Western Railroad Discussion > Double Track Overland Route...

The question below about Sherman Hill caused me to ponder a bit. Is this a true statement:

"The Overland Route is completely double track all the way from Chicago to Ogden with the exception of the Kate Shelley Bridge in Iowa. If one considers the two track possibilities of Donner Pass and the Canyon sub, there really is double track all the way from Chicago to Oakland on Union Pacific, with the exception of the bridge in Iowa".

Oh, and BTW, the Sherman Hill route hosts somewhere between 70 and 80 trains a day, and is triple track with the exception of the half mile long double-tracked Hermosa Tunnel.

Tolland.

Iowarails or cdub could answer this better, but I believe there are some additional sections of single track left on the old CNW in Iowa.

Don't currently have my Iowa timetable at hand.

Don

The Kate Shelly Bridge in Iowa is Double Track.It was last time I was there anyways.

There is a single track bridge over the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Are there two tracks all the way over Donner Pass? As I remember at least summit is single track and I believe that one other stretch is single track as well...

Martin, Sweden

Being an Iowan (although transplanted, for the moment...), couldn't pass this one up!

Contrary to the above poster's assertion, Kate Shelley is double track. Sorry, no offense, but been there many, many hours (probably, added together, months) watching trains, especially while studying for exams back in Ames. However, due to loading limits or some such, only one train at a time is permitted on the bridge any more. So it effectively is single track, but there are two discrete tracks running across it with adequate spacing between them...

The ex-CNW is mostly double track. The notable exceptions I can think of are Fremont, NE to Missouri Valley, IA, and the Cedar River bridge near Cedar Rapids, IA. There's just no way to get from Fremont, NE to Mo Valley without passing over single track, even if you go by UP to Omaha/Council Bluffs and then come back north along the Missouri River. Now, if they count the MV-Fremont main as one main, and the line from Omaha/Bluffs to MV as the other main, then I guess you have double track...

Nathan
http://www.drgw.net
The section between MV, IA and Dennison, IA, that the CNW single-tracked years ago has been fully restored to beautiful new CTC-controlled double track by the UP over the past four years. Looks great, but it radically changed it as a good place to watch trains on the weekend. it's still busy, but it was a lot easier when they spent half their time in sidings...

Other than that, as far as I'm aware it's double track or dual mains (aka CTC-controlled) from end-to-end across Iowa. Driven the whole thing enough to doubt I've missed anything, but my memories of Iowa are getting more and more distant by the day. About the time I have to change my address to Denver-Springs-Pueblo, CO, I'll move back. I give it fifteen more years.

Please forgive my sig in the middle of my last post - it's been a long day.

I obviously can not read today...the first post clearly mentioned the Canyon sub and Donner Pass as sort of a double track, disregard my last post...

Martin

Tolland mentioned 70 - 80 trains over/around Sherman per day, isn't that a little high or has the number increased? I seem to recall 50 a day being normal although I would believe an increase in traffic. I
was dropping my son off at my Aunt's in Cheyenne last Saturday and as I was heading back to Longmont I counted 10 trains between College and I-25 either waiting to enter the yard, changing crews in the yard, or entering or leaving the yard. Most I have seen in awhile.

Joel

Corrections about CNW in Iowa gladly accepted, I've never been over that stretch of track so I have little or no idea about it.

Tolland.