Wednesday, June 27, 2007 in Nebraska,
from North Platte to just inside Wyoming at Pine Bluffs (yes, with an
'S'). Photos were taken along Highway 30, which parallels the
busy UP line, east-west through Nebraska. I'm on my way to Salt Lake
City for the UP Heritage Locomotive Shootout on June 30. Included
today: FEC 7558 at Chappell, Nebraska *** Shots of Bailey Yard in
North Platte, NE *** Park outside North Platte with UP caboose *** UP
5481 and 9751 at Lodgepole, NE *** UP 5481 again at Sidney, NE *** UP
9457 near Potter and Kimball, NE though a field of hay bales *** UP
7611 at Pine Bluffs, WY. (All photos
copyright Ken Ziegenbein)
If you'd like to view the entire site with larger photos, click on:
http://www.trainweather.com/nebraskatrains-june272007-bb.html
Otherwise, click on any photo to enlarge.
The tourist information center for North Platte, Nebraska is in this UP
caboose in a park next to I-80 and has volunteers inside. The
park also has a memorial for the North Platte Canteen and includes a
bronzed plaque of John Bromley's (now head of the UP Museum in Omaha)
famous painting of the North Platte Canteen depot.
LEFT-Closeup of the bronzed drawing. Mr. Bromley says he will live
forever now in bronze. RIGHT-From a parking lot off Front Street,
looking north at UP's Bailey Yard, the largest classification yard in
the world.
LEFT-This lady threw the switch at this point but was not part of the
engine crew. RIGHT-I call this shot a "Field of Trains" with
Bailey Yard across this growing field of corn.
If you'd like to view the
entire site with larger photos, click on:
http://www.trainweather.com/nebraskatrains-june272007-bb.html
Otherwise, click on any photo to enlarge.
RIGHT-The former railfan pavilion at Bailey Yard, now falling down.
The East Hump of the yard.
RIGHT-At Birdwood, Nebraska, the western terminus of Bailey Yard. Yes,
this is a public road with 6 tracks to cross. John Bromley said Bailey
Yard averages 155 trains coming and going a day.
RIGHT-From Birdwood looking to the south and east.
If you'd like to view the
entire site with larger photos, click on:
http://www.trainweather.com/nebraskatrains-june272007-bb.html
Otherwise, click on any photo to enlarge.
LEFT-Lots of jet aircraft contrails as I look toward the west from the
west end of Bailey Yards. (Contrails form about 20 to 30 thousand feet
above the groud, where the air is well below zero degrees F, when hot
exhaust from jet engines fly through that layer of atmosphere. It's
like when you can see your breath when it's really cold. Some days you
see more contrails than other days if the air is unusually moist at
that layer and some days you see none because the air is too dry at
that level of the atmosphere, even though jets fly at that height all
the time. No, no one is trying to poison us! It's all
natural. RIGHT-Stumbled across this, FEC 7558, in Chappell,
Nebraska at 2:39 p.m. June 27. It belongs to Famers Elevator
Company. I'm now well west of North Platte on US Highway 30.
LEFT-Lodgepole, Nebraska, UP 5481 at 2:54 p.m. The train is
westbound. RIGHT-A Cotton Belt boxcar. I didn't see a soul in
Lodgepole.
LEFT-This mixed train at Lodgepole had a DPU (UP 9735) at the end, as
did several other trains westbound. RIGHT-The same train what
went through Lodgepole is now at Sidney, Nebraska at 3:18 p.m.
LEFT-Cattle, grass, hills and rails near Potter, Nebraska. RIGHT-Near
Potter, Nebraska with UP 9457 at 3:44 p.m.
If you'd like to view the
entire site with larger photos, click on:
http://www.trainweather.com/nebraskatrains-june272007-bb.html
Otherwise, click on any photo to enlarge.
RIGHT-Across a field of round hay bales near Kimball, Nebraska at 4:08
p.m.
RIGHT-Entering Kimball.
LEFT-4:41 p.m. eastbound through Pine Bluffs, Wyoming with UP
7611. RIGHT-Out my hotel room window in Cheyenne, Wyoming toward
dusk June 27.
