Union Pacific ES44AH No. 8196 heads west through downtown North Platte, Neb., on May 21, 2015. The Maywood Co-op Association switcher started life as Pennsylvania Railroad GP9 No. 7810 and eventually wound up in Conrail before being rebuilt into a GP10. Trains are bountiful through North Platte, although much of the right-of-way downtown is fenced. A small ladder works wonders.
Platte. From Christmas Day in 1941 until early 1946, as many as a thousand soldiers a day were fed by volunteers — all with donated food — with over six million servicemen fed by the end of the war. (This is an amazing story on its own that will be told in a future R&R). After World War II Union Pacific
began to expand the facilities at North Platte. A hump yard with 42 tracks was built in 1948 and a second hump with 64 tracks was added in 1968. Diesel and car shops were added in the early 1970s. Traffic levels have always been high, as the original UP transcontinental
route has remained constantly busy, even after almost 150 years, and coal has only added to that mix. The line to the Powder River Basin diverges from the “transcon” just a few miles west of North Platte, making the transcon one of the most heavily traveled in the U.S. The town does, indeed, benefit from the fortuitous vision of Grenville Dodge.
The Golden Spike Tower The best place to start your tour of
North Platte would be the Golden Spike Tower & Visitor Center, located adjacent to Bailey Yard. At eight stories high, the
tower gives an impressive view of the yard and engine facility. The tower was constructed in 2008, replacing a viewing platform that UP had put in place. While the tower is not officially affiliated with UP, it is evident the two work together. The ground floor of the visitor center
has displays on North Platte’s railroad history, but the real fun comes once you get on the elevator and head up. The eighth floor of the tower (95 feet up) is an enclosed viewing area. If the weather is nice or you don’t want to photograph through glass, the seventh floor provides outdoor viewing some 83 feet above the
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