Western Railroad Discussion > UP SD70M working the old Beatrice Branch

The Union Pacific Beatrice Branch used to leave the mainline at Valley, NE and wander down through the state capitol of Lincoln, on to Beatrice thence to Marysville, KS where it connected with the Gibbon Cut Off.  Over the years the branch was considered obsolete and abandoned bit by bit.  Now the line just runs from Valley to Lincoln and features three trips per week, usually with 1 or 2 diesels and 12 - 30 cars.  The Nebraska was cooperative today so I went up to catch the local making its way to Lincoln.  UP 4016 was in charge of 22 freight cars.  The first photo shows the train climbing into Yutan, NE.  Yutan is a snall town, but interesting as it's where the UP branch line crosses the BNSF Sioux City to Ashland line on a diamond (out of the photo, to the right).  The second shot is the train rolling through the brown wilderness that is Nebraska in November.  Seen here just east of Mead, NE.  Not a flashy intermodal or impressive coal train but some good old loose car railroading.

Gary B.
Waverly, NE

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You captured the essence of branch line railroading and provided great background on the "Beatrice" branch.  Thanks.

Mexrail

If i remember correctly, the line though Beatrice in the late 50's had three scheduled, each way, freights a day usual headed by FA's.  Where did this traffic come from?

millerdc Wrote:
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> If i remember correctly, the line though Beatrice
> in the late 50's had three scheduled, each way,
> freights a day usual headed by FA's.  Where did
> this traffic come from?

Probably a lot of grain originating on the main line east of Gibbon to Omaha, Omaha proper and Lincoln destined to Kansas City gateway.

Mexrail

You got some nice shots,  Gary! I like #1....

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

Nice shots!

RC Lundgren
Elgin, TX

millerdc Wrote:
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> If i remember correctly, the line though Beatrice
> in the late 50's had three scheduled, each way,
> freights a day usual headed by FA's.  Where did
> this traffic come from?

Before the merger era the Beatrice Branch carried UP traffic to and from Kansas City.  The Beatrice Branch - Gibbon Cut Off - Kansas Pacific connection was the only route that UP had to run from Omaha to KC (short of running all the way out to Gibbon and using the cut off).  There was also an east-west branch called the "Highline" that connected with the Beatrice Branch at Valpairiso, NE and connected with the UP main line at Central City.  There were a lot of farm products handled on that line.  A shortened version of the Higghline still operates under the Nebraska Central.

Gary B.
Waverly, NE

Ironically I seen the 4016 roll through Boone Iowa this afternoon

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