History - About the HVT
About the HVT
The HVT is a tourist railroad set in 1983 and an alternate route for D&RGW and Utah Railway between Thistle and Helper, Utah. The HVT railroad operates dailey service between the interchange yard and engine facility at Thistle, the popular resort town of Hill Valley and Helper, traveling through picturesque mountains and rolling sand dunes, passing the famous Mountain Dell Scout camp and historic Fremont Indian cliff dwellings. Buffalo still graze in the luscious grass near Tatanka Lake.
The HVT was originally a narrow gauge line which began in 1895 when silver was discovered in the Clear Creek mine located near Clayton Ravine. A new Rogers locomotive #3 found its home hauling silver ore to the mainline and supplies back to the mine. The new railroad connected with the D&RGW mainline at Thistle through a series of tunnels and was later connected on the east end at Helper, again by tunnel. After the silver vein paid out in 1910 the line lay dormant for several years. In 1921 several investors got together and reopened the mine, this time looking for coal. They were successful and the railroad was back in business, complete with new standard gauge track work and rolling stock. Locomotive #3 was taken out of mothballs, converted to standard gauge and put back into service.
The flagship of the HVT tourist fleet is the same engine #3, a recently restored 1896 Rogers 4-6-0 steam locomotive, pulling a set of restored passenger cars from the same era, and is joined by the Hill Valley Creeper #616, a 1907 Baldwin 2-8-0 Consolidation. An EMD Doodlebug or McKeen Motor Car provide daily passenger and freight service between the three towns and the local mine. The HVT Local is a daily ‘turn’ serving the local area with a couple of GP20’s acquired from WP and ATSF and currently awaiting a repaint. Freight is interchanged with D&RGW ‘thru-freights’ at the Thistle yard. The favorites of the younger crowd include Thomas the Tank Engine pulling Annie and Clarabelle, and his companions Percy and James. HVT is contracted by the Southern Pacific to do turn-around maintenance on their FEF-3 GS4 which pulls occasional heritage excursions thru Hill Valley aboard the historic Coast Daylight train. The Central Pacific Jupiter and Union Pacific #119 find time from their schedule at Golden Spike Monument to visit Hill Valley. The Rio Grande Zephyr and Amtrak travel thru Hill Valley on alternating schedules.
Local transportation includes the recently restored 1951 Flixible Utah Parks bus and the kids’ favorite, Bertie the bus. Traffic is busy on the streets with parcel deliveries from UPS and freight on Tayden Truck Line. Be sure to watch for a cool looking Jeep running around town and for Dr. Emmett Browne sneaking around town in a strange looking Delorean. Tourists always enjoy taking a scenic helicopter flight with Grandpa in HVT’s new Bell Jet Ranger with tours leaving from the helipad atop the clock tower building in Hill Valley.
Highlights of the area named after grandchildren include Sarah’s Western Wear, James’ Service Station, Tayden Trucking, Keegan Korner Market, Cameron Cattle and Livestock, Jarek’s Jalopies, Dusty Dustin Lumber, Shayah Park, Carley Cut and Curl, Parker Oil Distributor, McDayvin Drive-in, home of the famous golden arches, Briele’s Boutique, Jaycee’s Pet Castle, Jayda’s Jewelry, the classic Jordyn Spreader, a ride in Lizzies track inspection car and Zander Energy.