A Green Line train heading to the West Valley Central terminus on March 13th, 2015. As it approaches the Arena Station, it passes the venerable old Union Pacific passenger station. Built in 1908-1909, the UP station served that railroad until the advent of Amtrak in 1971. Later, Amtrak utilized this station from 1976 (when the Pioneer began service) until 1986. Beginning in 1983, it also began playing host to Amtrak's California Zephyr and the Desert Wind as well, until they moved in 1986 to the old Rio Grande station, just south of the UP's station. One hundred years after construction began on the station, the Utah Rail Authority built their light rail system's Blue Line extension to the Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub, providing a nice contrast between early 20th Century design and early 21st Century technology. The station is now part of a shopping mall.
Depicts Amtrak's "Pioneer" service, which operated from Denver to Seattle, via Salt Lake City and Boise. The route was discontinued in 1997, thus leaving most of the upper Intermountain region without passenger rail service since.
Depicts Amtrak's "Desert Wind" service, which operated from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, via Las Vegas. Its discontinuance in 1997 left the lower Intermountain region, including Las Vegas, without any passenger rail service since.
A continuously growing album of photos that IMHO reveal the awesome and seldom-seen beauty of the railroad world from the dimming of day to dawn's early light! From dusk to dawn, trains roll on! (I'm still finding gems of sunset-to-sunrise surprises!)
