The Heber Valley Scenic Railroad

Sept 17.  One of the attractions here in Heber City, is the different Heber Valley Railroad excursions.   The excursion we took was a 3 hour round trip ride along the shore if the Deer Creek Reservoir and along the Provo River.   There was only one passenger car because that was all the seating needed for the number of people on that ride.  There was also a baggage car that had been converted to serve snacks.  The Heber Valley Historic Railroad is a heritage railroad and the line is approximately 16 miles long.  Landmarks along the way include, Mount Timpanogos, Cascade Mtn., deer Creek Dam and Reservoir, Provo River, Tate Barn (from the 1800s), and Soldier Hollow with such wildlife as deer eagles, fox, moose, turkeys, hawks, cougars, and beaver.  We saw sand hill cranes out in farmers’ fields.  We packed our own lunch and were ready for a nice ride.  My whole family has been associated with the railroad, so I love trains.
 
The line operated by the HVRR was formerly part of a Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad branch line that connected Heber City to Provo, Utah.  The branch line was completed in 1899 and operated freight (and passenger) service until the line's abandonment in 1967.  The line was saved for tourist use and was reopened in 1970 when No. 618 and other equipment was brought up the line from Provo. The track between Provo and Vivian Park was later removed and converted into a recreational trail. During the 1970s and 1980s the railroad operated as the "Heber Creeper".  In the late 1980s this railroad went out of business.  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 in the early 1990s. Since this time the railroad has seen considerable growth. The railroad operates as a non-profit organization. During the 2002 Winter Olympics the railroad was part of the Olympic Steam Team, carrying spectators to the Soldier Hollow Olympic events. 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 events entrance on a horse-drawn  sleigh.  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.   We passed by ranches and farmland as we left town.  Then a few miles outside of town, we were robbed!!  The train stopped as we heard the gunshot.  Here he came -  the train robber!   He made all of us put our hands up as he wanted to know who hid the strong box of money.  He was rather gruff and funny as he played his part to the hilt.  But as he passed the kids and questioned them about the money, he reached in his pocket and gave each child a gold paper covered chocolate coin.  A couple of the children were actually frightened and wanted nothing to do with him!!
   
All of a sudden, he turned to me and said “Aren’t You Dancing Kate?  I know you!  I saw you dancing on the tables at the saloon down in El Paso!”  That drew lots of laughs!  I told him that was in my other life!  He found the strong box, exited the train to the platform, and shot open the strong box.  He got all riled again because inside was a rubber chicken!   He shot at us as we pulled away.  Just some good fun! We enjoyed the mountain scenery and the reservoir was on the opposite side of where we were sitting.  So since we were heading into the sun, I decided to take those pictures on the way back.
    
We then crossed below the dam and followed the Provo River in the canyon to a city park, where we  disembarked for 20 minutes while the engineers reversed the engine for the return trip.  So we ate our little picnic lunch at the park at the covered picnic tables.  The concrete wall in the first picture is the upper west bound lanes of the road through the pass.
    
Then we started the return trip and it we got to see the reservoir from the opposite side from where we visited a few days earlier.
      
I am always looking for the best place for good pictures.  Since we were still on the opposite side of the seating away from the reservoir, I walked back to the baggage car and rode the rest of the way standing at the old sliding baggage doors area that is now an open waist high locked gate.  Gave me great views!  I know we had visited the reservoir earlier, but it was still a pretty day for a train ride.  This is not the first time I have ridden in a baggage car!  When I was 18, (oh, such a long……time ago), I attended a small junior all girls college in Marion, VA.  The best way home to save trips for my parents back and forth at breaks and holidays, was to take the train.  A fellow student, who lived near by back in Va. Beach, VA, would travel with me.  I loved riding through the back country of VA through mountains, gorges,  and by rivers.  It was Xmas break and we eagerly waited at the train station to be picked up.  Well, as it turned out, the station sold too many tickets!  The train had picked up students from Virginia Tech, Longwood College, & Radcliff.  So by the time it got to us there were literally no more empty seats.  The conductor offered the baggage car until some of the other students got off at the next stops.   Anxious to get home, we all said “Yes!” without a second thought.   So that is what we did!  We rode most of the way home sitting on mail sacks in the baggage car!  We even helped the baggage car conductor open the doors and take on more sacks!  But the hilarious part was when word went through the rest of the train by guys yelling “Hey, there’s a train car load of girls on the back of the train!”  Of course, the guys all come rushing back there to check us out!  Ah, what a ride to remember!  We did get off at Petersburg, VA, and took the spur home to Norfolk, VA.  Sadly, the ride back to school wasn’t anywhere near as exciting!  See, I told you I loved trains! The downside of the experience on our Heber Valley Railroad was too many small children.   A family took all their kids out of school for this special trip with a relative.  The kids were running up and down the aisles and the parents were constantly up and down chasing them and talking with other people.  They, too, showing no interest in the scenery.  Most of the smaller children had no interest in the train except for the snacks Mom had brought.  The whistle would frighten babies and set them wailing.  Why couples bring tiny babies on something like that is beyond us.  It was something we wanted to do but it could have been much more enjoyable.  I think we will pass on any of their other excursions.