Nostalgia & History > Coldest day in Lincoln Ne January 12 1974

Fourty years ago Lincoln had the coldest Day ever January 12, 1974, the night time temp dropped to -33 degrees. The railroad scene was a mess back east, I was a electrician in Denver and Amtrak could only make it to Lincoln Ne, train was frozen up so passengers were taken off and placed on other forms of transpiration #5 sat in Lincoln for two days as mechanical employees finally made repaires to make it to Denver.

Upon arrival Denver, locomotives 3 Old UP E unites were placed in the shop and repairs started ,only one unite was able to run had a Q U 25 for power into Denver we had backbreaking work ahead of us, had to replace two steam boilers that had froze up. Passengers cars were placed on coach yard steam and car forces started there repaires.

If I remember it was about a week till we could use the locomotives and the passenger cars were placed on Amtrak trains arriving Denver some had to be sent to other shops east for repair.

Wow chilly work i am sure, how late did you repair atk stuff here in Denver?

I saw that report on the news last night, Wes!  Hadn't thought about the repercussions on the transportation industry until seeing your post.  I remember those days too and don't envy anyone having to work outside in that!

In Lincoln anyway, the first half of January was brutally cold with a lot of snow.  I imagine freight operations suffered badly too. 

We repaired and serviced Amtrak for 10 years.

When the superliners rolled out, and the SFZ started going to Borie it sounds like, used to watch the carmen at 31st.

I was a young lad growing up in northern Iowa at that time. In the 70s and 80’s I remember COLD winter nights when our old 1890’s house would crack and bang as things would contract in the cold. We really haven’t had what I would call “normal” winter in at least 20 years. Winters are mild and snow fall is not what it used to be.

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