Harris reel 041

Harris film 041 is another series of scenes on the Rio Grande mainline up Spanish Fork Canyon, Utah. Besides Rio Grande freight and Zephyrs, Harris also caught some good shots of Utah Railway’s former Santa Fe RSD15 “alligators” still with their original Santa Fe numbers. Also a few scenes with Utah Railway’s RSD4’s.

[@berkshireerielocomotive3322]

Wonderful film. Enjoyed every minute of it.

[@LeeWitten]

Glad you did, thank you.

[@AlikStansberry]

Great Rio Grande action!
I was surprised to find out one of the old Alco “Alligators” is now at the museum!

[@LeeWitten]

Yes, it has been in the Union Station's collection for many years. There was a time when a museum in Arizona wanted it for their Santa Fe collection but the deal was never made.

[@qclegg]

The Southern Pacific era was quite busy on the Rio Grande through Utah County and Provo.

[@LeeWitten]

I didn't realize SP operated on the Rio Grande Route. I've never seen footage of them there on Harris' films.

[@qclegg]

The Southern Pacific era on the Rio Grande Route was in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Train traffic across the Rio Grande increased dramatically during this time,Until Southern Pacific was bought by the Union Pacific in 1996. In late 1997,Union Pacific’s rerouted most of the freight traffic from the Rio Grande to UP’s Overland Route across Wyoming. BNSF obtained trackage rights across the Rio Grande as a result of the SP/UP merger.Today we still have a few UP coal trains,BNSF trackage rights trains,Amtrak,Some Utah Railway trains, Union Pacific does run a pair of manifests between Salt Lake City and Helper however,It’s a paltry train.

[@qclegg]

By the time Southern Pacific arrived on the Rio Grande people would have used VHS video tapes.

[@qclegg]

Rio Grande bought the Southern Pacific in 1988, What probably set that up was that Union Pacific bought the Missouri Pacific,Western Pacific in 1982 cutting off the Rio Grande of it’s connections on both ends,Forcing Rio Grande to become partners with Southern Pacific. Because,SP was also cut off as a result of the UP/MP/WP merger of December 1982.

[@LeeWitten]

@@qclegg That's interesting. I was teaching school in Hawaii during the 90's so that part of railroading history passed me by.

[@qclegg]

Southern Pacific power started to show up on Rio Grande trains around 1984,It would become even more common after 1988.

[@LeeWitten]

Thank you, Interesting.

[@LeeWitten]

Thank you who have responded. Glad it has brought a bit of pleasure.

[@agraham9356]

Beautiful! Thank you Lee.

[@peckelhaze6934]

Fantastic footage. I love these older films of US railroading. Thanks from UK.

[@PC10.8]

Love this video and the old footage of mountain railroads!

[@LeeWitten]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks.

[@2toady]

Great stuff as always, Lee. Such a valuable source of historical information!

[@LeeWitten]

thanks, appreciate the comment.

[@scotb7602]

Any idea where the coal was being shipped to? The only coal terminals on the West Coast are Vancouver and Prince Rupert, BC and I know Santa Fe never made the journey up this way. Cheers

[@LeeWitten]

There were still coal fired power plants in the west and also the Geneva Steel Mill near Provo was still operating. Its is gone now.

[@BNforever2009]

Beautiful video, loved it.

[@clashofminiatures]

Awesome Rio Grande shots, thanks for sharing, Chuck RVRR

[@HobbiesRfun]

The 1970's is my favorite era of railroading. I was born in 1968, so I can't relate to the steam to diesel transition era of the late forties to the early sixties, but I have fond memories of living in Klamath Falls Oregon as a small child, and watching Southern Pacific, and Burlington Northern trains being pulled by first, and second generation diesel motive power.

[@LeeWitten]

I'm glad this meant something to you. Since my dad was a conductor during the transition era, that is my favorite and the era that I model in HO.

[@normansilver905]

I had immediate family who lived in Martin, UT and he worked for the Utah Railway. He sure had some good tales to tell about the times prior to the giant landslide at Thistle. That event crippled the Carbon County Coal Mines.

[@LeeWitten]

Nice you had that connection to Utah Railway. Our Union Station has one of the "alligator" units, #403 in their collection.

[@railfanx4903]

Incredible video! Those rsd15s!

[@danieledwards6983]

Awesome video, especially the Utah Railway parts there's still 1 alligator left but it's dead at the museum in Ogden also now people can c what thistle looked like before the slide.

[@danieledwards6983]

Looks like both railroads were very busy throughout this time era now your lucky if u c 1 train a week through the canyon and if u do it's usually a BN or a UP freight nothing like back then

[@danieledwards6983]

Looks like the Rio Grande had some sd 45s back then do you have any videos from the Utah Railway 45 era I would enjoy seeing them bad boys in action again

[@tommythomason6187]

Rio Grande obviously fond of GP40 and GP40-2 locomotives. Wikipedia reports that the original GP40 had, "stability problems." What that means, I don't know, but the GP40-2 is said to have corrected the problem. Wouldn't be surprised if the road regretted the original SD45's, though. They were Lemons. Crankshaft malfunctions were commonplace with this model. SD45-2 a better locomotive.

[@theoldsteelisreal7998]

cool film

[@geomodelrailroader]

Rio Grande at it's best

[@theoldsteelisreal7998]

THIRD