The Golden Spike Tower in North Platte, Nebraska, oversees the Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, the largest rail yard in the world. The yard stretches over 2,850 acres of land and handles 10,000 train cars a day! It 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.

You can observe all of the activity from the Golden Spike's tower 8th floor covered observation deck, or the 7th floor open half-deck. Going up? Chose the elevator for comfort or the stairs to stretch your legs and get a little bit of cardio in. Bring binoculars and look our from the open deck to get some fresh air. The included boards explain how the years functions and provide an intro into the "train business".