Today’s Dirt Train (Local 45) has finished it’s work at the East Carbon Development’s landfill and is headed downgrade toward a connection with the Green River sub at Mounds, Utah. The snow capped Book Cliffs escarpment is in the background. These cliffs are a natural barrier to north/south travel for a span of 180 miles from Helper, Utah to Palisade, Colorado. There are only 2 paved roads and 1 driveable, abandoned narrow gauge railroad with 7 ½% grades crossing the cliffs in all of those 180 miles. There are, however, many unpaved ranch and oil/gas field roads in the cliffs.
