Pulling into Champ
Doug Harrop Photography • October 10, 1988
One of Idaho's most obscure railroad operations is the Dry Valley Railroad. The short line connected to UP's Dry Valley Branch in Maybe Canyon, running down a 1.5% grade to Mountain Fuels.
Built in 1984 by Conda Partnerships, the route was initially a six-mile extension of UP's Dry Valley Branch from Maybe Canyon to Champ, with a three mile spur to reach Mountain Fuels phosphate loader. Doug is one of few photographers to catch the operation on film with a pair of leased Alaska Railroad FP7A locomotives.
ARR 1506 and 1508 pull a second cut of loads from the conveyor at Mountain Fuels into Champ, where a 70-car train of phosphate rock will be assembled for the six mile journey up the 1.5% to Maybe Canyon. From there, Union Pacific's Dry Valley Local will marshal them the final 18 miles to Epco, Idaho for processing into fertilizer.
Pulling into Champ
Doug Harrop Photography • October 10, 1988
One of Idaho's most obscure railroad operations is the Dry Valley Railroad. The short line connected to UP's Dry Valley Branch in Maybe Canyon, running down a 1.5% grade to Mountain Fuels.
Built in 1984 by Conda Partnerships, the route was initially a six-mile extension of UP's Dry Valley Branch from Maybe Canyon to Champ, with a three mile spur to reach Mountain Fuels phosphate loader. Doug is one of few photographers to catch the operation on film with a pair of leased Alaska Railroad FP7A locomotives.
ARR 1506 and 1508 pull a second cut of loads from the conveyor at Mountain Fuels into Champ, where a 70-car train of phosphate rock will be assembled for the six mile journey up the 1.5% to Maybe Canyon. From there, Union Pacific's Dry Valley Local will marshal them the final 18 miles to Epco, Idaho for processing into fertilizer.