Скачать или смотреть Riding the eastbound California Zephyr from Gilluly to Soldier Summit, UT

Amtrak Train 6 is running 5 hours 16 minutes late out of Provo giving us this rare daylight run over the Gilluly Loops making the double switchback climb up to Soldier Summit through a series of horseshoe curves. We join from the rear of the train east of the US-6 Tie Fork Rest Area in this very remote area of the Wasatch Mountains traveling on Main Track 2 with US-6 seen below to the left in the Soldier Creek Valley. Typically this spectacular stretch of mountain scenery is traveled by the eastbound and westbound Zephyrs in the evening and early morning overnight hours respectively and is often overlooked on the line's scenic route between Denver and Emeryville.

At 01:25, we pass by signals at milepost RG663.1 two miles east of an area known as Detour. Three minutes later at 04:25 we reach the west end of Gilluly Siding at RG662, a very unique 7,900 foot long center siding between Main Tracks 1 and 2. We zoom towards the left at 05:15 for a view of the east end of Gilluly Siding on the other side of the first horseshoe curve in our climb this morning and also pass the junction with the old 4% grade alignment to Soldier Summit. As the train makes its first switchback turn, we cross under US-6 at 06:00 making a noticeable climb up the 2% grade. At 07:30, we reach the east end of Gilluly Siding at RG660. As the train begins a series of turns into the second switchback turn, we zoom into the grade of tracks ahead.

At 10:30, we complete the second switchback turn and are once again traveling in an easterly direction. As the train makes its final ascent towards Soldier Summit, we pass signals at RG657.5 at 12:25. 14:05 allows us to zoom in and look back down on the western end of Gilluly Siding giving us an idea of how much this train has climbed in about seven minutes time.

We pass another set of signals at RG655.7 at the 16:05 mark and met with a spectacular view of the rail line's massive curve around the mountainside. We zoom down to the west end of Gilluly Siding at 17:10 and have nearly completed the series of turns to reach Soldier Summit. This stretch of track between Gilluly and Soldier Summit was completed in 1913 to reduce the maximum grade from 4% to 2% and much of the old route is now occupied by US-6.

At 20:30, we pass another set of signals at RG653.3 and are about a mile from Soldier Summit. We reach West Summit RG652 at 20:40 and notice the grade to the old alignment to the right as we pass the crossing with Soldier Summit Drive. As we pass through Soldier Summit cresting at 7,477 feet above sea level, we see what remains of the railroad infrastructure, portions of a wye track, and the ghost town that was unincorporated in 1984 to our right. Following the completion of the Gilluly Loops, the Rio Grande began to move operations back to Helper due to the harsh winters and high cost of basing operations at the summit. Soldier Summit's population peaked at 2,500 in the 1920s and dwindled down to just 12 people by 1980.

As the train makes its way past Soldier Summit at 24:40 and begins to gain speed, we notice a curvier track alignment to the right that at one time crossed this current alignment taking a curvier path west of East Summit at RG650. Following East Summit, we see a set of telegraph poles where that curved alignment meets our much straighter path. As our train speeds along US-6 to our right, that concludes this scenic daylight ride over the Gilluly Loops and Soldier Summit.

Certainly a spectacular stretch of railroad scenery over the Gilluly Loops. When I was informed this train was going to be 5 hours late due to debris east of Truckee and freight interference through Nevada, I was excited for the opportunity to make a rare daylight journey over the Wasatch Mountains on the California Zephyr. Video taken 08/28/2025.