Trains, Trains, and Trains

Pony Express Station

In the middle of Nebraska was a sign about an original Pony Express Station.  I couldn't let that go.  Very interesting.  This building is original although it was the second floor.  Under this were the stables.  They were not restored.  Although this building was moved from it's original spot it is authentic.  The Pony Express riders were to carry the mail.  They rode 12 hours at a time changing horses every 10 miles and were paid $25 a week,  quite a sum in the 1860s.  There was no regular schedule so that the indians did not know when they would come through.  I was headed for North Platte, Nebraska and the largest railroad yards in the world.

Bradley Bowl Yard

I went to the 7th floor of a tower to view this railroad yard.  The Union Pacific Railroad basically sorts trains here and assembles trains to go to cities.  Trains come in from the west.  They go up a hump,  a small hill, and cars are let go and diverted to the train that will take them to the eastern destination.  You can watch all of this.  Sometimes it is one car, sometimes 2 or 3.  They roll down an incline and couple to the train.  This is all in a bowl with an incline at the end so the trains do not get loose.  130 trains are assembled and depart from this yard every day both east and west.  The average time spent in the yards by a car is 11 hours.

I spotted this as an engine repair station right away.  There was a train engine pushing the engines into bays and lining them up for repairs.  Just some of the activity to watch in the yards.

North Platte is all about trains especially Union Pacific which donated engines and cars to a park where one can climb onto the cars.

Here is the old steam engine donated to Cody Park in North Platte by Union Pacific.  Look for me in Wyoming and Utah.  Stay with me.