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Union Pacific in North Platte, The by Donald Park II At the heart of the RR SC
Union Pacific in North Platte, The by Donald K Park II
At the heart of the Railroad
Soft Cover
36 pages
Copyright 1992
CONTENTS
Table of Contents
Introduction, History and Trip Tips1
Track Structure16
Train Defect Detectors and Signal Systems19
Operating and Dispatching Procedures23
Radio Frequencies34
Concluding Remarks34
Bibliography 35
Exhibits
Timetable Excerpts and Explanation of Characters7
Bailey Yard Track Layout11
Regional Map12
Map of North Platte and Vicinity14
Detector Rules20
Signal Rules, Cab Signal Rules and Indicator Rules21
General Speed Restrictions27
Train Handling and Weight Restrictions 29
Locomotive Data31
Moveable Point Frog Instructions31
Regularly Scheduled Freight Trains Originating, Terminating or Operating Through North Platte 32
Coal Train Destinations and Mine Origin Codes33
Roadway Signsinside back cover
INTRODUCTION, HISTORY AND TRIP TIPS
On January 2, 1867, the Union Pacific Railroad laid rails into North Platte, Nebraska, as part of the first transcontinental railroad authorized by President Abraham Lincoln in July of 1862. Construction had begun in earnest at Omaha a year or so earlier, and the UP would join its rails with those of the Central Pacific at Promontory, Utah on May 10, 1869. Now, a century and a quarter later, the Union Pacific's Bailey Yard in North Platte is not only the largest on the entire system but is among the most impressive to be found anywhere in North America. It encompasses two major computer-controlled humps and a large diesel locomotive shop, together with ancillary receiving yards, departure yards, and car repair facilities.
Thirty-five to forty-five westbound trains arrive at North Platte in a typical twenty-four hour period, along with an equal number of eastbounds. Perhaps fifteen of these in either direction terminate at Bailey Yard, and the same number originate there, so the total number of trains in and out of the yard is close to 100. In terms of density, the figures for 1991 are as follows:
On the Sidney Subdivision from O'Fallons
Westbound annual gross tons = 51.70 million
Eastbound annual gross tons = 56.11 million
On the North Platte Subdivision from O'Fallons
Westbound annual gross tons = 19.71 million
Eastbound annual gross tons = 82.14 million
On the Marysville Subdivision from Gibbon Junction
Westbound annual gross tons = 33.51 million
Eastbound annual gross tons = 83.21 million
On the Council Bluffs Subdivision from Gibbon Junction
Westbound annual gross tons = 36.24 million
Eastbound annual gross tons = 57.99 million
The purpose of this booklet is to provide a concise but comprehensive profile of Bailey Yard's activities and of the activities on the main lines whose traffic is funnelled into North Platte each day. The profile should assist photographers, modelers, and just plain train watchers who want to make the most of their visits to Nebraska and the adjacent states.
While the emphasis here is on the contemporary scene, a bit of historical perspective might be useful. The following chronology is drawn from Union Pacific annual reports and from the Athearn, Klein, and Stensvad books which are listed in the bibliography:
July 10, 1865First rail laid in Omaha on the Union Pacific's portion of the transcontinental railroad.
December, 1866Grading complete through North Platte to milepost 305.
January 2, 1867Rails laid into North Platte.
1882Twenty-five stall roundhouse constructed in North Platte.
1897Major shop facilities, depot, and hotel completed.
1913New twenty-eight stall roundhouse constructed.
1918Brick passenger depot completed, to replace wooden structure destroyed by fire.
1921Pacific Fruit Express facility constructed.
1936New machine shop and erecting shop completed.
1948The first hump yard, for both eastbound and westbound trains, placed in service.
1949New freight house completed.
1968Present-day eastbound hump yard completed.
1971Diesel shop constructed.
1980Present-day westbound hump yard completed.
1991Major five-year capacity expansion program begun, involving the North Platte Subdivision, the Council Bluffs Subdivision, the Marysville Subdivision, the Falls City Subdivision, Bailey Yard, and the Kansas City Terminal.
The UP's main line across Nebraska (the Council Bluffs and Sidney Subdivisions) is all double track, while the North Platte Subdivision is a single track railroad. The Marysville Subdivision from Kansas City, which joins the main line at Gibbon Junction, is a mixture of single and double track, though the percentage of single track is shrinking as the result of the five-year capacity expansion project. This project has been undertaken to prepare for the expected growth in coal traffic from the Powder River Basin, and will result in double tracking on the North Platte Subdivision as well. The timetable excerpts on pages seven to ten show the stations and mileage for all four of these subdivisions, and the track layout of Bailey Yard can be found on page eleven.
As the map on pages twelve and thirteen suggests, US 30 parallels the Council Bluffs and Sidney Subdivisions across most of Nebraska, from Fremont (a major interchange point with the Chicago and North Western) all the way to the
Wyoming border. And the lines to the east and west of North Platte offer numerous excellent locations for photographers and train watchers, including Gibbon Junction, Kearney, Odessa, Elm Creek, Overton, Josselyn, Lexington, Cozad, Willow Island, Gothenburg, Farr, Brady, Maxwell, Keith, Hershey, and O'Fallons. There are also highway bridges over the railroad at Kearney (2), Lexington, Cozad, Gothenburg, and Maxwell, though in all honesty the volume of traffic rather than the scenery provides most of the appeal. Indeed, the unceasing parade which can be viewed from the highway (manifest freights; solid consists of coal, grain, soda ash, intermodal equipment, and auto racks; 140-platform double stack container trains) is impressive by any standards.
The North Platte Subdivision can be reached by taking Nebraska 61 north out of Ogallala to Nebraska 92, and then heading west on Nebraska 92 and US 26. The Marysville Subdivision, though, poses a problem, because it runs at a diagonal and is not adjacent to major north-south or east-west roads in Nebraska. About the best you can do is catch it as it crosses under I-80 at Exit 291 (there's a well-banked high speed curve here), at the grade crossings of state and county roads, and in the City of Hastings.
In North Platte itself, Bailey Yard can be viewed from the surrounding local streets, and there is a small visitors' center at the southwest corner of the yard complex. The Buffalo Bill Avenue viaduct crosses the center of the yard; to the east there are viaducts at Willow Street and Jeffers Street (US 83/US 30) and grade crossings at Poplar Street and Bicentennial Avenue. Front Street runs along the south side of the railroad; its extension (Lincoln County 252) takes you west past the diesel shop and the visitors center to Lincoln County 228. Take a right here and you will cross the main line to the west of the yard before coming to US 30. After descending the Jeffers Street viaduct to the south of the tracks, US 30 heads east on Fourth Street, and runs parallel to the UP beyond the intersection with Lincoln County 58. The map on pages fourteen and fifteen should help you find your way around North Platte and surrounding Lincoln County.
The remainder of this booklet provides data on the physical plant and on the operations themselves, both in the yard and on the main lines. Included are excerpts from the April 7, 1991 UP employee timetable and sections on track structure, train defect detectors and signal systems, operating and dispatching procedures, and radio frequencies. The information should help you in planning a trip to North Platte and vicinity and also in identifying what to look for once you get there. For corporate history buffs, I recommend historian Maury Klein's two volumes on the Union Pacific, and Arthur Stensvad's book provides a pictorial perspective on the last days of steam in North Platte. The motive power policies of the UP are not covered here in any depth, but George Cockle's Union Pacific-1990 (also included in the bibliography) summarizes the railroad's recent diesel locomotive acquisition and rebuilding programs.
One final but very important point: Please make safety a habit at all times. Railroads are indeed fascinating enterprises, which is why we railfans are so drawn to them, but for the unwary they can be dangerous environments as well. Exercise caution in all that you do, and refrain from entering restricted areas without first obtaining permission.
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