North Platte or Bust: Part 7, Nebraska

SUNDAY AUG. 12, 2012

When we left KC on Sunday 8/12, we pretty much chose the fastest route to North Platte.  That meant heading north to Nebraska City and west to I-80.  All roads are fast in this part of the world so that was easy.  We wanted to follow the UP transcontinental route from Grand Island to North Platte along US 30.  This would take us by Gibbon Jct. where the line from KC comes in and forms a 3 track main to North Platte and O'Fallons. We passed many lines radiating out of KC and Omaha.  Some were busy and some were long gone.  The GPS "short range sensors" kept showing tracks that were no longer in place.  The Rand McNalley Railroad Atlas was the best we could do this far west. 

Grand Island, NE

Grand Island, NE

Once in Grand Island, NE we simply had to seek the point where the BNSF crosses the UP.  This is a single track overpass that is roughly 10 years old now.  The line used to cross at grade but with Powder River coal traffic on both lines, the bottlenecks would have been a disaster.  BNSF is even now seeking to double track this overpass because it is becoming a bottleneck.  The next day we would see two trains stacked up waiting to use it. 

Grand Island, NE

Grand Island, NE

Grand Island, NE

The UP was curiously quiet when we arrived but that didn't last forever.  We got a steady stream of coal loads heading east on the BNSF while we waited.  Eventually we even got one train passing over another.  The lead units were not synchronized but the trailing DPU's were close enough to see each other. 

Grand Island, NE

Grand Island, NE

The UP then provided a couple of westbounds, though the yard seemed active too, just out of sight.  The coal train's trailing DPU had a door swinging in the breeze, and we played tag with that train most of the way to North Platte.

Grand Island, NE

Grand Island, NE

Grand Island, NE

WB Gibbon Jct., NE

EB DPU Gibbon Jct., NE

 Our next target west was Gibbon Jct.  This is where the Marysville line from Kansas City joins the transcontinental line.  Depending on your perspective, this is where the 3 track mainline begins or ends.  Coal traffic has caused the UP to double track the Marysville Sub and add the 3rd track to the transcontinental line. 

Gibbon Jct., NE

KCS unit Gibbon Jct., NE

We saw a continuous barrage of trains in the short time we sat at the crossing there.  Something on every line.  The westbounds we saw coming as we arrived from the east, all seemed to be held at the junction for a short time.  SP and KCS made appearances.  I think we stayed less than an hour.



Down the road to the west we ran into the city of Kearny to see what we could see.  The original

Local power, Kearney, NE

depot is now gone but UP has one of their yellow brick square offices near there.  Down the tracks along a parkway we found some local power idling.




We didn't linger in Kearney and headed west.  Here we encountered the curious town of Cozad.  The depot was in an attractive little park now

The 100th Meridian - Cozad, NE

and everything highlighted the fact that the 100th Meridian passes through here.  In fact, there was a commemorative plaque for the ceremony when the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad reached Cozad.  UP also provided a caboose to the park. 

The 100th Meridian - Cozad, NE

West of Gothenberg, NE

Along the 3 track line we noticed that the small towns had elaborate, and new, pedestrian overpasses.  They seemed to be of a common design.  As it became apparent that these might be useful, we scoped one out for future use.   When we passed the town of Gothenburg the sunlight looked like it might fail soon and it was time to find a crossing to watch the action from.  We found a very isolated crossing as it turned out.

West of Gothenberg, NE

West of Gothenberg, NE

We had grabbed some Subway sandwiches in Cozad so it was time to eat too.  We saw several trains and a meet while we parked at that isolated crossing.    The sunset made for some spectacular lighting.

A couple of crossings west of Gothenberg, NE

We ended the day pretty much as planned.  We had passed grain elevators from tiny to unit train sized.  We'd passed ammonia plant and ethanal plants.  All manner of plains agribusiness.  US 30 proved to be ideal for our travels.  We were near enough to North Platte to call it a day and we had scoped out the overpass in Brady for our return.  Now all we had to do was retire.   One of my last shots turned out to be pretty good for someone who generally avoids the artsie-fartsie stuff

A couple of crossings west of Gothenberg, NE

BC

North Platte or Bust: Part 1; Getting There

This is the first installment of several for an HAPT road trip adventure lasting a couple of weeks.  As the title implies, North Platte, NE was the endpoint, but it wasn't a beeline trip.  A zig-zag pattern of short trips to the next "railfan hot spot" really formed up around the need for Charles "The Fiddler" Kadyk to be at a family wedding in Kansas City on August 11.  Many adventures, in the truest sense of the word, ensued.  Two of us, armed with, cameras, radios, GPS, maps, literature, and some prior research, set out on Sunday August 5 from Mohnton, PA and returned on the 17th.  I also had some lesser adventures before and after that "in transit" to and from Maine.  The tales will follow in installments. 

It's a rare thing when you are not retired and can still spend this much time on just chasing down trains.  Charles and I are lucky that teachers have the luxury of time during the summer.  Charles is also lucky to have a wife who puts up with it.   Here's some of the fun you could have - when you can get away with it.


August 2-3, 2012:

Former NH main to Poughkeepsie Bridge

On the way to PA I made a stop in Highland, NY.  This allowed me to visit the famous New Haven RR Poughkeepsie Bridge, now "Walkway Over The Hudson".  After years of sitting dormant after the fire of suspicious origin in the days of the Penn Central, the state of New York got its act together and acquired the bridge for the walkway.  I've always found the history of the bridge to be pretty fascinating.  It was an important link to New England in its day.

West Shore Line

Walkway Over the Hudson

Walkway Over the Hudson

The morning dawned with an annoying mist that screwed up photography of the bridge structure, so I saved that part for another trip.  I still had time to walk out a ways and get a feel for the place.  It was very busy with walkers, joggers and bikers.  Pretty cool.  I did manage to get some shots of the CSX West Shore Line / River Line.  Naturally activity on the line picked up after I was far enough away to miss it.  The Amtrak line and Metro North depot in Poughkeepsie was busy though.  A shame it was so strongly backlit and misty.  Next trip.

West Shore Line - south

I did enjoy the bridge but I couldn't linger forever.  I wanted to photograph the bridge from the "Mid-Hudson"bridge.  There's a park at the Highland end that ties the two bridges together as a trail system and it seemed like a good place for photos.  Maybe if I wasn't headed elsewhere...


Once I arrived in Mohnton we pretty much headed out to lunch at a local diner and then over to a gig in Burlington, NJ at Doc's Irish Pub.  Charles plays the fiddle for Belfast Connection.  Thankfully, Diane was along so I didn't have to figure everything out on my own.  It was a fun evening.  The reason I even mention it is that the NJ Transit's River LINE ran past the window.  Naturally, when the gig ended and we waited for something to pass, all was dead.

August  4:

On Saturday Charles gave me some serious training time on serious model railroad operations.  But, this was after we grabbed coffee and donuts at the Dosie Dough Bakery in Wyomissing (Reading).  We missed two trains in pursuit of donuts.

We started with Jeff Warner's electronic wonderland modelling the old Pennsy, Reading and Western Maryland.  I enjoyed handling a wireless throttle and following track signals with the guidance of one of the veterans.

Safe Harbor, PA

Safe Harbor, PA

We left suddenly in a thunder storm that caused Jeff to shut down a bit early.  Between layouts, and after a group lunch at a local diner, Charles and I set out for Safe Harbor to get a daylight view of the bridges.  Here I also tried to work in some of the leftover rails from the construction of the power plant.  The top track is long gone but the lower track is now the NS line that goes to Wilmington on the NEC via a wye in Perryville, MD.

The rest of the day and evening were spent at Ken McCorry's fantastic re-creation of the the Pennsy Buffalo Line.  Charles and I handled trains BF-14/15 which run the full length from Harrisburg and Buffalo and return.  Charles ran the northbound, where I followed along to learn the ropes and then I took the southbound.  Nothing like working with helper units on Keating Summit to give the task some seriousness.  Anyway, even with little work en-route, it took us over an hour and a half to make the run - one way!  That's a huge layout.  The photos don't do it justice.


August 4:

We once again visited the Dosie Dough Bakery before heading out.  Diane went along in another car this time to say goodbye.  We got underway around 9:30 or so.

Fireless steamer, Dennison Depot, Ohio.

Dennison Depot, Ohio.

Dennison Depot, Ohio.

Dennison Depot, Ohio.

We expected a pretty straight forward trip.  However PennDOT had other ideas.  We managed to choose a route that needed tunnel work around Pittsburgh.  This took us on a detour through the rather large Frick Park and environs.  Not bad.  The detour itself was almost to the minute what was advertised on the blinking signs.  However, we did not get to Dennison, OH in time for the museum to be open or to catch the Ohio Central train that had apparently just headed west.  We took some photos of the area.  Dennison Depot memorializes a troop canteen that formed at the depot where citizens came out to feed passing troops.  It's a neat story.  Too bad we missed the museum.

From the museum we drove around the area on our way west and located a coal train parked on what is now an R.J. Corman line running north.  It looked more like newish aluminum hoppers but maybe they were leased in an off season deal.  They seemed to be a Wisconsin Electric reporting mark but I didn't record it.

Big Four depot, Galion, OH

Big Four depot, Galion, OH

Somewhat further on we passed through the town of Galion, OH.  I had been there before and wanted to see the depot again.  I'd forgotten how fancy it was.  It's a former "Big Four" or CCC&StL /NYC station now being restored.

CSX double stack backing into Marion Intermodal Terminal.

We began to hear some chatter on the scanner that sounded close as we approached Marion.  Some intermodal was talking about 7000ft length for some reason.  Before we could figure it out, we began to pass a large industrial park which featured warehouses and a large container yard.  This yard had a switcher and depot with signs calling it the Marion Intermodal Facility.   The next thing we saw was our path blocked by a double stack being backed into the yard.  What made it special was the KCS unit on the point.  Charles grabbed his camera and set out.  I'd catch up later.

We'd most definitely reached Marion.  We checked in at the motel, grabbed some KFC next door and headed to Marion Union Station to watch the action.  It was too dark for my camera by the time we got there but there was a small group of local fans from the Model Railroad Club in the building who tolerated us and had some stories to tell.  Meanwhile we watched a few trains pass over the many diamonds.  Each wheel on the endless trains smacked those crossings loudly.  We had to cover our ears.  We'd get some ear plugs in the morning for that.

Marion Union Station

A local who stayed around late told us a bit more about how the CSX trains get signals north out of Columbus well in advance.  That told us something about the old Hocking Valley Line (C&O) and when to expect trains.  Southbound we could see the headlight miles away.   The NS former N&W nee PRR line was more mysterious.  A northbound was waiting when we arrived so naturally we assumed something was crossing on the east-west former Big Four/EL line.  This turned out to be true.  A westbound passed.  The logic was sound enough.  Soon the northbound NS leave and soon the anticipated northbound CSX approached.  We saw around 7-8 trains on the three lines before we left for the night.  Southbounds on the Hocking Valley line were the count leader at 3, all hoppers trains of ore or stone.  Apparently they were regular sights.

Anyway, our trip was officially under way...

BC