In the early 1960s, The Rio Grande hired Morrison-Knudsen to build a branchline from Brendel, Utah to a potash mine South of Moab. The 35.77-mile line was completed in 1963. The scenery on the line's southern end is spectacular with red rock canyons and deep cuts. Further North on the line is also scenic as the train is dwarfed by the La Sal Mountains.
Starting in 2009 the United States Department of Energy began a project to move the nation's largest pile of uranium tailings located just outside Moab. The tailings are a byproduct of the former Atlas Uranium Mine, the richest vein ever discovered at the time in the nearby La Sal Mountains. The mine operated from 1956 to 1988. The concern today is the long-term contamination from the tailings to the nearby Colorado River. The byproducts are being moved North to a permanent disposal site near Crescent Junction. Union Pacific runs trains 5 days a week for this project. The train is seen North of Seven Mile leaving the red rocks of Moab behind.
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