Union Pacific Railroad and the Teton Valley Branch
Route to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks
By Thornton Waite.
Softcover 7x10", 176 pages, 147 b/w illustrations. 2021.
"The Teton Valley Branch of the Union Pacific, which ran 45.6 miles east and south from Ashton to Victor in eastern Idaho, was completed in 1913. In addition to once serving as a vital lifeline to communities in the Teton Valley, the line served as a gateway to two noted tourist destinations, the Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks.
"Following the dedication of the Grand Teton park in 1929, the UP ran passenger trains to/from Victor in the summer months for tourists visiting the parks. Although the line was completely abandoned by 1990, most of the route still exists as a recreational trail.
"This book serves as a tourist guide to the various locations along the current trail, detailing how the railroad had served each community and what had existed there in the way of rail facilities. It is also a general history of this obscure but colorful railroad line. Included are full details about tourist and ski trains to the area, rotary snow plow trains that regularly battled huge snowfalls, and the railroad's role in one of the last Old West-style cattle drives to take place annually. Details regarding three substantial bridges on the line, now part of the recreational trail, are also included."
