Nebraska became the 37th state to join the United States on March 1, 1867. The capital city is Lincoln. The highest point is Panorama Point at 5,424 feet.

Road Trip 2013 - Day 4 - June 14 - Nebraska - Stop 2 (Previous road trip 2013 posts: Indiana Dunes, De Immigrant, Amana Colonies, Des Moines, Madison County Roads, Bridges of Madison County, White Pole Road, Great Platte River Road Archway Monument)

Union Pacific's Bailey Rail YardView from the Golden Spike Tower

Whether you are a fan of trains or not if you're passing through Nebraska on I-80 near North Platte I'd recommend this stop. You can spend as much or as little time as you want. If you can I'd also recommend skipping the elevator in the Golden Spike Tower and heading for the stairs. It just might be the best way to stretch your legs and get the circulation going again!

Union Pacific's Bailey Yard stretches over 2,850 acres of land and handles 10,000 train cars a day! The yard consists of two hump yards, westward and eastward, where a gentle slope is designed to take advantage of gravity and cars are sent down these without need for additional power. The yard also has a locomotive repair shop the size of three football fields.

The Union Pacific Railroad is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and is the largest railroad network in the United States.

Golden Spike TowerUnion Pacific's Bailey Rail Yard, North Platte, NE If I remember right, the elevator takes you to an 8th floor covered observation deck. However, I would recommend the 7th floor open half-deck, and taking stairs. The fresh air adds to the intensity of the visit. You had all of your comfort in your car, didn't you? So why not some intense stair master  exercise and some fresh air? And by all means, visit both floors. The boards are quite informative and you can learn quite a bit about the "train business". I quickly looked at Yelp for reviews and I agree with most, other than the few one-star ones from those that apparently can't entertain themselves and need an organized tour, a movie, and step by step entertainment instructions. And no, the visit is not free - it will run you $7 / person and we did receive a $1 AAA discount.

If you have these, by all means, bring binoculars with you and a long lens for your camera, as well as a normal or a wide one. I enjoyed both wide views and looking at the individual trains being handled. And if you're up for it, this might be a good place to try a panorama stitching, or at least the automatic panorama your smart phone can do.

Ok, you rested, stretched your legs, got some fresh air, have your own opinion about the place, back in the car for the next few hundred miles.

Wait! If you are if North Platte, Nebraska and found the Golden Spike Tower and Bailey Rail Yard interesting there is another place you may want to consider. Cody Park Railroad Museum (closed in winter) has the only Union Pacific Challenger on public display, the Union Pacific 3977. Another Challenger from the same series, UP 3985 is the largest operating steam locomotive in the world. They were both built in 1943. Alongside, you will find a Union Pacific 6922 diesel locomotive built by General Motors as part of the most powerful and longest single-unit diesel locomotive series. You will also see a railroad depot, rail cars, and a caboose.

Enjoy the road!

• Nebraska on 50states.com
• Golden Spike Tower
• Golden Spike Tower Live Webcam (not as good as a personal visit since it does not provide as good sense of scale)
• Union Pacific Railroad on Wikipedia
• Cody Park Railroad Museum, North Platte, Nebraska
• Challenger No. 3985
• Union Pacific 3985 on Wikipedia
• EMD DDA40X on Wikipedia

Equipment Used:

Nikon D600, Nikon 24-85mm Nikkor Lens, Think Tank Speed Demon Waist Pack,  Petzl Zipka Plus 2 Headlamp (always in the bag just in case), SanDisk Extreme 32GB SD Cards, Nikon Capture NX2

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