Western Railroad Discussion > railfanning at gibbon junction

I will bw traveling out there in July from the East coast. Can I please get information on the area or is there a website that I can go to. We will be out there from July 7th to the 10th. I thank you in advance for any information you can supply to me

There is a webcam at Kearney which will give you a good idea of what/how much traffic to expect.  There aren't really any great photo angles at Gibbon Junction, and certainly no shade that I'm aware of, so unless you have to get a "locating shot" to establish that you went there, I would suggest that other places on the Sidney sub are somewhat more photogenic and provide better places to sit and wait for the action.  There are pedestrian bridges at Overton and Brady which can be used effectively.  July sun angles are going to be tough - the sun will be right down the track or directly overhead most of the time.

mike woodruff
anacortes wa 

If you're around Brady, Nebraska, you might want to stop at Buttermilk Curve east of Brady, NE.  Nice curves with some trees around the east side of the lazy S curve.  Nearby signals help let you know when trains are near (signals are dark unless a train is coming).

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Cozephyr's photos suggest that I should qualify my statement about Gibbon Junction to say that there aren't any good angles from the ground.  If you have a drone, all bets are off and I'm sure you can find some interesting views.  If you visit the curves at Brady, be aware that the road crossing at the west end of the curves is a private crossing (attached view taken from there of a westbound on 7/23/2023 by Jeff Van Cleve, my collection).  We had permission from one of the landowners, but they've had issues with trespassers in there before (not specifically railfans) so "be governed accordingly" as they say.

mike woodruff
anacortes wa/north platte ne

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How many trains is the UP in Nebraska seeing these days, with coal traffic way down?

I would guess 30-40 these days.

Butter Milk curve is the best place out there for many miles. A grade crossing and shade trees for when it's hot.
Regards, Jim Evans

jayman Wrote:
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> I would guess 30-40 these days.

That's pretty wild. I stopped there in June 2004 on my move to CA. There were trains about every 5 to 10 minutes during the ~45-60 minutes I was there. Lots of coal going on and off the Marysville line in addition to the action on the transcon. IIRC, there were 100+ trains in a typical day at that time.

I'd agree with the above posts about it being a meh location for photography sans a drone. You're on the north side of the tracks, and there isn't anything of interest to incorporate into your shots. Plenty of "prairie skyscrapers" and such along that line elsewhere. (Typically one every 5 to 10 miles from what I recall. You'd watch them grow and fade on the horizon, and then the next one would appear.) Now, if you get low sunlight with a summer thunderstorm in the background, the shot will make itself! If Nebraska has one thing above all going for it, it's at least as "Big Sky" as Montana.

I'm no expert but agree with the others, Gibbon is worth a stop and a few frames but other places further west are better, esp. ones with an overpass. I believe several of the small towns have them now. Here's some quick comparison shots I took when I visited in 2000:

1) Gibbon Jct., WB coal empties coming off the Marysville Sub from KC.
2) Trains pass under the bridge at Gothenburg (I think).

JG

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swaool Wrote: > … There aren't really any great photo angles at
Gibbon…

I agree with Mike on this point. But if you are into just a sheer volume of trains, you can’t go wrong. If you set up west of town, you’ll catch all traffic through the area. If you set up at a position on the east side of town, you need to have your windows down or be outside with your “ears” wide open. If you can be highly mobile, you’ll have a chance of hearing a train approaching, and will be able to snag it if you can relocate quickly. Unless you’ve gone too far to the east, of course…

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Try Kearney, NE . They have a 45 mph curve south of the old downtown area. Three overpasses with fencing over the tracks in the town . Traffic is lightest on Wed. PSR long consists in effect which has reduced numbers of trains .