Western Railroad Discussion > Drive US30 from Gibbon to North Platte NE

One of neatest railfan drives is on US30 from Gibbon to North Platte NE (approximately 120 miles). You are litterally 50 feet from the triple track mainline for 90% of the way. This is the Kearney sub. Train frequency before the recession was 120+ a day (24 hours). Here are a few images along the way. All the taken June 2001.

bob

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Your photos are awesome, dude. Back east here (PA)the name North Platte, NE is heard frequently but it's really neat to see some photos. Yours are like a blend of the old and the new in terms of the trackside industries. I wondered if such a large railroad operation would still cater to small business's. The whithering Co-op structures are a contrast to the modern silo facilities. Actually, I wish you had more to post. I guess the five tracks shown in the one photo include the outer ones as sidings? They would need to be long enough to accept the biggest cut of expected cars to keep the main clear. Are there sections of more than 3 mains anywhere?

Aaron 21 (7 degrees in north central PA and the wind chill, well that's about -10)

Nice stuff, sooman. Middle shot taken at the US30 overpass on the
west edge of Maxwell, where some of the first third main went into
service. I'm curious if you can remember if the hoppers were
moving? Things tend to get stacked up on either side of North
Plate and I was curious.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

All trains in the 3 shots were moving, but as they get closer to North Platte they encounter a lot of congestion..

bob

Only 4 track lines I know of are in the PRB..

bob

Here are 3 more along US30.. dont remember the town names..

bob

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RRmemories Wrote:
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> Are there sections of more
> than 3 mains anywhere?

It is all triple track west from Gibbon Junction, thru Bailey Yard, and quadruple track from the end of Bailey (Birdwood) to O'Fallons, where the N. Platte coal sub. heads Northwest, away from the double track, going west towards Cheyenne. N. Platte sub. is double track.

Thanks for these pictures, they're great.

Does anyone put out a guide to the UP / BNSF lines in Nebraska similar to the Altamont Press timetables? It looks like the kind of place where knowing the control points, etc could be very helpful in following the trains.

When you travel that road, you always can see a headlight on a train. Never is it quiet.

Nice photos.

Chico
http://www.heartlandrails.com

sooman1 Wrote:
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> One of neatest railfan drives is on US30 from
> Gibbon to North Platte NE (approximately 120
> miles). You are litterally 50 feet from the triple
> track mainline for 90% of the way. This is the
> Kearney sub. Train frequency before the recession
> was 120+ a day (24 hours). Here are a few images
> along the way. All the taken June 2001.
>
> bob

mact Wrote:Just another great spot that I had the privilege to be with you on a great trip. Remember keeping pace with a freight train doing over 70 miles an hour and it not swaying a bit ?
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> sooman1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > One of neatest railfan drives is on US30 from
> > Gibbon to North Platte NE (approximately 120
> > miles). You are litterally 50 feet from the
> triple
> > track mainline for 90% of the way. This is the
> > Kearney sub. Train frequency before the
> recession
> > was 120+ a day (24 hours). Here are a few
> images
> > along the way. All the taken June 2001.
> >
> > bob

mact Wrote:Sorry I almost forgot maybe 1 of the members may have found your special CP hat LOL
-------------------------------------------------------
> mact Wrote:Just another great spot that I had the
> privilege to be with you on a great trip. Remember
> keeping pace with a freight train doing over 70
> miles an hour and it not swaying a bit ?
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > sooman1 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > One of neatest railfan drives is on US30 from
> > > Gibbon to North Platte NE (approximately 120
> > > miles). You are litterally 50 feet from the
> > triple
> > > track mainline for 90% of the way. This is
> the
> > > Kearney sub. Train frequency before the
> > recession
> > > was 120+ a day (24 hours). Here are a few
> > images
> > > along the way. All the taken June 2001.
> > >
> > > bob

Railfanned up there in August 96, during the height of the meltdown after the UP gobbled up the SP. In addition to almost always having a headlight or train in view, the thing I remember to this day is hearing a train entering the North Platte sub off the Marysville sub greeted by a fellow rail with the words, "Welcome to the nightmare!"

billywa

You and I fanned this stretch at nearly the same time. My wife and I visited her dad during the 4th of July week back in 2001. Back then he worked for UP in the Harriman center, and one day while the daies were doing their thing he and I did essentially this trip that you photographed. We spent an hour or so at Gibbon and saw 16 trains, super cool place.

Thanks for sharing!

When there is a track for switching like the one adjacent to the main in these pictures, is there a name given to it? The actual track (usually dead ending) is called a siding right? (or spur, also?). I think of a passing track as a run around on a mainline but what would a parallel track be termed that lets a local operate off the main. (See the track in the photo with the covered hoppers). The terminology is a little confusing. Spur could be a branchline too? Aaron 21

RRmemories Wrote:
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> When there is a track for switching like the one
> adjacent to the main in these pictures, is there a
> name given to it? The actual track (usually dead
> ending) is called a siding right? (or spur,
> also?). I think of a passing track as a run around
> on a mainline but what would a parallel track be
> termed that lets a local operate off the main.
> (See the track in the photo with the covered
> hoppers). The terminology is a little confusing.
> Spur could be a branchline too? Aaron 21

It could be considered a "tail" or switching "lead", which allows work to be completed in the yard or industry without fowling the main. Can also be referred to as a "stub" track. A siding is considered to be one that has switches at both ends. A stub or set out track opens at one end. A lead generally is a longer track that allows switching operations to occur without fowling the main, but has a switch to access the main as well, and the tail will give enough room to perform switching, but dead ends. Does that make any sense?

Photo #1 would make a neat railroad scene to model. Aaron 21