Standing tall at Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. – My wife is from Nebraska, the daughter of a railroad family, the Union Pacific in particular. When we began dating, she was aghast that I’d never been on the U.S. 30 pilgrimage to the world’s largest yard at North Platte. Bailey Yard, she assured me, is a must see. And, of course, she was right.

The tower overlooking Union Pacific's Bailey Yard in North Platte beckons! (Jim Wrinn photo)

We made a whirlwind trip to western Nebraska earlier this month, and our base of operation for a couple of days was North Platte. We took in a Husker football game, drove a 65-mile-long mostly dirt road to reach a wildlife refuge, and visited the home of Buffalo Bill Cody. The tower was the peak, literally and figuratively, in the railroad exploration on our plate.

We arrived on a misty, cloudy morning after having driven a country road to reach our destination. The yard has its own reviewing stand, a tower with an otherworldly presence, and yes, it does resemble a spike.

Here's the view of the diesel shop at North Platte on a rainy September day. (Jim Wrinn photo)

The Golden Spike Tower, opened in 2008, is located on the southeast corner of the yard near the locomotive shop. It’s not on UP property, but it is literally “across the street” at the edge of a cornfield, and it’s operated by a non-profit organization. I’ve visited many railfan viewing platforms across the country, but this one beats everything with its height and with the professionalism of the venue. It offers two viewing platforms – one on the 7^th floor that is open air, and one on the eighth floor, which is enclosed.

I used a 300mm lens to capture the servicing tracks at North Platte. (Jim Wrinn photo)

It is impossible to see the entire yard from the tower, but you certainly get a sense of its enormity. The yard covers 2,850 acres and contains about 10,000 freight cars on any given day. But from the tower you can appreciate the double humps, the through track for freights that don’t need to stop here, and keep tabs on what’s coming and going in the locomotive shop.

There's plenty of space atop the tower from which you can watch the yard activity. (Jim Wrinn photo)

The amenities at the tower are numerous, with good interpretive exhibits (Who was Bailey? A UP executive. What about the North Platte Canteen? A World War II gift to the GIs, complete with complimentary coffee), a well-stocked gift shop, restrooms, and plenty of helpful docents on site to give voice to it all. The open air viewing area is spacious, provides study railings, and even has picnic tables if you want to spread out with your family. There are coin-operated binoculars, but you could just as well bring your own. A telephoto lens of 150mm or more is essential.

A UP dining car has been placed on site for future use. I’m also told that on a regular basis, the tower offers nighttime viewing, which, I think, would be a real treat.  So, the next time you find yourself in the middle of Nebraska on I-80, stop in for a visit. You’ll stand tall in North Platte.