UP steam train 844 Rainbow Canyon,NV part II

Work took me to southern Utah this month - the same time Union Pacific's historic steam train - 844 was traveling from Las Vegas to Milford, UT. So after tucking my clarinets away from a performance of Beethoven's 6th (the Pastoral) and 7th Symphonies at our Monday evening concert in St George, UT with the Utah Symphony - I had all of Tuesday to see the famous train before concert time in the evening. While my wife took our kids to see dinosaur tracks - I set off to see a dinosaur on tracks.
Luck was on our side when we set off (the symphony's principal trumpet also came along). Originally we were attempting to head south to Las Vegas and track it north to Rainbow Canyon south of Caliente, NV near the ghost town of Elgin. But checking the twitter update - it said the train had left 8 am Mountain Time - not local Las Vegas time! So we went with plan B - and drove straight to Caliente and then south through Rainbow Canyon. We made it down the canyon about 10 miles - where we were confronted by a wash that had flooded underneath the UP bridge. I jumped across the stream at a narrow point - and walked down the line. Rainbow Canyon was magnificent - with the brilliant fall colors aglow in the chilly morning air. Photographing the train was a challenge - as it was going to be completely back lit - so I sacrificed the blue sky for more locomotive detail. I heard some chatter over the scanner indicating track 2 into Caliente. About 10 minutes out we heard the amazing whistle of the 844 steamer. The beautiful low tones of its whistle has great carrying power. Not long after that we could hear the sharp staccato exhaust chugging up the canyon and echoing off the giant walls of rock and stone surrounding the river and main line. Here is what we got from our first shot of the train as it worked its way up the winding track towards Caliente, NV. And yes - IT WAS LOUD - I was glad to have on my heavy duty ear protection!

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• M2U06235

[SkipW]

Good job catching it at that tunnel, as that was nice to see.

[EMDX90]

Nice! Love the echo off the canyon walls!