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Heber Creeper
All aboard! Old railroad is belle of the ball
By Donna Kemp Spangler
Deseret News staff writer
MIDWAY — Forget the limousine. If you want to arrive at Olympic events in Soldier Hollow in real style, there's only one way to get there: by historic railroad and horse-drawn sleigh.
People from far and near are lining up daily for tickets to ride the Heber Valley Historic Railroad, which has been a local favorite for years but now finds itself the belle of the Olympic ball.
"We are one of the most notable railroads in the nation as a result of the Olympics," said Ken McConnell, a marketing official and conductor for what is popularly known as the Heber Creeper. "We are being seen by billions of people."
How's that possible? The railroad has caught the eye of national television from CNN to the "Today" show and NBC sports.
All for a century-old, coal-fired steam engine that almost couldn't because of years of financial woes that resulted in bailouts by the Legislature.
The Heber Creeper has long been entrenched in the hearts and minds of Utahns, many of whom travel to the Heber Valley just for the experience of riding the rails. Now the railroad, which offers a shuttle service to Soldier Hollow for Games visitors willing to shell out $30, has made a splash beyond Utah's borders.
"It takes you back in time, to a simpler time," said Jeff Goschen of California. "It is very enjoyable."
"I think it really adds to the Utah culture," added Rick Fullmer of San Antonio.
In 1899, the 16-mile Denver & Rio Grande track used to go all the way into Provo, primarily to haul sheep from the Heber Valley and surrounding areas. The creation of Deer Creek Reservoir limited the utility of the rail line, and it was abandoned in 1967.
In 1970, some Heber businessmen revived the rail line with the idea it would be a perfect tourist attraction. Those plans chugged along over the years, but its failing financial health led the state in the early 1990s to take over the railroad, which now carries summer tourists along Deer Creek Reservoir as far as Bridal Veil Falls.
Local officials thought the Heber Creeper would be a fine way to highlight the area's history while extending to Olympic visitors a little steam-fired charm.
The railroad takes 214 Olympic visitors from downtown Heber City to a depot about five miles from Soldier Hollow, where cross country and biathlon events are held. Horse-drawn sleighs then carry the passengers to the doorstep of the venue.
And indeed, people are captivated by the charm of the experience, from the clouds of white smoke billowing into the crystal-clear early morning air to the rumble of the passenger cars as they lumber toward Soldier Hollow.
Interest has been so high that a second train was added — a Nevada Northern Railways steam locomotive and two passenger coaches.
"Every now and again, when television cameras show Soldier Hollow, you can see the train and the smoke and hear the whistle blowing in the background," said Lance Hunt, a mechanical officer with Nevada Northern.
Railroad aficionados are ecstatic that their love of railroads is being shared with a worldwide Olympic audience. "You see the kids' eyes getting big, the old-timers looking at the train and seeing memories grinding away in their heads," McConnell said.
"The sound echoes through this valley. It is an incredibly beautiful sound."
E-MAIL: donna@desnews.com
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February 15, 2002
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