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Coal Burning UP 3985 Idaho and Utah visit in June 1982

My brother Bruce called to tell me take UP 3985 would be visiting Pocatello for the town's 100th Anniversary. The next weekend it would be running it's first public excursion from Salt Lake City to Provo. A trip was then planned with me arriving Pocatello two days before 3985's arrival and leaving Ogden the night of the excursion. Bill would come on the day 3985 would be heading to Salt Lake City. Bruce got us three tickets for the 3985 excursion and made my Amtrak Reservation. For the train riding story of this trip, click on the link below.

Train Trip

6/16/82The day before the 3985 would be arriving, Bruce and I went east on US 30 to scout locations.

6/17/82Bruce and I drove east to Montpelier and find the 3985 being serviced.





After a quick picture, we drove west to Mason where we set up for our first action shot. The train came around the bend and click.





I made the mistake of turning to watch it, getting a face load of hot cinders. We drove west racing the 3985 easily to our next location of Alexander where the Grace Branch took of for this pictures of 3985 racing by.





Back in the Pinto and moving west, we reached the west end of Topaz for this shot.





We gave up the Challenger to go get Bruce's truck which had gotten stuck to day before by heavy rains when we were out wood cutting. It had dried out nicely and we returned to Pocatello in time to watch the end of the wying process. That ended our first day of 3985.

6/19/82Two morning later, we went down to the west end of the yard and caught 3985 heading to the station for display, the start of Union Pacific's Family Days and the Pocatello Cennetenial Celebration.





Here is a picture of UP 3985 on display at the Pocatello Station with the Family Days Special diesel powered train waiting for it's first passenger trip of the celebration.





6/20/82Today the 3985 would run east to McCammon to wye then return to Inkom where it would pick up the Governor of Idaho to bring him into Pocatello to cap the 100 Year Celebration in Pocatello. I drove out east to the beautiful Portneuf River Canyon at the East Inkom Hold to wait for 3985 to come by. A Family Day train arrived first.





A few minutes later, 3985 appeared with it's short special train.





I jumped into the Pinto and raced ahead of the train shooting him right before he reached McCammon where it would then would wye.




Here is a picture of 3985 wying at McCammon.





I drove back to the East Inkom Hold for my next picture of 3985.





The train then ran to Inkom to pick up the Governor of Idaho.





Later back in Pocatello, here's 3985 wying again.





3985 to Salt Lake City 6/21/82

Up early Bruce and I went to the east end of the Pocatello Yard for the first shot of the day.





We headed south down Interstate 15 to Arimo where we found a road up onto the bluff for this coming and going shot.







We drove down to pick up a waiting Bill in Ogden before back tracking north to Hot Springs, Utah where we found the 3985 heading towards us.





The chase was on and we got ahead of the 3985 again for this shot at Perry.





We headed south again getting back in front and running to Brigham City catching the 3985 there as well.





Due to slow trackage in Ogden, we got ahead of him getting the 3985 passing the Ogden Depot with the Desert Wind waiting for it's nightly departure.





Back in the car we got ahead quickly catching 3985 coming around the wye at Ogden.





We got to Interstate 15 again and headed south to Farmington getting the 3985 running under the test centenary there for our last shot of the day.





We returned to Pocatello where Bill and I would venture out during the week to Salt Lake City to shot the Rio Grande Zephyr



and Boise to see Morrision Knudsen.



Ex Rock Island units where all lined up waiting for future uses.





3985 First Public Excursion Salt Lake City to Ogden 6/28/82

Bill, myself and Bruce drove down to Salt Lake City the morning of the excursion. We caught 3985 coming out of the UP's North Yard heading towards the station.


Later aboard the train with 3985 setting track side fires as it went we stopped at Point of the Mountain to do a photo runby. I got off and went to the sunny side for this shot before he backed





We were all herdered to the shady side for the runby picture.





We then ran to Provo, wyed the train and on the way back stopped on the south flank of Point of the Mountain for another runby.





The 3985 ciders set the side of the mountain on fire and we could see the smoke from the major blaze all the way back to Salt Lake City.

The final shot of the trip was 3985 was at Grant Tower where it went to wye.





Bruce drove Bill and I back to Ogden where we took the Desert Wind home to California.

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