Western Railroad Discussion > A Trip to Fairbury, NE

A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip to Fairbury, NE for a few hours.

UP 518 and 826 were tied down at the former RI depot in Fairbury with a short local. The UP looks good here but wouldn't it be nice to see a red and black RI geep in these views?

Next UP 8889 was eastbound with a long mixed freight very near where the Rock Island and UP crossed some 35 years ago. This time of year, RI right of way is hardly visible in the trees!

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Before I left town, UP 7401 was leading a Jeffrey Energy coal load with BNSF 8524 as dpu.

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On the way back to Lincoln, BNSF 5363 and 8150 were awaiting a crew to pull a loaded grain train out of my hometown, Beatrice, NE.

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Thanks for the post , my Father's family were from Fairbury and my Mom's were from Lincoln. Spent a lot of summers in Fairbury helping on the farm ...

twjurgens Wrote:
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> UP 518 and 826 were tied down at the former RI
> depot in Fairbury with a short local. The UP
> looks good here but wouldn't it be nice to see a
> red and black RI geep in these views?

In your first photo, I notice further away and to the left sitting on a siding in white paint, is what appears as a Rock Island wedge snowplow built from a Vanderbilt tank tender with the "loaf of bread" style tank.  If I'm correct, tell us more about who this plow belongs to if you can.  Many of these have been scrapped by now and I'm glad to see one is still in existence, if so.  I know the KYLE RR did once have one stationed at Phillipsburg, KS, but I'm unsure if it is still based there.

rrman6 Wrote:
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> twjurgens Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > UP 518 and 826 were tied down at the former RI
> > depot in Fairbury with a short local. The UP
> > looks good here but wouldn't it be nice to see
> a
> > red and black RI geep in these views?
>
> In your first photo, I notice further away and to
> the left sitting on a siding in white paint, is
> what appears as a Rock Island wedge snowplow built
> from a Vanderbilt tank tender with the "loaf of
> bread" style tank.  If I'm correct, tell us more
> about who this plow belongs to if you can.  Many
> of these have been scrapped by now and I'm glad to
> see one is still in existence, if so.  I know the
> KYLE RR did once have one stationed at
> Phillipsburg, KS, but I'm unsure if it is still
> based there.

That plow has been there for years.  You are correct that it is a former RI tender.  When I first saw it down there, it had a C&NW herald on it.  As far as I know, UP owns it.  Maye WPJONES can chime in on this.

It's actually faded yellow as Tom said came to UP from the C&NW. I believe it was donated to the Jeferson Co. Museum (Rock Island depot) and like everything else they have is waiting for money to move from UP property to the Depot property. For years it sat on a siding 3 or 4 blocks RR west from where it is now.
There were two of these in Spooner Ws. one in C&NW yellow and one in CRI&P brown. I believe both have now been scrapped.
Steve


> That plow has been there for years.  You are
> correct that it is a former RI tender.  When I
> first saw it down there, it had a C&NW herald on
> it.  As far as I know, UP owns it.  Maye WPJONES
> can chime in on this.

wpjones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's actually faded yellow as Tom said came to UP
> from the C&NW. I believe it was donated to the
> Jeferson Co. Museum (Rock Island depot) and like
> everything else they have is waiting for money to
> move from UP property to the Depot property. For
> years it sat on a siding 3 or 4 blocks RR west
> from where it is now.
> There were two of these in Spooner Ws. one in C&NW
> yellow and one in CRI&P brown. I believe both have
> now been scrapped.
> Steve
>
>
> > That plow has been there for years.  You are
> > correct that it is a former RI tender.  When I
> > first saw it down there, it had a C&NW herald
> on
> > it.  As far as I know, UP owns it.  Maye
> WPJONES

Hope this one can be retained by the museum before the UP decides it's time to scrap it themselves.  Sounds like very few even left at this time.

Back in  Summer of  2002 visited Fairbury, took Mom to see several family members.

While there, got a couple of photos of the former Rock Island plow.

Glad to hear that the plow still survives.

Bob
 

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