 was purchased by Rio Grande Pacific Corporation from Fort Worth and Western Railroad on May 21, 1999, for service on their subsidiary New Orleans and Gulf Coast Railway. A full and thorough restoration and rebuilding of the locomotive was begun in January 2000. The locomotive was fired up on August 29, 2000, and approved by the FRA for service on September 19, 2000. It was moved on a flat car from Fort Worth to New Orleans, for service pulling the "Big Easy Steam Strain." (SP Trainline, Winter 2001, page 4, "The Mail Bag")
- Complete rebuild completed in September 2000; cost of purchase and rebuild reported as $1.3 million; rebuild overseen by J. D. Morris
- Lettered for New Orleans & Gulf Coast Railway as "The Big Easy Steam Train"; operated from December 2000 to May 2001
- Stored at New Orleans until 2007 (not damaged by Hurricane Katrina)
- Sold to Iowa Pacific Holdings on March 21, 2007; moved to San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad at Alamosa, Colorado, on May 9, 2007
- Operated through 2007 season, beginning with Memorial Day weekend in 2007; used daily on Alamosa-to-La Veta on "San Luis Express", and round-trip weekend service from Alamosa-to-Antonito on the "Toltec Gorge Limited"; removed from service due to needed boiler repairs.
- Boiler separated from the frame and shipped to Historic Machinery Services Corp., in Springville, Alabama, for repairs; upon retirement of HMS Corp's owner, the unfinished boiler was moved to Rusk, Palestine & Pacific Railroad (since August 2012, contract operator of state-owned Texas State Railroad) at Rusk, Texas, which has a complete steam shop capable of full repairs. Some parts for boiler repairs were, as of late 2012, being fabricated by Strasburg Rail Road at Strasburg, Pennsylvania. (as of late 2015, the boiler was still at Rusk, and the running gear, cab and tender were still at Alamosa)
- On March 9, 2020 it was announced that the Pacific Locomotive Association had purchased SP 1744 for restoration and service on its heritage railway line in Niles Canyon, east of San Francisco.
- SP 1744's tender and separated cab arrived at the PLA's Niles Canyon facility at Brightside, California, on March 9th, and the tender was placed on the tracks.
A tender from a former Great Northern steam locomotive was seen at the Lake Point truck stop on June 1, 2022. The truck driver said it was bound for Heber in trade for a passenger car that had already been moved earlier by the same truck to a loctaion in the Pacific Northwest. (Doug Jolley, Facebook, Rails Through The Wasatch, June 1, 2022) (This the tender of the former Great Northern No. 1246, 2-8-0, Baldwin 1907, C/N 32297, which had been in the Fred Kepner collection at Merrill, Oregon.)
Diesel Locomotives
(listed in numerical order)
RPCX 52
(RPCX = a temporary reporting mark to allow movement on national rail network)
(See HVRR 5926, below)
RPCX 72
(RPCX = a temporary reporting mark to allow movement on national rail network)
- Built by EMD in July 1957 (EMD 23239)
- Boston & Maine 1741; renumbered to B&M 72 when Guilford Transportation bought B&M in 1983; Guilford changed to Pan Am Railways in 2006
- Guilford gray paint scheme
- Out of service and retired in 2017 due to a fire in the traction motors leads near the main generator
- Sold to Heber Valley Railroad in May 2018; stored at Waterville, Maine, not moved to Utah
- Sold by Heber Valley Railroad to the 470 Railroad Club in Portland, Maine; sale announced on December 24, 2020; B&M 72 to be moved to Conway Scenic Railway's shops in North Conway, New Hampshire for repairs and return to service. (Restoration completed in early October 2024, including being renumbered back to its original B&M number 1741, and original McGinnis-era blue-black-white paint scheme.)
RPCX 77
(RPCX = a temporary reporting mark to allow movement on national rail network)
- Built by EMD in June 1957 (EMD 23236)
- Boston & Maine 1738; renumbered to B&M 1838; renumbered to B&M 77 when Guilford Transportation bought B&M in 1983; Guilford changed to Pan Am Railways in 2006
- Guilford gray paint scheme until August 2011; repainted Boston & Maine heritage paint scheme
- Stored at Waterville, Maine, at time of sale to Heber Valley Railroad in May 2018
- Departed Gardner, Maine, on September 20, 2018
- Departed Selkirk, New York, on September 30, 2018
- Arrived at Provo yard on November 1, 2018, by way of BNSF from Denver
- Moved by truck from Provo to Heber on November 17, 2018
- Entered service on Heber Valley Railroad in late December 2018.
UP GP9 296
- Built by EMD in September 1954 (EMD 19893)
- Equipped with a steam generator for local passenger service, until December 1972
- Retired by UP in March 1985
- Sold to Great Western Railway 296, Loveland, Colorado on June 10, 1985
- Removed from Great Western service in 2000 and stored at Longmont, Colorado
- Sold to Boulder County Railroad Historical Society in May 2003; moved for display to Boulder, Colorado, in October 2003
- BCRHS changed to Boulder Valley Railroad Historical Society in 2011; BVRHS ended operations in early 2015
- GW 296 was acquired by Heber Valley Railroad at Heber, Utah, as a backup for MRS-1 1813
- Moved by truck from Boulder to Heber beginning on December 18, 2015; delayed entering Utah, held at Evanston, Wyoming, until December 29
- Placed on the rails at Heber on December 30, 2015; work began making repairs needed to start diesel engine for the first time since 2000; diesel engine first started on September 22, 2016
- Entered service on Heber Valley Railroad in late April 2017.
(Watch the YouTube video unloading the locomotive at Heber; 3 minutes)
UP NW2 No. 1000 (WP 607)
- Built by EMC in October 1939 (EMC 889)
- Retired by UP in July 1966
- Sold to Stockton Terminal & Eastern in July 1966
- Sold to Western Pacific 607 in June 1969
- Sold to Sacramento Northern (WP subsidiary) in May 1973 (to UP by merger in January 1983)
- Retired by UP in September 1983
- Donated to Deer Creek Scenic Railway in May 1984
- Arrived at Heber on a low-boy truck on September 25, 1984
- Repainted from SN 607 with green paint, to all-black UP 1000 in November 1985
- Out of service at Heber after 1986 due to needed diesel engine repairs
- Privately-owned Heber Creeper operations formally ended on January 31, 1991; replaced by state-owned Heber Valley Railroad on July 1, 1992
- Sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1992, moved to Boulder City, Nevada, seen en route in Parleys Canyon on I-80 in July 1993, traveling on a low-boy truck
- Completely rebuilt and returned to service; repainted as Nevada Southern
- Still in service as of July 2018 as Nevada Southern Railway No. 1000 at Boulder City
- (Read more about Nevada Southern 1000 at the official web site)
UP NW2 No. 1011
- Built by EMD in July 1940 (EMD 1124)
- Retired by UP in July 1977
- Donated to State of Utah in August 1977 and moved by truck to Heber City, Utah
- NW2 1011 was the motive power on Heber Creepers last train on October 27, 1990
- Privately-owned Heber Creeper operations formally ended on January 31, 1991; replaced by state-owned Heber Valley Railroad on July 1, 1992
- Repainted from UP yellow to all-black UP paint in late 2001
- Still in service on Heber Valley Scenic Railroad, as of December 2006
- Repainted to more accurate UP all-black switcher paint scheme in May 2009
- As of April 2016, in shop undergoing complete refurbishment.
Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe NW2 No. 1043
- Built by EMD in July 1946 (EMD 3429)
- In service as UP 1043 from July 1946, retired by UP in March 1985
- Sold to Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe Company, Provo, Utah, on March 10, 1985
- Used by PSCIP at their Provo plant until donated to Heber Valley Railroad in September 2007
- Moved by very large, heavy-haul truck from Provo to Heber (Charleston) on September 13, 2007
- As of September 2009, undergoing refurbishment, including major body work on the cab and hood, and overhaul of mechanical and electrical control systems and air brake system
- As of April 2016, in shop undergoing complete refurbishment.
U. S. Army 44 ton No. 1218
- Built by Davenport-Bessler in June 1953 (Davenport 3366)
- One of just 20 locomotives built to this design, numbered as U. S. Army 1216-1235
- In limited service at Tooele Army Depot, South Area at Stockton, Utah until donated to Heber in early 1993
- USA 1218 donated to Heber in early 1993
- Used for initial HVRR trackwork in early 1993, and was used on the first HVRR train in May 1993
- Stored serviceable since 2004
- Sold to a ranch in Nevada.
U. S. Army MRS-1 No. 1813
- Built by EMD in April 1952 (EMD 15878)
- One of 13 MRS-1 units built by EMD for U. S. Army
- Stored at New Cumberland Army Depot in Pennsylvania until about 1970
- Moved to Fort Eustis, Virginia by August 1970; assigned to the 1st Railway Detachment; Detachment was inactivated on September 30 1978 and the railroad operations became the responsibility of the U. S Army's Directorate Of Logistics, Utility Rail Branch. After being declared surplus by the U. S. Army, 1813 was sent to the Army's rail test facility at Pueblo, Colorado.
- In late 1982 the 1813 was sent to the U. S. Department of Transportation's rail test facility at Avondale (near Pueblo), Colorado, as a transfer of ownership between federal agencies.
- Declared surplus by USDOT in 1995, and transferred to Heber Valley Railroad, again as a no-charge transfer of ownership from a government agency to a non-profit organization in need.
- To Heber Valley Railroad by October 1995; body shipped on a former AT&SF bulkhead flat car, and the two trucks shipped on another former AT&SF bulkhead flat car. The routing was by way of Santa Fe from Avondale to Pueblo and then to Salt Lake City by way of D&RGW. At Salt Lake City, the locomotive and trucks were trucked to Heber. The two ex-AT&SF bulkhead flatcars were also trucked to Heber and became part of the Heber Valley fleet. One of the flat cars is in maintence-of-way service, and the other was later sold as a bridge.
- Repainted to a Rio Grande-inspired black and gold scheme in May 2009.
- Sold in 2023 to a railroad-themed motel in Mount Pleasant, Utah, where it is displayed after the diesel engine, main generator and traction motors were removed at Heber.
U. S. Army RS4TC No. 4028
- Built by BLH Davenport in 1954 (BLH 61258)
- Built after Whitcomb merged with Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton
- Part of an group of 74 units built for United States Army Transportation Corps (USATC)
- Stored at Tooele Army Depot Rail Shop (at Hill Air Force Base, Utah) from about 1980 (seen at Hill AFB, Utah in July 1992, March 1993, and 1999)
- Rebuilt by Tooele Army Depot (at Hill AFB) in 1986, including a Caterpillar 3508 V-8 diesel engine, EMD switch gear, and a modernized AAR brake stand; used at Hill AFB until 2003
- To Heber Valley Railroad in March 2008
- Repainted to a Rio Grande-inspired black and gold scheme in January 2009
- Out of service for about two years
- Sold to Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad, Folsom, California
- Loaded on truck and moved from Heber to California starting on October 28, 2019
- (View a YouTube video showing 4028 being unloaded at Placerville)
(Read more about RS4TC locomotives)
HVRR 5926
- GP9
- Built Boston & Maine 1726 by EMD in December 1957 (EMD 23224)
- Boston & Maine 1726; renumbered to B&M 1826; renumbered to B&M 52 when Guilford Transportation bought B&M in 1983; Guilford changed to Pan Am Railways in 2006
- Guilford gray paint scheme until March 2012; repainted Maine Central heritage paint scheme
- Owned by PanAm Railways
- Stored at Waterville, Maine, at time of sale to Heber Valley Railroad in May 2018
- Departed Gardner, Maine, on September 20, 2018; as RPCX 52
- (RPCX = Railroad Passenger Car, Private; a temporary reporting mark to allow movement on national rail network)
- Departed Selkirk, New York, on September 30, 2018
- Arrived at Provo yard on November 1, 2018, by way of BNSF from Denver
- Moved by truck from Provo to Heber on November 17, 2018
- Entered service on Heber Valley Railroad in late December 2018.
- Painted to a D&RGW-inspired Heber Valley paint scheme, and numbered as 5926, matching the last digits of its original B&M number; entered service on July 3, 2023.
RPCX 6300
- FP9
- Built as CN 6524 by GM-Canada in April 1957 (EMD-DD A1196)
- Transferred to VIA March 31, 1978
- Rebuilt as FP9ARM in December 1983; renumbered to VIA 6300 at that time
- VIA 6300 was the last active F unit in VIA Rail's roster. It had been used as a shop switcher at VIA Rail's Vancouver Maintenance Centre.
- Donated to the British Columbia chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 2011.
- VIA 6300 (along with 23 coaches, 2 steam generator cars, and 1 box car) was sold to Heber Valley Railroad in May 2019
- RPCX 6300 arrived in Provo on December 9, 2019
- RPCX 6300 was moved by truck from Provo to Heber on December 19, 2019
- (Read more about the Heber Valley purchase of the former BC Chapter of NRHS equipment)
Passenger Cars
Passenger Car Timeline
May 1972
Heber Creeper received four commuter cars from Arcata & Mad River Railroad in northern California. The cars were decorated in the "Gay 90's" style, and could carry 74 passengers each. They were in excellent condition, and were to put into immediate service the following Saturday on the line's opening run for the 1972 season. The cars were shipped from Roseville to Ogden via SP, then by UP from Ogden to Park City, then trucked from Park City to Heber City. In addition, a former GM&O diner previously stored at Milford, Utah, was on its way, and was to arrive within a couple days. (Deseret News, May 25, 1972) (Since 1993 they've been at Boulder City, Nevada. They painted them blue. -- Jeff Terry, November 14, 2017)
Kyle Wyatt shared the histories of these four arch-roof cars from Arcata & Mad River. All four were sold by Deer Creek Scenic Railway to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1992 and moved to Boulder in 1993:
- Heber #601; ex SP coach CP #1182 (ex GH&SA/T&NO #735), Class 60-C-4 (wide window), built by Pullman Car Co., in 1911; to NSRM #601
- Heber #602; ex SP coach CP #1240, Class 60-C-3 (wide window), built by Pullman Car Co., in 1910; to NSRM #602 (lounge car)
- Heber #603; ex SP coach SP #2041, Class 60-C-6 (narrow window), built by Pullman Car Co., in 1915; to NSRM #603
- Heber #604; ex SP coach CP #1208 (ex Arizona Eastern #514), Class 60-C-6 (narrow window), built by Pullman Car Co., in 1916; to NSRM #604 (ADA lounge car)
The Heber Valley Railroad has two D&RGW 1006-1010 series modernized heavyweight coaches. (Steven Seguine, email to D&RGW group at YahooGroups, May 20, 2007)
December 1989
Five large passenger cars were sold to Tarantula Corporation in Texas at the same time as SP 1744, in December 1989.
Early 1990s
Two former DL&W cars (trailers) came to Heber in the early 1990s from Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. (S. C. Lewis)
1999
There were four passenger cars that came to Heber as part of the "Movie Train" that came at the same time as Great Western no. 75 in 1999. The numbers on Heber Valley were 7503 (ex C&S baggage), 7504 (ex C&S baggage), 7508 (ex D&RGW coach), and 7510 (ex D&RGW coach). (Daland Spiers, email dated May 20, 2007)
2005
Former Delaware Lackawanna & Western 2568, 2571, 2593 (3 cars) built in 1930-1931; to Erie-Lackawanna 3568, 3571, 3593 in 1961; to Conrail (same numbers) in 1976; to New Jersey Transit (same numbers) in 1979; to Knox & Kane Railroad in (?); to Heber Valley Railroad (Heber City, Utah) in 2005.
HVRX was used for the three ex-DL&W motors (3571, 3568 and 3593) that shipped from the Knox & Kane in 2005. It required significant effort to register Heber Valley Railroad and the cars in the UMLER system at that time. In 2019 it was simpler and less costly to utilize the RPCX marking for the movement of the former VIA FP9 6300. (Craig Lacey)
Heber also had two of the four remaining Salt Lake Garfield & Western open-air passenger cars. These four cars were part of a group of 13 cars built by SLG&W in 1922. In 1993, the car marked as SLG&W 306 went to the Western Railway Museum, Rio Vista Junction, California. The other car remained in Heber until its condition was reported as beyond restoration; the car was burned (date?) and the metal parts sold for scrap.
Numerical Listing
B&G 100 (Coach-Observation; wood; 51') -- Purchased in April 1911 secondhand by Bingham & Garfield, and numbered as B&G 100. passenger service on B&G ended in 1921, after which the car was used moving company officials to and from Bingham and the Magna mills. It was then transferred to the mine railroad and was used to transport shovel and train crews to and from their work sites in the Bingham open pit mine. Kennecott Copper, as the successor to Utah Copper, used the car until it was donated to the Sons of the Utah Pioneers and the car was displayed in Salt Lake City for a short time. In May 1962 the car was moved to the Corinne Railroad Village Museum in time for the museum's seasonal opening on May 9, 1962. In 1981 all of the Corinne museum collection was moved to Heber City, Utah, as a part of the Heber Creeper railroad. The car was displayed in Heber City from 1981 to 1993, when it was sold to a private party in San Diego. The car was later moved to the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, Campo, California. PSRM offered the car to other museums beginning in July 2004, and in winter 2004 sold the car to Sumpter Valley Railway, Baker, Oregon. It was moved in April 2005 to Baker, Oregon, and is currently in service as SVRY 100 "Leviathan."
HVRR 100 -- Heber Valley RR 100 was built by Pullman in 1912 as Chicago Rock Island & Pacific business car no. 1858, named "Indiana" (Lot 4058, Plan 2678); sold to Western Pacific in 1916 and named "Nomad." Modified May 1922 at D&RGW's Burnham shops for D&RGW receiver J. H. Young. D&RGW purchased the car from WP on April 1, 1925, renumbered it as No. 100 (1st); assigned to D&RGW President. The interior was remodeled by D&RGW at Burnham in February 1929; air conditioning added in August 1937. Renumbered to D&RGW 107 (2nd) in August, 1951, to make the 100 number available for the newly acquired lightweight streamlined D&RGW 100 (2nd) "Wilson McCarthy". D&RGW 107 (2nd) was modernized in February 1954 and assigned to the Vice President of Traffic. Retired by D&RGW in October 1965 and sold to Dr. James R. Arneill, Jr.; displayed at the Forney museum in Denver. D&RGW 107 (2nd) was sold to Delaware-Ostego Corp. in August 1987 and was numbered as New York Susquehanna & Western number 510, named "Otto Kuhler" (Amtrak no. 800227). Although listed as being for sale as early as 2007, NYS&W 510 was still in service as of December 2011. Sold to Heber Valley Railroad Foundation on October 4, 2016; arrived at Heber on September 2, 2017.
Bamberger 403 -- Bamberger Coach-Trailer 403, the last wooden interurban car in Utah and one of only two surviving Bamberger coach-type cars, was moved to the Black Hills Central Railroad on May 16, 2012. The car was built in 1910 as Salt Lake & Ogden no. 305. In 1923 it was converted from a powered car to an unpowered trailer and renumbered as Bamberger's second 403. It had come to Heber by way of Sons of Utah Pioneers, who had first displayed it at Pioneer Village in Salt Lake City, then at the relocated museum in Corinne. It was moved in 1979 along with the rest of the collection, and was restored in 1994 to its original Bamberger appearance. (based on a report by Stan Jennings in the May-June 2012 newsletter of the Golden Spike Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society)
UP 414 (Chair; 79'-3") -- UP 414 was built in 1922; retired by UP in October 1957; donated to Sons of Utah Pioneers and in place for display at the opening of the Corinne Railroad Village Museum, at Corinne, Utah, on May 9, 1959; moved to Heber, Utah, in 1981 along with the entire SUP collection; sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1992, moved to Boulder City, Nevada in February 1993. (As of December 8, 2016, UP 414 is at Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City, Nevada, being evaluated for rehabilitation and possible operation.)
HVRR 800 -- Heber Valley RR 800 was an ex U. S. Army kitchen car obtained from Kennecott Copper at some time before 1989, when it replaced ex UP 2700 as the snack car. Stored on former Heber Creeper property after Heber Creeper operation was closed in 1991; new owner of the former Heber Creeper property sold the car to Heber Valley Railroad in 1999. (Craig Lacey, email dated October 7, 2009)
RPCX 850 -- Pullman-Standard 54-seat Coach; built as part of a group of 25 cars in November 1949 to January 1950, numbered as Atlantic Coast Line 237; to Seaboard Coast Line 5459 in 1968; sold to Amtrak 5459 in February 1973; sold to C. A. Jones in 1981; sold to New Georgia Railroad (NGRX) in 1987 as 1508 (Amtrak number 800397); rebuilt as a lounge car before 1988; renumbered to NGRX 100, named "Coca Cola"; sold to Western Maryland Scenic Railway 850 (RPCX 850) still on WMSR and included as part of financing security agreement dated April 11, 2016; sold to Heber Valley Railroad (date?), painted in D&RGW Aspen Gold paint scheme.
UP 1006 (Observation) -- UP 1006 was built as UP Observation 820 in 1914; to UP Cafe Observation 1521 in 1915; to UP Cafe Observation 1506 in 1932; to UP Chair Observation 1006 (2nd) in 1943; to Diesel Instruction Car 03163 (1st) in 1949; to Diesel Instruction Car 207 in 1955; retired in 1973; to Promontory Chapter-NRHS (Salt Lake City, Utah) in 1974; to private party, displayed at Independence Hall, a private office building in Murray, Utah, painted dark green; sold to Heber Valley Railroad, Heber, Utah in July 2007.
OSL 2314 (Baggage Postal; 72'-5") -- OSL 2314 was built in December 1911 as OSL Baggage Postal 524; renumbered to OSL 2314 in April 1915; retired by UP in October 1957; donated to Sons of Utah Pioneers and in place for display at the opening of the Corinne Railroad Village Museum at Corinne, Utah, on May 9, 1959; moved to Heber, Utah, in 1981 along with the entire SUP collection; sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1992, moved to Boulder City, Nevada in February 1993. (As of December 8, 2016, OSL 2314 is displayed at Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City, Nevada.)
UP 2700 (Baggage Chair) -- UP 2700 was built as UP Chair 670 in 1910; to UP Chair 1069 in 1915; converted to Baggage Chair in 1931; renumbered to UP Baggage Chair in 1935; vacated in 1970; donated in December 1970 to Promontory Chapter NRHS; moved to Heber City, Utah, as part of Heber Creeper collection; sold to Heber Valley Railroad in July 1992. (Previously shown in error as being donated to Stuhr Museum at Grand Island, Nebraska.)
UP 2700 was traded in May 2022 to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad at Garabaldi, Oregon, in exhange for the tender from the former GN 2-8-0 1246. The GN engine had been stored as part of the Fred Kepner collection at Merrill, Oregon, and the entire collection passed to the Oregon Scenic Railroad upon Kepner's death.
(View a photo of UP 2700 in 2017) (View another photo of UP 2700 in 2017)
UP 4056 (Dining) -- UP 4056 was built in 1914 as UP Diner 356; renumbered to UP Cafe Lounge 2456 in May 1941; renumbered to UP Diner 4056 in November 1942; retired and changed to maintenance of way service as UP 04379 in October 1956; renumbered to UP 904379 in March 1959; retired by UP in February 1981; donated (as UP 904379) to Deer Creek Scenic Railroad (Heber City, Utah) in 1984; sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1993, moved to Boulder City, Nevada in 1993; rebuilt as open car, numbered as NSRM 503.
UP 4813 (Dining) -- UP 4813 was built in 1949 by ACF as one of a group of 17 dining cars needed for UP's Streamliner passenger trains when they were changed to a daily schedule. UP 4813 was stored at Milford, Utah, when it was retired in December 1971, sold to Heber Creeper, and moved to Heber. Used in tourist and excursion service until 1989; sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1992; displayed at Boulder City, Nevada.
Craig Lacey wrote about UP 4813 on October 7, 2009:
Craig Drury once told me that the 4813 was in storage at Milford, Utah when the Creeper began operations. The car's steam equipment was in use during the early years, requiring a double- or triple-switch at Vivian Park, to keep it next to the steam locomotive. This was before Bridal Veil Falls had a runaround track. The 4813 was later "married" to a power car (a converted snowplow, now at the Ogden Museum) containing a large Isuzu generator, when electric baseboard heat was installed in the car. The 4813 also had an electric motor-generator set to power the air conditioning. It was a very nice car, but it's length caused it to rock 'n roll on the 33' jointed 75-lb. rail just outside of Heber City. (Craig Lacey, "History of the Train in Heber City, Utah" Facebook page, December 19, 2015)
UP 5340 (Chair) -- UP 5340 was built as UP Lightweight Chair 5340 in 1942; retired by UP in December 1966; donated to Promontory Chapter NRHS (date?), used in Chapter excursions during the 1960s on Salt Lake Garfield & Western, including during the Centennial in 1969; sold to Heber Valley Railroad in 1998; severely damaged in a collision in May 2005. The car was sold in 2007 to a private individual and moved in mid August 2009 to his ranch in Alamo, Nevada. (Craig Lacey, email dated October 7, 2009; Mason McAllister, photos posted to Facebook showing car loaded ready to move.)
UP 6100 (Dormitory Club) -- UP 6100 was retired by UP in September 1970, and sold to R. Sperry (Los Angeles) in 1972; it was sold in 1985 to Deer Creek Scenic Railroad for operation at Heber City, Utah, but was never moved to Heber; stored at Salt Lake City, pending movement to Heber City, receiving extensive vandalism (stripped of components and interior burned); the car remained stored in Salt Lake City from 1985 until 1992-1993 when it was sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1992 along with other equipment owned by Deer Creek Scenic Railroad; moved to Boulder City, Nevada in February 1993; as of December 2016, the car was still at Boulder City, used for storage.
British Columbia Chapter NRHS Equipment
In May 2019 the Heber Valley Railroad purchased the entire collection of 23 passenger cars and one locomotive, and spare parts, of the British Columbia Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.
(Read more about the Heber Valley purchase of the former BC Chapter of NRHS equipment)
Freight Cars
The Heber Valley Railroad has several pieces of ex D&RGW rolling stock, two 70 ton three bay hoppers painted Rio Grande, and a 70 ton GS gondola in Rio Grande paint with a road number for a 50 ton car. (Steven Seguine, email to D&RGW group at YahooGroups, May 20, 2007)
Heber Valley has two former Conoco tank cars painted as Sinclair oil company
Heber Valley has five former U. S. Army PS-1 boxcars, received from Hill Air Force Base. One has been repainted as Western Maryland; others will be repainted for other railroads that owned similar PS-1 boxcars.
Cabooses
BN 12300
Wide vision steel cupola caboose; acquired from Boulder Valley Railroad Historical Society at the same time as UP GP9 296, in December 2015; as of April 2016, undergoing refurbishment and awaiting sand blasting prior to being painted as a traditional red caboose and lettered as Heber Valley. As of November 22, 2016, BN 12300 is lettered as Heber Valley 12300, and painted red. It returned to service on November 22, 2016 on the North Pole Express.
From the Boulder Valley Railroad Historical Society web page:
Built in 1980 by International Car Company, this caboose was based in Longmont and used in local freight service from 1994 to 2001. Donated in July 2001 by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. Involved in a wreck/derailment in July 2001 that turned the caboose on it side, bending grab irons and damaging steps. Wreck damage repaired after donation.
C&S 10593
Wooden cupola caboose. No markings, ex-Great Western 7593. From Hudson, Colorado; as of April 2016, in service as UP 3270, as a simulation of UP's only end-cupola wooden caboose.
Missouri Pacific 13754
Steel caboose. As Heber Valley Railroad 3754.
- Built in 1977 as MP 13754, part of a group of 100 cabooses (MP 13715-13814) built in MP's shops in Sedalia, Missouri
- "Short Bay Window Caboose", 17 feet, 10-1/8 inches cabin, with bay widows, centered on frame; 41 feet, 7-3/4 inches over coupler pulling faces; MP 13715-13814 built with 51,200 pounds light weight.
- Removed from service by UP on January 1, 1990; retired by UP on July 1, 1990; sold to Kennecott Utah Copper
- Donated to Heber Valley railroad by Kennecott Utah Copper in August 1992; moved by truck from Kennecott's Bingham Canyon mine to Heber on September 3, 1992.
- Initially used as the ticket office when operations began in 1993; situated in a hole to allow the caboose floor to be at ground level.
- Reinstated to service in 2001 as HVRR 3754 after a new depot was completed.
- Damaged in 2010; traded in 2011 to Genesee & Wyoming (GWI), owner of Utah Railway; traded for Utah Railway Jordan spreader and Utah Railway steel caboose 63; HVRR 3754 repaired and repainted for GWI's Buffalo & Pittsburgh 1004.
- (Salt Lake Tribune on September 3, 1992 included a photo of MP 13754 being trucked from Bingham Canyon to Heber.)
- (See also: UP 3950, ex Utah Railway 63, below)
In August 1992, Heber Valley Railroad received several pieces of track maintenance equipment from Kennecott Copper, along with a Kennecott caboose, and the former MP 13754. (Salt Lake Tribune, August 7, 1992; September 3, 1992, with photo)
Craig Lacey wrote on December 6, 2020:
When the new depot was dedicated in 2001, the caboose was put into train service and was especially useful as cast headquarters and a shoving platform during Haunted Canyon trains. After being damaged in a yard collision, the caboose was rebuilt to Buffalo & Western specifications and traded to Utah Railway for a Jordan Spreader and a Utah Railway (former Union Pacific) caboose.
Nevada Northern 25
Steel caboose. As Kennecott Copper 420, Nevada Northern Railway, steel, cupola; donated by Kennecott Copper in August 1992; stored with refurbishment awaiting completion of other projects.
UP Wooden Caboose
Wooden cupola caboose. History unknown. Ex Oregon Short Line (UP). No trucks, from Strawberry Reservoir, Utah.
UP 3505
Wooden cupola caboose, 30 feet long. Arrived at Heber as part of the first train of preserved equipment in December 1970. UP caboose 3505 was used for two seasons (1971 and 1972), operating as "the little red caboose" on the end of Heber Creeper excursion trains. Then in May 1973 it was moved for display on a short piece of track on the corner Main Street and the turnoff for the Heber Creeper. The caboose was sold to Nevada State Railroad Museum in February 1993 and moved to Boulder City, Nevada in 1994.
(Read more about UP caboose 3505)
UP 3769/25069
Steel cupola caboose. Built in June 1942 as UP 3769 (Class CA-3); renumbered to UP 25069 in January 1959; retired by UP in August 1982; UP records show donated to State of Utah in August 1982; to Promontory Chapter of National Railway Historical Society (date not known).
Heber Valley Railroad purchased UP 25069 in May 1992 from the Promontory Chapter of National Railway Historical Society for $500.
UP caboose 25069 was moved from Salt Lake City to Heber on Monday May 18, 1992. Due to clearance problems in Parleys Canyon, the caboose was moved by truck from Salt Lake City north to Weber Canyon, through Echo and south to Heber City.
The caboose was later repainted and placed in service as Heber Valley Railroad 3700. It was later removed from service.
As of April 2016, the caboose was out of service, having been partially refurbished, painted in dark red-brown, with windows removed, stored pending completion of other projects.
Sold to Riverside Motel in Helper, Utah, moved from Heber to Helper by truck on September 8, 2023.
UP 3950/25250
Steel cupola caboose. Displayed as UP 3950.
Built in July 1952 as UP 3950 (Class CA-5), renumbered to UP 25250 in June 1959; retired by UP in June 1970; sold to Utah Railway 63 in February 1971; donated to Heber Valley Railroad, Heber, Utah; moved to Heber on December 16, 2011; repainted as UP 3950 in November 2015.
Utah Railway caboose 63 was traded to Heber Valley Railroad, Heber, Utah; moved to Heber on December 16, 2011; repainted in November 2015 to its 1952 as-delivered UP 3950 number and paint. The caboose interior was in its original configuration, and was not changed or restored.
Heber Valley Railroad (HVRR) and the Genesee & Wyoming worked out a trade for Heber Valley's ex Mopac caboose. The ex MP caboose was refurbished and painted for the Buffalo & Pittsburgh, another of G&W's regional railroads. In return the Heber Valley would get the Utah Railway Jordan spreader and Utah Railway (ex UP) caboose 63. The ex MP caboose (MP 13754) was completed as B&P caboose 1004 on April 1, 2011, departed Heber for Buffalo & Pittsburgh on May 21, 2011, and was stored briefly at Utah Railway's Provo yard during June. It arrived on B&P rails in Butler, Pennsylvania by August 2011.
(Read more about Utah Railway steel cabooses)
Utah Ry. 53
Wooden cupola caboose. Built in June 1913.
Date to Heber not known, possibly as early as July 1973. Utah #53 had been stored at Utah Railway's yard in Martin, Utah, and was retired when the two ex UP steel cabooses arrived in 1971. Utah #53 in Martin, along with Utah #60 in Provo, as well as steam tender from Utah 2-8-8-0 #201, were sold to Elbert Lowdermilk (the E of H and E Lowdermilk Construction Co.) "because he liked trains." Utah #53 was moved to Heber in 1972 or 1973. Utah #60 remained in Provo until Lowdermilk moved it to his property near Helper.
Removed from service on the Heber railroad and displayed near the original D&RGW depot at Heber, which became private property after 1990. Still there as of April 2016.
Moved in February 2021.
(Read more about Utah Railway wooden cabooses)
Other Equipment
Kennecott Jordan Spreader -- On July 2, 1989 Kennecott Minerals Company Jordan Spreader No. 5 found a new home on the New London Railroad in Heber City in 1989. It was donated by Kennecott to the tourist railroad (among other equipment) including an air activated side dump car. (James Belmont, Facebook, January 27, 2018)
Heber Valley Railroad acquired two former D&RGW flangers in January 2024. The following comed from Justin Franz and Railfan & Railroad magazine.
January 17, 2024
Heber Valley Acquires Rio Grande Flangers
Railfan.com (includes photos)
By Justin Franz
Two century-old Denver & Rio Grande Western flangers have been acquired by the Heber Valley Railroad. The flangers will be used to help keep the Utah tourist line clear of snow in the winter months.
D&RGW flangers 052 and 062 arrived by truck in Heber City on Monday, January 15, from Colorado, where they had been owned by a private individual. They were last based in Alamosa, Colo., to clear snow on nearby LaVeta Pass.
Chief Mechanical Officer Mike Manwiller tells Railfan & Railroad, that the Heber Valley's winter schedule has grown in recent years and keeping the line clear of snow is important. That was especially obvious last winter when Utah received a deep snowpack. Manwiller said the railroad was often running its wedge plow once or twice a week. However, that wedge plow can't move snow out from between the rails, which is why these flangers are the perfect addition to the fleet. The fact that they will also be used on a former Rio Grande branch line is an added bonus (perhaps even behind Heber Valley's Rio Grande-painted GP9). The flangers will maintain their D&RGW appearance and identification.
The flangers arrived in Heber City on Monday and were unloaded that evening. Flanger 052 was quickly put into the shop where it is now being worked on. Manwiller said the hope is to have both flangers in service this winter. Because the railroad does not presently have a way to turn equipment, one flanger will face north and one will face south so they can plow in both directions.
The flangers are more than 100 years old, although, like any piece of maintenance-of-way equipment, they were heavily modified and changed over the decades.
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