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After the passing of former president Geroge Bush, UP would for the final hurrah un-tarp this motor and send it on a systemwide tour as a token of honor for this moment. Just as his passing, this and the funeral train would be the last hurrah for this motor in it's operational state as it is now an exhibit at the presidential library and museum in Texas. This would be the first and last time I'd get to see this motor.

During the historic 2021 western wildfire season, infrastructure on the west coast was hit hard, as a fire took down one of the bridges on UP's i5 corridor route. This would result in detours over the OSL to keep the tonnage on the move, and in a mid-term plan, block swaps became even more prominent than they already were in Nampa to handle overload tonnages. One of these detours led by UP 8899 is getting back underway for the long snaking detour across Idaho and then south down the Ogden subdivision, and then back west to Roseville.

With a perfectly timed phone call earlier that morning, it was out the door to capture UP 1982 tied down at CP455 in Nampa at the lead of MHKPC. It would only be a couple hours later and they would be gone that same afternoon.

It's a late early June evening in Nampa, as a manifest is working the yard on main 2 awaiting the all clear from the conductor on the next move, while a stack train blasts off on Main 1 with a fresh crew for the overnight jog to Pocatello and beyond eastwards.

It's a beautiful Idaho July afternoon as a hot UPS Z races through Idaho eastwards with a big friendly windshield wave from the conductor at every bit of track speed and one awaiting them at Sebree.

As this visit to Pocatello and the surrounding areas was winding down, there was only one way to wrap up a fun day of chasing and that was with a train at last good light, and UP delivered bringing UP 8190 eastbound with the MHKNP at sunset past the always classy center siding at Michaud.

Earlier in the afternoon a ballast train had arrived Nampa and tied down for the night, awaiting it's next move eastward to unload for the various MoW projects across Idaho. With a beautiful clear night, there's no way one would pass on a nice shot under the stars as the trio of motors rest in near CP 455 in the east end of Nampa yard.

After a stint working in the east end of the yard shuffling cars around for all the Nampa area eastbound locals, a rare standard cab SD60 is seen resting the night away out front of Nampa Tower

No day on the OSL in Idaho is complete without at least one shot from the Hill. The infamous hill known as Medbury Hill has stood as a long challenge for trains. It's a 1.5% climb for quite the distance from the Snake River valley below to the desert plateau standing above. At the top of the hill is CP 393 to CP392 which is a center siding known as Reverse, and for a very long time a set of timeless searchlight signals stood guard over this fabled section of railroad. This set now no longer stands, and all the remains is the photos of their glory and the stories they told. Not long after this photo was taken, would ground break on the new signal bridges and signals that would replace these, and from this moment onward time was running out. Here's CP 8810 leading then train MPCET with an entirely CP visitor line up as they thunder up the grade under a glorious beautiful Idaho January sunset.

As this pair dubbed the dynamic duo, WAMX 3525, a classy old school GP30, and WAMX 3502, a classy former WP GP35, have grown in age, the days of seeing them together have become increasingly rare. Their days are very numbered, even though they are the first 2 motors for the BVRR when it began 12 years ago. This is the last photo I have of them together out on the road, as after this was taken, other than for cycling out the new fleet during inspection down time or mechanical downtime, this pair never leaves the yard, and even in the yard, it is rare they are together.

It's a hot punishing July afternoon for this hardworking set of motors as they pound every ounce of power to the rails with a heavy MHKPC behind them and a 1.5% climb in front of them.

After meeting a pair at Tunupa, UP 7189 is back well underway as they put the hammer down through town with a friendly greeting from the conductor as they roll past the only remaining Amshack on the OSL.