Western Railroad Discussion > Busiest freight train locations in the USA?

Hi there,
What are the busiest spots the United States to catch freight train action?

UP Bailey Yard, North Platte Nebraska has to be up there. Maybe the heart of Union Pacific.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/12 22:39 by NH2006.

Maybe some locations in the Chicago area? I've heard that Blue Island can get busy from the different railroads that go through that junction. I'm not too familiar with that area.

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

FrontRangeTrains Wrote:
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> Maybe some locations in the Chicago area? I've heard that Blue Island can get busy from the different railroads that go through that junction.

Blue Island is a great spot, very diverse. Chicago is quite spread out though.

Gibbon, NE Wyoming Coalfield Junctions. SF Jct KC, KS/MO Dolton, IL Blue Island, IL Brighton Park, IL Pine JCT IN State Line JCT IL/IN Galesburg, IL North Platte, NE Colton, CA Diamond Fostoria, OH Vickers Diamond Toledo, OH Marion, OH Berea, OH Greenwhich, OH Siam, OH (attica jct) Bellvue, OH Roanoke, VA St. Albans, WV Kenova, WV Pittsburgh, PA Atlanta, GA Waycross, GA Ft. Worth TX (tower 55) Belen, NM Minn/St. Paul, MN Butler, IN Saint Joesph, IN (Saint Joe) Muncie, IN Tolono, IL Tuscola, IL Sidney, IL Danville, IL Valley Junction East St. Louis, IL Granite City, IL St. Louis, MO Lincoln, NE Memphis, TN Texarcana, TX/ARK Amarillo, TX BNSF Race Track West Burbs Chicago West Chicago, IL
Shanadoah Junction WV Eastern Panhandle NYC passenger only Columbia, SC Danville, KY Ft. Wayne, IN Rochelle, IL La Crosse, WI Topeka, KS Grand Island, NE

There are many many many more too. Thats just right off the top of my head.

Vancouver, Washington is a great spot.

The Amtrak depot sits in the middle of a wye with legs leading to Seattle, Portland and Spokane. Lots of stuff goes through there.

Kelly Wrote:
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> Hi there,
> What are the busiest spots the United States to
> catch freight train action?

Some good info in this 2007 post "most trains in 24 hours" <http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1546197,1546474#msg-1546474&gt; North Platte-Gibbon, Santa Fe Jct. KC; Barstow-Daggett were mentioned a lot.

mapboy

Edit: Can't beat Santa Fe Jct. or Blue Island for variety!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/12 23:58 by mapboy.

I LOVE SF Jct in Kansas City... Always something going on down there .

Posted from iPhone

I second, third, and fourth this. KC hands down.

CasperLine Wrote:
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> I LOVE SF Jct in Kansas City... Always something
> going on down there .
>
> Posted from iPhone

CasperLine Wrote:
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> I LOVE SF Jct in Kansas City... Always something
> going on down there .
>
> Posted from iPhone

Agreed. Never been there. But heard it seems to be one of the busiest of the busiest spots.

Posted from Android

Union Pacific's Glidden Sub in Houston, TX between West Jct. and Rosenberg, Tx. (UP, BNSF, KCS & Amtrak). As a matter of fact, UP has started laying track for the double track project (first part) from C.P. Hecker (West Jct) to Stafford, Tx. The second part will be from Stafford, TX to Rosenberg, TX.

I would have to second (or third or fourth) the vote for the U.P. between North Platte, NE and Gibbon, NE. The triple track line pretty much runs parallel with Highway 30. Traffic has dropped a bit with the reduced coal traffic. However, you'll see plenty of other traffic. I believe train counts currently run at around 120-130 trains every 24 hours.

Posted from iPhone

Where you can see them? Walkway Kansas City Union Station. US 30 east of North Platte. Deshler, Ohio. Fostoria, Ohio. Downers Grove, Illinois. Looking out window of SPAR bar Tacoma, Washington.

Hawley, PA?
Gonut

Folkston, GA pretty go too.

dstill Wrote:
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> Folkston, GA pretty go too.


Yes, but not for variety of motive power. Nice spot though, and nobody's going to mess with you; you can relax. Not one of those spots where you're going to be panhandled and every white or silver American made sedan or SUV that comes by makes your arse draw up.

Cheyenne, WY. Can't beat the trains out there. Especially the 20k+ ton Potash trains. Cool sight.

No Gonut, not even close, the correct answer is Belgrade, Nebraska.

sp8192 Wrote:
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> I second, third, and fourth this. KC hands down.
>
> CasperLine Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I LOVE SF Jct in Kansas City... Always
> something going on down there .

And fifth it, too. This has to be right up near the top of the list, if not at the top. The density and frequency of traffic is something that must be seen to be believed. And the fact that it's on three levels is the icing on the...ahem..."layer cake", if you will.

The stretch between North Platte and O'Fallons, NE is the busiest main freight line in the US, seeing about 120-140 UP trains a day. Diverse action too, with UP running virtually every type of train imaginable. Coal, grain, pot ash, autos, intermodal, mixed freights, locals, and your occasional passenger special.