Deseret-Western

Company History: This 35 mile line on the Colorado – Utah border was built in 1983 and has no rail connection to the North American rail network. New rolling stock must be trucked in. The Deseret-Western links a coal mine in Deserado, Colorado with the Bonanza power plant in Utah. They began operation in 1984 with 35 car trains behind a pair of new GE E60C electric locomotives. The trains began running while the power station was still under construction so a stockpile of coal could be built up. The delivery of the locomotives had its dramas. They went by rail as far as Rifle, Colorado on the Rio Grande and were then trucked to the Deseret-Western line. That involved crossing a highway bridge. They were unsure the bridge would hold the tractor, trailer and locomotive. So, they unhitched the tractor with the idea of sending the trailer and load across alone with the trailer airbrakes holding it in check. The bridge was on a hill. Well, a hose broke on the trailer brakes releasing the brakes on one side and the trailer drove itself into the guard rail. The E60C was leaning over the edge. A crane was brought in to rescue the locomotive. The second E60C was driven across the bridge with the tractor and without incident.

6 years later, with cities in California signing up for power from this station, more E60C’s were acquired from NdeM and traffic increased to three 75 car trains per day. The hoppers are all air operated rapid discharge type. A total of 7 E60C’s work the line.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.