A Soldier Summit Winter

Mention Soldier Summit to any avid railfan, and immediately the names of Helper and Price Canyon Utah come to mind. Images of long trains with mid train helpers are also invoked, with the Utah Railway, Union Pacific and BNSF all sharing the same pass adding to the excitement of railfanning this historic landmark. Combine all of this with a good covering of snow and you have a recipe for railfanning that has never been better.

Soldier Summit is immersed in American history, and its unforgiving weather has taken its toll on both human life and machinery. The original track was laid by the Denver & Rio Grande Western railway and it was soon evident that a helper service was required to move the trains over the 4 percent grade. As a result, the town of Helper emerged – born from the needs of the railroad.

New Zealand railfan Michael Adams visited the USA in the winter of 2009 and 2010 and was fortunate to time his visits with a healthy dumping of snow. This one hour production is a collection of some of the shots he obtained during these trips and features the BNSF and Union Pacific Railroad at their best hauling freight through the Wasatch Mountain pass of Soldier Summit.