JAMIE'S RANDOM AMERICAN RAILWAY PHOTOS.

[jamie92208]

Good morning again from the Charente.  in tardis land it's still 21st September 2012 and we are on US30 somewhere between Wyoming and Nebraska. More eastbounds were stacked up.

We started to see critters at the grain elevators. I that this one was at Kimball.

We then passed a long spaced out work gang doing mechanised tie replacement which accounted for the queue of trains.   At Point of Rocks we were lucky enough to catch this westbound as it's DPU went past us.

Then a local with a GP38/SD40 combination on it,

By this time Toy and i were having bets on whether a grain elevator would have a critter or not. As the first sight of it appeared on the horizon we would have a guess.  A rule of thumb emerged. 10 or more large grain cells and there would definitely be a critter.  Here's another one.

Now with an eastbound passing it.

What a great day, 844 before breakfast then solace on US30.   More still to come.

 

Jamie

Edited April 18, 2022 by jamie92208

[ChrisH-UK]

Took one look at the fec loco and its number and thought "that looks like an ex-Conrail unit" sure enough it was, it was one of their GP10 conversions. Originally I assumed it had been used by the more famous fec - Florida East Coast before moving west and was in their darker blue, but no, it's Farmers Elevator Co-operative (fecx) and is faded Conrail blue. The other one is also ex-Conrail and another former GP10 conversion, can't tell if its paint is super-faded and oxidised or if someone took pity on it and painted it grey then applied the lined red stripe. 

[pH]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

We then passed a long spaced out work gang doing mechanised tie replacement …

I thought UP were strict about that:

 

https://www.bletupnr.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Drug-Alcohol-Policy-w-Updates.pdf

 

 

It’s quite possible one of my great-uncles did that type of work on that stretch of railroad decades earlier. He lived in Cheyenne in the 1900s-1910s and was a track gang boss for UP.

Edited December 4, 2021 by pH

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the Charente.   it's bright and sunny just like it was among the endless cornfields of Nebraska on the 21st September 2012. We were still taking Solace on US30. At one of our stops we were passed by this loco with it's interesting signwriting.

Our destination that night was North Platte.  We booked into our motel then went out to the Golden Spike Tower near the yard and had a reccy.   Then an hour trackside at the east end, a good meal then another hour or so trainwatching.  Trains every 10 minutes.   Next morning we were straight round to the Golden Spike Tower where we paid our entry fee and went up to watch action in what is claimed to be one of the largest marshalling yards in the world.  2 large hump yards plus their receiving and despatching tracks.  A big run through yard for trains that don't need sorting, a very large diesel repair shop and their servicing tracks.  Right through the middle run the main lines with a fairly regular flow of coal trains.  Here you can see the diesel shop and servicing tracks.  The eastbound hump bowl is to the right.

More of the eastbound yard plus beyond it the main line and the tracks that lead to the westbound hump and the run through yard in the background.

Two slugs were parked up near us.

And a ro of what I think were some genset switchers that were going off lease.

A closer view of the diesel shop.   A switcher was in almost constant action shuffling locos around.

A great place to spend some time, with volunteer guides explaining things to visitors.

 

Jamie

 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by jamie92208

[John M Upton]

11 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

And a row of what I think were some genset switchers that were going off lease.

 

 

 

Actually MP15DC's, not gen sets (they look rather different although I believe similar trucks are used on them), 1343 was new to Missouri Pacific I believe, probably some if not all of the others as well.

[pH]

Someone was up the tower a week before you:

 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3213194

[Wendell1976]

On 15/11/2021 at 02:08, jamie92208 said:

Apparently Mr Young was rather miffed that the UP went north from the bottom of Weber canyon rather than south via Salt lake City.

 

Brigham Young and the Mormons had built a rail line that connected to Salt Lake City called the Utah Southern Railroad. The Utah Southern Railroad later became part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Today, the Salt Lake City Southern Railroad and the Utah Transit Authority's TRAX light rail runs on this rail route.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Southern_Railroad_(1871–1881)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_City_Southern_Railroad

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

[Wendell1976]

On 26/11/2021 at 02:06, jamie92208 said:

We then pulled off at Buford to get a coffee but found that the diner was closed.  This was the town sign as we pulled off.   

I had mentioned to the UP track gang boss at Hermosa that we were going to visit Buford, population 2 .  He said, "It's only 1 now, he got divorced."

Buford is also the scene of of an incident in the 50's.

 

There is no one living in Buford, Wyoming today. The last person that lived there is a widower and sold the town.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buford,_Wyoming

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

[Wendell1976]

21 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Next morning we were straight round to the Golden Spike Tower where we paid our entry fee and went up to watch action in what is claimed to be one of the largest marshalling yards in the world.

 

Union Pacific Railroad's Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska is the largest railroad classification yard in the world according to Guinness World Records.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailey_Yard

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

[jamie92208]

8 hours ago, Wendell1976 said:

 

There is no one living in Buford, Wyoming today. The last person that lived there is a widower and sold the town.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buford,_Wyoming

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

 

10 hours ago, Wendell1976 said:

 

Brigham Young and the Mormons had built a rail line that connected to Salt Lake City called the Utah Southern Railroad. The Utah Southern Railroad later became part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Today, the Salt Lake City Southern Railroad and the Utah Transit Authority's TRAX light rail runs on this rail route.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Southern_Railroad_(1871–1881)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_City_Southern_Railroad

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

 

8 hours ago, Wendell1976 said:

 

Union Pacific Railroad's Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska is the largest railroad classification yard in the world according to Guinness World Records.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailey_Yard

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

Thanks for those updates Wendell.  I was aware of the Utah Southern but according to Maury Klein the relationship between the LDS and UP was somewhat complicated and I didn't want to dwell too much on it.

 

Thanks again.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon from a distinctly wet Charente.  The tardis is still in North Platte on 22nd September 2012. Another view from the tower with lines of stored locos.

And a pair of SD40's shunting the hump.

Then after making some purchases in the company store, including yet another baseball hat for Tony (He kept loosing them) it was time to hit US30 and head east along the triple track.   First stop was another elevator that definitely needed a critter.

And another one.   Chasing critters is like chasing 08's in the UK.

And every so often a stop to photograph a passing coal train.  In this case an eastbound loaded on.

That headed into the distance.

What did strike us was how well maintained and clean the right of way was.

 

Jamie

Edited April 18, 2022 by jamie92208

[Mike_Walker]

1021 is a SD20 rebuild formerly Missouri & North Arkansas 1021.  It was new as a SD24. Southern-CNOTP 6315 (25664 5606-38) in 1/60.  It passed to the ICG via PNC (dealer) in 11/80 and rebuilt as a 'SD20' numbered 2021.

 

6634 is another former Southern SD24 built as 2510 (25606 5606-9) in 10/59.  It later passed to the CNW who numbered it 6634 and rebuilt it as a 'SD18m' basically de-turboing it.  It then had several owners including the Wisconsin Southern before arriving at the DeBruce Grain at Cozad NE.

[pH]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Chasing critters is like chasing 08's in the UK.

Those are somewhat larger beasts, though!

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

3 hours ago, pH said:

Those are somewhat larger beasts, though!

 

2400hp....almost a class 45 rather than a 350hp 08!

 

Not really critters, to be pedantic.  Much too big and all ex-mainline types.  Critters are the 44 tonners and other daft contraptions by Davenport and the like. 

 

Biggest industry switcher I've seen is WRIX2490, the 3000hp SD40T-2 that Cargill operate at Verdemont, Ca... foot of the Cajon Pass.  I've never managed to phot it though, always buried behind fleets of grain hoppers whenever I passed by. 

[Mike_Walker]

The biggest "industrial switcher" I've come across is Delta Bulk Terminal 1001 in the port at Stockton, CA.   It's the former Conrail, nee-PC 6792, an ALCo Century C636 (3499-13 4/68) possibly the last active survivor of its type which was never very common.  Hard to find and photograph - Jim Boyd and I "bashed" the port in 1991 expressly to target it (and got thrown out!) so I don't know if it's still there.  If not hopefully it has been preserved.  Anyone know?

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Mike_Walker

[jamie92208]

10 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

 

2400hp....almost a class 45 rather than a 350hp 08!

 

Not really critters, to be pedantic.  Much too big and all ex-mainline types.  Critters are the 44 tonners and other daft contraptions by Davenport and the like. 

 

Biggest industry switcher I've seen is WRIX2490, the 3000hp SD40T-2 that Cargill operate at Verdemont, Ca... foot of the Cajon Pass.  I've never managed to phot it though, always buried behind fleets of grain hoppers whenever I passed by. 

Thay have certainly got larger over the last few years mainly due to the railroads switching to unit trains for cereals. Thus they need larger locos for the longer trains. Certainly when we were there they seemed to all be known as critters.

 

Jamie

[ChrisH-UK]

1 hour ago, Mike_Walker said:

The biggest "industrial switcher" I've come across is Delta Bulk Terminal 1001 in the port at Stockton, CA.   It's the former Conrail, nee-PC 6792, an ALCo Century C636 (3499-13 4/68) possibly the last active survivor of its type which was never very common.  Hard to find and photograph - Jim Boyd and I "bashed" the port in 1991 expressly to target it (and got thrown out!) so I don't know if it's still there.  If not hopefully it has been preserved.  Anyone know?

 

Just did a bit of research and apparently it is used by the Delaware Lackawanna railroad in NE Pennsylvania, details here 

 

[Mike_Walker]

Thanks.  Good to see such an historic unit is in good hands and still earning its keep on the main line.

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Back in 2005 I was passing Pinal Feeding on the road to Maricopa, Az and saw a bulk grain in for unloading.  It had three units up front, three in the middle and two at the rear. There was no crew on board that i could see, but every few minutes the units would rev up, move one car forward, and go back to idle.  I have no idea how this was done, the units weren't RCU in the normal sense.

 

Anyway, I suppose that at approx 24,000hp that's the biggest industrial switcher I've seen!

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon from a very west and windy Charente, Storm Barra is passing through Biscay.  Anyway the tardis is still in Nebraska, that seemed to go on forever.  It's still 22nd September 2012. It was good weather and this immaculate long stretch of triple track certainly looked good.

Another elevator another critter.

Then another.

At the grade crossing a rather poignant set of flowers obviously showing someone had been too impatient. A K line train was heading by.

Passed behind the parked unit.

And it's DPU brought up the rear.

Jamie

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by jamie92208

[John M Upton]

13 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Another elevator another critter.

Then another.

 

 

If it is the same one, 5001 is a very rare beast, one of only two Canadian built GP30's.  Don't know about the other one though, a GP7 or GP9 without dynamic brakes, looks like patched old CNW colours?

 

EDIT - Found it (I do like hunting the history of North American locos!!) ex C&NW GP7 4162, another rare survivor in largely still original form.

Edited December 7, 2021 by John M Upton

[jamie92208]

Good moaning, just, from a rather damp Charente.  However it was nice and sunny in Nebraska on 22nd September 2012. We carried on along US30 and took some more photos along the way such as this patched espee unit.

We got down to Omaha and crossed the river to our motel in Council Bluffs.   There we stopped at a grade crossing to see this completely unmanned unit heading towards us doing some shunting. There were also long lines of stored locos.

The next morning we headed back across the river to Omaha.   The station was a mess and very neglected but this former goods warehouse caught our eye.   It now houses the Harriman despatching centre.  This is the signal box for 31,000 miles of track.

Then down to the side of the Missouri I managed a photo of the bridge but my camera battery then died before a train came. For the first few years of UP's life in the early 1860's there was no bridge except in winter when tracks were laid across the ice.   There was much wrangling and financial shenanigans before  bridge was finally built. 

Then back across to Council Bluffs and found another yard north of the town where the  UP Business cars are maintained.

I've seen this one elsewhere.

Jamie

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by jamie92208

[Wendell1976]

18 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Then down to the side of the Mississippi.

 

You probably meant "The Missouri." Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa is on the Missouri River.

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Wendell1976 said:

 

You probably meant "The Missouri." Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa is on the Missouri River.

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

Thanks, corrected.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a rather cool Charente.   The tardis though is still in the Missouri valley at Council Bluffs Iowa on the 23rd September 2012. There were a couple of clean looking locos attached to the row of business cars.

We had a drive round the exterior of the yard and found this relic of the steam era.  Good to see.

Then folowed the river north to Missouri Valley, where the direct line to Fremont goes west across the river then continued along US30 with occasional stops to see freights. The westbound was not far.

We were heading for Ames but kept seeing critters as we drove.

And another one.

Then into Boone, where we suddenly saw this apparition.

We obviously had to stop as there were overhead wires so Tony go interested.  It gave him a break from being my scribe to write numbers down as we drove along.

 

 

Jamie

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by jamie92208