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38-535: Soldier Hollow is a cross-country ski venue located at the mouth of a hollow of the same name about 53 miles (85 km) southeast of Salt Lake City in Wasatch Mountain State Park in northwestern Wasatch County , Utah , United States. The venue was created for the 2002 Winter Olympics and hosted the biathlon , cross-country skiing , and the cross country skiing portion of the Nordic combined events,

76-470: A mountain rendezvous , pioneer reenactments, cowboy camps, wild mustang exhibit and American Indian displays, along with concession stands. In order to help cut down on vehicle traffic in the local canyons during the games, and to give spectators a unique experience, SLOC reached an agreement with the historic Heber Valley Railroad to transport spectators to the Soldier Hollow venue. A special station

114-452: A horse-drawn sleigh . Soldier Hollow is slated to again host hosted the biathlon, cross-country skiing, and the cross country skiing portion of the Nordic combined events during the 2034 Winter Olympics . The site has been developed as a cross-country skiing, tubing, and snowshoeing venue with nearby horse-pulled sleigh riding during the winter months, while featuring mountain biking, golfing,

152-623: A location in Utah is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Heber Valley Railroad The Heber Valley Railroad (HVRX) is a heritage railroad based in Heber City, Utah . It operates passenger excursion trains along a line between Heber City and Vivian Park , which is located in Provo Canyon . The HVRX carries over 110,000 passengers a year. The railroad line is approximately 16 miles (26 km) long. A typical round trip ride on

190-539: A pair of former Rio Grande flangers to the roster for snow removal in 2024. The railroad's main depot is located in Heber City. Other passenger terminals are located at Soldier Hollow (near Midway, Utah ) and Vivian Park. The railroad operates year-round and features evening and special event train rides. Among its named trains are the Provo Canyon Limited , a three-hour round trip excursion to Vivian Park and

228-487: A pioneer living history encampment with children activities. The Heber Valley Railroad scheduled a special "music train" to bring patrons to the event. With a mission to educate as well as entertain, the Wasatch Mountain Music Festival offered workshops from professionals, singer/songwriter showcases, music activities for children and opportunities for all musicians to jam and build relationships. In 2018,

266-563: A popular music festival and an international sheepdog competition in the summer. It is owned by the State of Utah and part of Wasatch Mountain State Park. The Division of State Parks and Recreation contracted management of the venue to a non-profit foundation. The Wasatch Mountain Music Festival was held at Soldier Hollow on July 14–16, 2017. Under the direction and management of Vibrant America and

304-652: A role it is expected to reprise for the 2034 Winter Olympics . Since hosting the Olympics, it has been developed as a cross-country skiing, tubing, and snowshoeing venue, while featuring mountain biking and golfing in the summer. On May 1, 2016, the venue operation contract transferred from the Soldier Hollow Legacy Foundation to the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, which owns and operates several Olympic and Paralympic legacy venues elsewhere in

342-472: The 2002 Winter Paralympics the venue hosted the biathlon and cross-country events. Soldier Hollow was the furthest venue from Salt Lake City with an estimated drive time of 2-2.5 hours from downtown during the games. Because of this distance from any large population centers, a special Western Experience was created at the venue's spectator plaza to give visitors activities to do between competitions. The Western Experience included music and entertainment,

380-607: The Nevada Northern Railway Museum's No. 93 steam-engine, in pulling eight-car trains full of passengers, to the Soldier Hollow depot where they disembarked and continued to the venue entrance on a horse-drawn sleigh . The day prior to the Opening Ceremony of the games, all three locomotives were combined into one triple-headed train, and used to transport the Olympic flame from Soldier Hollow to Heber City as part of

418-480: The torch relay . The railroad would acquire Columbia Steel No. 300 from the Geneva Recreation Assoction in 2003 to bring to Heber as a potential restoration candidate, but plans to restore the engine were dropped upon full inspection of the engine and shortly afterwards the departure of then Chief Mechanical Officer John Rimmasch from the railroad. In 2010, UP No. 618 would be taken out of service at

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456-553: The 1850s. While the hollow is fairly small, it is most notable for the Soldier Hollow winter sports venue that is located at the mouth of the hollow (and that was named after the hollow). The venue was created for the 2002 Winter Olympics and hosted the biathlon , cross-country skiing , and the cross country skiing portion of the Nordic combined events and is still in use. [REDACTED] Media related to Soldier Hollow (Utah) at Wikimedia Commons This article about

494-622: The Denver and Rio Grande Western) following their merger with the RGW. The Deer Creek Reservoir required rerouting a ten-mile segment of the line in 1941. Freight operations continued regularly until 1966 when regular service was abandoned. The line saw brief use again by the D&;RGW in 1968 to haul the National Christmas Tree . After the start of heritage rail services, the D&RGW kept the lower end of

532-499: The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, this festival of Americana music - bluegrass, country, Texas swing, folk, gypsy jazz - has an ideal setting within a Wasatch Mountain cove. The large grassy staging area had two stages for non-stop music with a talented and diverse lineup of national recording artists and favorite local performers. There were overnight camping spaces, vendor booths and food court, family hiking or biking trails, and nearby horseback riding or covered wagon rides, along with

570-601: The branch line intact until 1971, when it was finally pulled up for scrap. A group of Utah-based railfans had acquired Weyerhauser Timber Company No. 110 in the late 1960s and began eyeing the soon to be dismantled Heber City branch as a potential location to restore the engine to operation (although No. 110 would be stored at Heber it wouldn't be restored to operation until it was sold to the Black Hills Central Railroad years later). The proposed construction of U.S. Route 189 through Provo Canyon would have removed

608-579: The branch line was completed in 1899 by the Rio Grande Western . The line was originally proposed as part of the Utah Eastern Railway a RGW backed plan to build a railroad through Provo Canyon and into Colorado via way of the Duchesne River , but this proposal was abandoned leaving the railroad terminus in Heber City. Ownership of the line passed to the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (later

646-603: The brand "The Heber Creeper" through the 1970s into the 1980s, using various other business names throughout the years such as the Wasatch Mountain Railroad, Timpanogos Preservation Society, the Deer Creek Scenic Railroad and finally the New London Railroad and Village. 1990 brought financial and operational strain to the railroad, when a new local sales tax impacted the railroad's profitability. In

684-539: The collection of the National Railway Historical Society British Columbia chapter in 2019 adding a FP9 to the locomotive roster and a collection of passenger cars to the roster. During this time work on returning No. 618 has been ongoing, but the longer and heavier train lengths with the growth of the railroad has had the line considering how it can successfully return steam to service while also matching increased passenger demands on

722-469: The end of its federal boiler ticket, bringing a temporary end to steam services on the line. The railroad would be featured in a 2012 music video by The Piano Guys for their song Code Name Vivaldi , and the group would return to perform at the railroad in a benefit concert later the same year. In 2013 a former railroad inspector would publicly accuse the railroad of firing him as a whistleblower regarding what he claimed were poor maintenance conditions; which

760-513: The ensuing financial dispute the Utah Department of Transportation rejected an early state offer to the Ashtons for the state to buy the railroad line upon recognizing that the Ashtons had improperly documented the titles and ownership records of much of the locomotive and equipment used by the railroad. With increasing issues mounting, the last private "Heber Creeper" train ran October 27, 1990 and

798-533: The line went into bankruptcy. Citizens in the Heber area successfully petitioned the State of Utah to help save the railroad, leading to creation of the Heber Valley Historic Railroad Authority. The Utah State Legislature voted to fund the purchase and reopening of the railroad line in 1992, selling off excess assets from the New London Railroad and Village operation to fund the rehabilitation of

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836-565: The music festival was held at the Zermatt Resort in nearby Midway . The site is also home to the Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship and Festival, held on Labor Day weekend each year. Called the "world's foremost sheepdog trial" with some 28,000 people in attendance. Soldier Hollow (Utah) The hollow was formerly a Native American encampment and was later used by a group of Army surveyors in

874-473: The old railroad grade, and the rail enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and environmentalists saw a shared incentive to preserve the railroad line from Bridal Veil Falls to Heber City. In 1969 the newly formed Wasatch Railroad Museum approached Tooele City to acquire former Tooele Valley Railway No. 11, but were rebuffed by the city. With Tooele Valley No. 11 no longer available, the museum turned its attention to acquiring former Union Pacific Railroad No. 618 which

912-637: The railroad denied referencing their Federal Railroad Administration safety records. By 2015 the railroad had assessed a need for over $ 2 Million in track repairs and safety updates to improve the railroad's condition. In the late 2010s the railroad embarked on a fleet modernization program, purchasing EMD GP9 locomotives from the Pan Am Railways and the Boulder Railroad Historical Society in Colorado . The railroad would also purchase

950-571: The railroad purchased Great Western Railway of Colorado No. 75 along with its associated "movie train" collection. Since this time the railroad has seen considerable growth. The railroad operates as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. During the 2002 Winter Olympics the railroad was part of the Olympic Steam Team , carrying spectators to the Soldier Hollow Olympic venue. The railroad's No. 618 and 75 steam-engines, were joined by

988-600: The railroad. In 2019 the railroad acquired the original neon sign from the Salt Lake Rio Grande Depot , storing the sign inside the expanded coach sheds built at the railroad. The line was temporarily closed from Vivian Park to Decker Bay Siding starting in 2022 to accommodate expansion and rehabilitation projects along the Provo Canyon trail. In early 2024, train service resumed between Decker Bay Siding and Wallsburg Siding following track work. The railroad added

1026-606: The railroad. Operations resumed in July 1992, while remaining unused equipment was sold to the Nevada State Railroad Museum (with pieces being moved to Boulder City into 1993). The first train on the reopened line ran in May 1993, while No. 618 was re-tubed and steam service returned in 1995. New shop facilities and a station were built with the rail line to the former Heber Creeper shops and station (a few blocks away) removed, while

1064-438: The remainder was used recreationally by locals. In the last quarter of the 20th century, the state park service had been approached by private developers hoping to build luxury hotels, golf courses , and other attractions within the park, but none of these plans (except the golf course) ever came to fruition. The 36-hole Soldier Hollow Golf Course, built just north of the sports venue (on the north side of West Soldier Hollow Lane),

1102-423: The shorter Deer Creek Express to Deer Creek Reservoir. The railroad can be seen from various points along U.S. Highway 189 between Heber City and Vivian Park and the whistle can be heard throughout the valley. Locomotive No. 618 was used in the 2006 film, Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy . The locomotive soon turned 100 years old as of July 2007. From 2008 to 2010, No. 618 ran limited capacity and

1140-409: The state. Soldier Hollow is located in the southeasternmost part of Wasatch Mountain State Park, a 21,592 acres (8,738 ha) nature preserve created in 1961, which became a state park in 1968. The venue received its name from the hollow at the mouth of which it is located. Prior to becoming a state park, certain locations within the park were used for farming and cattle grazing, while much of

1178-528: The train takes about 90 minutes. There are a total of four passing sidings outside of the Heber yard limit. Notable landmarks seen from the train include Mount Timpanogos , Cascade Mountain, Deer Creek Dam and Reservoir , Provo River , Sundance Ski Resort , Tate Barn, and Soldier Hollow . The line operated by the HVRX was formerly part of a Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad branch line that connected Heber City to Provo, Utah . Construction began in 1897 with

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1216-564: The venue's day lodge began with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 2000. The lodge was completed in December 2000 and dedicated on January 5, 2001. The venue cost SLOC $ 22 million USD (equivalent to $ 37.2 million in 2023) to construct. During the 2002 games Soldier Hollow hosted the biathlon , cross-country skiing , and Nordic combined events. The venue itself hosted 64,160 biathlon spectators, 99,320 cross-country spectators, and 1,794 Nordic combined spectators during these events. During

1254-663: Was at the time on static display at the Utah State Fairgrounds . The line was saved for tourist use and was reopened in 1970 when No. 618 and other equipment were brought up the line from Provo. On April 22, 1971 another train ran behind newly acquired Pacific Lumber 35 carrying Rayonier 110 and several boxcars from the connection with the Rio Grande up the canyon to Heber as a final run on the lower end of Provo Canyon. Public tourist train services began that year in July. The Provo Canyon branch between Provo and Bridal Veil Falls

1292-464: Was chosen by SLOC as an Olympic venue in October 1997, over several other possible locations including Sherwood Hills near Logan , Utah. Preliminary work began soon after the venue site was chosen, but major construction didn't start until 1999. Work at the venue had been completed enough (80% complete) to host its first major event, U.S. Cross Country Skiing Championships, on January 8, 2000. Construction on

1330-588: Was completed in July 2004 and supplemented the exiting 36-hole Wasatch Mountain Golf Course (located farther north in the state park). The Soldier Hollow venue was one of only three which were built and designed by the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) specifically for the 2002 Winter Olympics; with the others being the Utah Olympic Park and Utah Olympic Oval . The Soldier Hollow location

1368-417: Was constructed along the railroad tracks near the venue which would allow for two to four trains, carrying 200 passengers each, per day. The Heber Valley Railroad's numbers 618 and 75 steam-engines , were joined by the Nevada Northern Railway Museum 's number 93 steam-engine, in pulling eight-car trains full of passengers, to the Soldier Hollow depot where they disembarked and continued to the venue entrance on

1406-599: Was later removed disconnecting the Heber Creeper from the national rail network. The segment between Bridal Veil and Vivian Park would later be removed moving the line's terminus to Vivian Park, with the Provo to Vivian Park segment being converted into a recreational trail. One of the primary investors in the private heritage rail operation was Heber area businessman Lowell Ashton and the Ashton family. The railroad operated publicly with

1444-479: Was then taken out of service for a 1,472-day inspection and major overhaul, as required to meet Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety standards in 2010. In October 2014, No. 618 was moved into the shops were restoration officially began. The non-profit railroad raised the $ 750,000 required for the project to give No. 618 another 30 years of service. Its restoration includes conversion from coal to oil burning. The railroad hopes to get it running sometime in

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