Western Railroad Discussion > Nebraska Central Saturday

This will be a long post with about 20 photos so it will take a while to build.

The promise of "abundant sunshine" made Saturday seem like a good day to accompany Ken Church on a circle tour of the Nebraska Central. This time, we did the tour in reverse by starting in Columbus. Here's a link to their website where there is a system map: http://www.rgpc.com/nebraska-central-railroad/

It was going to be a long day so I got up WAAAY before breakfast! Dawn didn't bring the abundant sunshine but Nebraska Central provided a train for the first shots of the day at Columbus. 8102 and 8057 were bringing the COLC (Columbus Local) back to Oconee.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/14 15:23 by twjurgens.

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We went as far north as Madison on the line to Norfolk in search of other activity. Didn't find anything there but checked the other towns along that line on the way back to Columbus. We found an NCRC crane at Humphrey and the 902 at Platte Center.

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Back at Columbus, we found UP 4249 and 1644 ready to pull MNCNP (Nebraska Central to North Platte) to Columbus. NCRC 8102 and 8057 paused at the Nebraska Central terminal north of Columbus enroute to Oconee.

We then went west from Oconee to Genoa and north to Albion. There were 3 UP units at Albion to pull a grain train south but we couldn't get close enough for photos.

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Next leg of the trip took us back to Genoa then to Fullerton where we left the northern part of the NCRC system. We went to Central City where the southern part of the system connects with Union Pacific. There we found the 1006 that had delivered some tanks to a local business using former BN tracks.

We then headed west on Highway 30 to Grand Island. On the way, UP 7921, 4730, 4848, and 5157 were hustling a stack train west.

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At the Nebraska Central terminal in Grand Island we finally got the "abundant sunshine" and found the 8118 and 8123. A friend with firsthand knowledge said "8118 and 8123 are good motors. The 8057, 8102, 8118, 8123, and 8132 are all ex BN power". A view of the terminal facility shows a former Rock Island and Union Pacific caboose. Both cabooses are owned by the Great Plains Chapter of NRHS. The Rock Island caboose was donated to the Chapter by a Hastings business woman who had purchased the UP depot there. The caboose was parked on the west side of that building and had been used as an office for a Mexican restaurant that had been the last business to use the building.

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On the way back to Central City, we found UP 6776 and 7117 westbound with a short mixed freight and UP 8516, 9592, and 3912 with another westbound stack train.

At Central City, we caught UP7739, 7721, and 8159 with yet another westbound stacker. This view looks north toward the former BN crossing of the UP. The Nebraska Central line curves in from the east.

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The trip along the southern part of the system was uneventful except for the 6330 and recently acquired 1005 at Shelby. The friend mentioned previously said "This is the ADMTN power. 6330 is a ex Penn Central motor. That 1005 is actually an ex ACL unit". We didn't cover the far eastern end since it was getting late.

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We returned to Columbus and still had some daylight left so went northwest of there to Monroe and got shots of 8102 and 8057 westbound near there with CELC (Cedar Local). The COLC and CELC use the same power set. Not sure if that circle of different colored ground in those 2 views is a crop circle but didn't see any little gray critters lurking about (not even a wittle gway wabbitt!!)

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To end the day we got shots of a badly faded 2002 at Oconee. This engine is currently used mainly on the Albion local.

The final view looks west from Oconee toward Monroe. The power in the view is UP 3815 and 7240. They were for the next days' MNCCB to Council Bluffs.

A great day despite the cloudy start!

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Nice report and a very sharp paint scheme. Thanks for posting !

Don't think I've ever seen a picture of a dirty Nebraska Central locomotive. Do they exist? Or does that railroad just take a lot of pride in their appearance?

Great coverage of a neat operation. Their units always look nice. You found a lot more activity than I was able to find in May. Thanks for showing these.
Brian Stevens

Brian, show up in harvest season (about now), there's power in about half the towns
on the railroad, gets pretty interesting.

Out

GOOD stuff...!!! Thanks for posting.

irhoghead Wrote:
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> Don't think I've ever seen a picture of a dirty
> Nebraska Central locomotive. Do they exist? Or
> does that railroad just take a lot of pride in
> their appearance?


I've noticed the same thing about their appearance....always seem clean. Don't know about their maintenance program but some of it may have to do with the low speeds on their lines.

Great bunch, really like that last one.
JB

Really great photos.

Ronda Thomas

Great photos and nice report; thanks for posting. Last time I was in Central City we were chasing the BN local north with a single SD9, four cars, and a caboose. Just aged myself...
kwo

Aged yourself and are referring to an out of service line (North end) which has been
authorized for removal about 1 1/2 miles South out of Central City. North bit (North
of US 30) is still used as a team track. BNSF uses a bit of the South end above York
for car storage.

Out

callum_out Wrote:
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> Aged yourself and are referring to an out of
> service line (North end) which has been
> authorized for removal about 1 1/2 miles South out
> of Central City. North bit (North
> of US 30) is still used as a team track. BNSF uses
> a bit of the South end above York
> for car storage.
>
> Out

Correct, except the BNSF line you speak of goes north off of the Ravenna Sub at Aurora, not York. It goes north till a mile or so south of Marquette. The rails still exist (as of last year or so) starting just north of the Platte River bridge and go into Central City. Unfortunately as you said the portion between the bridge and the US30 crossing is up for abandonment, so it may be gone.

Nice set of photos Tom.

Traingeek087



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/14 22:17 by traingeek087.