UP Salt Lake City area woes

An explosives truck has detonated after an accident in Spanish Fork Canyon, ripping the UP tracks up as well.

A tractor-trailer carrying 35,500 pounds of explosives overturned and exploded Wednesday, injuring four people and leaving a huge crater on U.S. 6 in Spanish Fork Canyon.

The truck driver, a passenger in the cab, a motorist and a man on a motorcycle were transported to hospitals immediately after the 1:54 p.m. accident, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Royce said.

The truck was “pretty much vaporized” in the explosion, Royce said.

The explosion left a crater in the two-lane highway estimated to be between 60 feet and 80 feet wide and between 20 feet and 35 feet deep, Utah Department of Transportation spokesman Tom Hudachko said.

“The entire road is gone, shoulder to shoulder, there's no asphalt left,” he said.

The explosion also destroyed part of the adjacent railroad tracks and some fiber optic telephone lines buried along the road, Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Doug McCleve said.

Complete article here . Dunno how long the link will last.

To clarify Mr. Damon's posting, as well as likely to inform the KUTV reporter, this incident occurred along the D&RGW or the route of both Amtrak and predecessor railroad California Zephyr.

I have only seen Spanish Fork Canyon, which is some 15 miles East of Provo, from "behind the wheel', as the California Zephyr schedules call for passage over the Unitas @ Soldier Summit during night hours.

5(9) Passengers are being bussed to Oakland
5(10) went on it's normal route
6(10) Detouring via Laramie and Cheyenne.

Let's see. If I had a Deluxe Bedroom, and was downgraded to a BUS...

Would I ever ride Amtrak again?

Probably not...

John Perkowski

(will crosspost this to Amtrak forum).