Union Pacific’s Idaho Main Line, Part 2

The second program in the 7idea series covering the Union Pacific main line in Idaho. The focus here is the western half of the Nampa Subdivision between Nampa and Ticeska. Beginning at Nampa Yard, we will see the Boise Valley Railroad interchanging cars with the UP and heading over the Boise Cutoff past the classic depot in Idaho’s capital city. We then follow UP’s Oregon Short Line eastward through the Snake River Plain.

Highlights include Orchard, Mountain Home, Glenns Ferry, King Hill, and the steep 2% grade of Reverse (Medbury) Hill. We conclude with trains reaching Ticeska after climbing the 1.7% grade away from the Snake River west of Bliss. The Nampa Subdivision sees around twenty trains per day. Mixed manifests roam the line along with unit soda ash, grain, and intermodal. Most trains have distributed power with westbound heavy unit trains using two sets of DPU’s making for a fantastic show of horsepower!

This program was shot in May and July, 2022.