A Q for Nebraska peoples

[kwboehm]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Willy2

Two things:
1) Whenever we go through Ashland I always look at that old boxcar. Too bad it has to be in a junkyard. It could be preserved somewhere.

2) The bridge crosses the Platte River, not the Missouri River. Is that old Rock Island bridge used by some other railroad now, or is it abandoned?

Willy

The old Rock Island bridge I know of in the area that crosses the Platte River in South Bend is "abandoned" as far as trains are concerned. They rebuilt it, added guard rails, and is now part of a bike trail with the trail head being just south of South Bend & the old 'Round the Bend Saloon (Home of Testical Festival). Looks like they're also turning part of the old MoPac line between Louisville & Springfield along Hwy. 50 into a bike trail as well. During the winter I could still see a Yard Limit sign & not as old whistle post along the old right of way in that area.

[Willy2]

Two things:
1) Whenever we go through Ashland I always look at that old boxcar. Too bad it has to be in a junkyard. It could be preserved somewhere.

2) The bridge crosses the Platte River, not the Missouri River. Is that old Rock Island bridge used by some other railroad now, or is it abandoned?

Willy

[traingeek087]

I think Ashland doesn't have as many derailments or at least you don't hear of them is because of that hill to the west. Trains going over the hill have to slow for town, and going up their really struggling. Although it would be bad if there was a derailment there because of the slope. Hey if you wan't to know something really interesting theirs a Northern Pacific boxcar sitting in the junkyard at ashland. and when you cross the missouri river bridge, you can see the old ex rock island bridge to the south.

[Anonymous]

From mrlove.
UP is also going to install new rail all through out the blair subdivision too, UP is going to install new signals at the west and east ends of kennard. And from what I saw UP will install a new concrete tie switch at the west end of kennard.,mrlove.

[dehusman]

I think you are talking about the CN (former IC) that runs next to the interstate and the UP that runs next to the bluffs. The two are separate RR's and don't join.

The UP operates the whole Fremont -Omaha-Council Bluffs area like double track, the westbound main being the former CNW Mo Valley to Fremont and the Eastbound main being the UP-CNW route via Omaha. This is a common thing on the UP, using parallel routes as de facto double track. Marysville-KC, KC to Jeff City, Dexter, MO to Longview, TX, Houston to Dexter, MO., Wagoner, OK to KC, Ft Worth to Hearne, TX all operate this way.

Dave H.

[CShaveRR]

Here's another answer, and a news item to boot:

OMAHA -- Union Pacific Railroad spokesperson Mark Davis said the carrier began moving trains off its western Iowa line yesterday (May 18), but it won't mean a reduction in rail traffic, according to this report by Tom McMahon published by the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil.
Davis said the railroad is making improvements on the Iowa tracks and trains will be rerouted to operate on the parallel Canadian National/Illinois Central Railroad while the work is done.

"The Canadian National/Illinois Central operates an average of one train per day over their line between Arion and Council Bluffs," Davis said. "Union Pacific will operate up to 20 trains per day over the line through mid-July."

Davis said UP is spending $20 million on track improvements between Carroll and Council Bluffs. Crews will replace and install almost 72,000 concrete ties and 13,600 wooden ties, spread 127,000 tons of rock ballast to ensure a stable roadbed, and replace surfaces in 32 grade crossings, he said.

The work is expected to be completed by mid-July, with trains switching back to the UP tracks at that time, Davis said.

(The preceding report by Tom McMahon was published by the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil on Tuesday, May 18, 2004.)


This came from the UTU website.

[Anonymous]

The main line from COUNCIL BLUFFS does connect to the double track at mo valley,iowa.
Fremont to omaha.
Omaha to mo valley.
or
Fremont to blair.
Blair to mo valley.
It's a very strange railroad set up around here.
90% of all traffic use the omaha line to go east. at the same time 90% of all the westbound trains take the blair sub.
All eastbound coal trains only take the omaha line not the blair because of the hills at Arlington and the Blair hill.
Only eastbound hot Z-trains take the blair line.ONLY THE Z-TRAINS GOING EAST.

[Anonymous]

A little off-topic but still Nebraska related (I think)- North from Omaha on the Iowa side there are 2 mainlines (?) that run up to Missouri Valley paralleling I-29 at the 680 junction. Do they converge into one further North? I grew up in Omaha ,left there in '84 and really didn't know what I had in my back yard at the time. I did,however,[a year ago]travel every weekend from here to South Dakota for a year and often stopped at Missouri Valley for some pics/video. A UP crew transfer point for sure but does BNSF hit this area? Any AK-SAR-BEN-ITES have any info?

[Anonymous]

I guess I got more than I bargained for./BNSFnut.

[kwboehm]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie
And if I remember right - Louisville has had some really bad derailments in the not so distant past! Actually more than Ashland has ever had.

Mook

To my knowledge the last wreck in Louisville was a few years before I moved here. Happened right in front of what is now my house...BN ran two coal trains into each other...I think only minor injuries to the crew that jumped...none to the crew that rode it out. (I've seen pics at the Fire Station) I know they dumped one around 1999 in South Bend just a few miles west, and another at Oreopolis, on the north side of the wye, away from the houses, but right along US 75. Then there was an interesting one a couple years ago outside Greenwood with a car full of Butane. Fortunately it was not punctured.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kwboehm

QUOTE: Originally posted by mrlove

Oh my god I cannot believe what Im reading......one guy worried about a coal train derailing going by his house when I live in a small town where the UNION PACIFIC runs tons of deadly train loads of chemicals through blair a day.(20 to 25) trains a day.BNSF nut.

I don't know if you remember the Oreopolis derailment and the propane tank for the switch heater involved. It just so happens that My house sits directly across the street from another one of those tanks, so if BNSF fouls up just right, my house will get a nice torch job like the one in Oreopolis. I'm sure enough Methyl Ethyl Death passes by my house in Louisville (about 1/2 way b/w Oreopolis & Ashland).

And if I remember right - Louisville has had some really bad derailments in the not so distant past! Actually more than Ashland has ever had.

Mook

[Anonymous]

I apolize then!
mrlove.

[kwboehm]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mrlove

Oh my god I cannot believe what Im reading......one guy worried about a coal train derailing going by his house when I live in a small town where the UNION PACIFIC runs tons of deadly train loads of chemicals through blair a day.(20 to 25) trains a day.BNSF nut.

I don't know if you remember the Oreopolis derailment and the propane tank for the switch heater involved. It just so happens that My house sits directly across the street from another one of those tanks, so if BNSF fouls up just right, my house will get a nice torch job like the one in Oreopolis. I'm sure enough Methyl Ethyl Death passes by my house in Louisville (about 1/2 way b/w Oreopolis & Ashland).

[Anonymous]

Oh my god I cannot believe what Im reading......one guy worried about a coal train derailing going by his house when I live in a small town where the UNION PACIFIC runs tons of deadly train loads of chemicals through blair a day.(20 to 25) trains a day.BNSF nut.

[traingeek087]

That's because it was the same train. I've heard that something in the wheels when they made it was a defect, that's why it derailed.

[kwboehm]

I drove by the scene a couple days after & yes it was AEPX. Scarily it was the same kind that derailed around a week before that at Oreopolis (Plattsmouth). I can't help but get a little nervous when I see AEPX cars go by my house now.

[Anonymous]

Yes......it was an AEPX loaded coal train in DPU mode.......yes.
BNSF/mrlove.

[Nora]

Well, i figured you would at least be able to see that the cars in the photo weren't "yellow sides with black" and thought that might help answer your question...not to tell you what kind of train it WAS but maybe what kind of train it WASN'T.

And I do feel the need to point out that that is not MY photo, in case anyone thought that it was. Don't want to take credit where credit is not due! [:)]

[Willy2]

From looking at Nora's picture I don't think that it was an AEPX train because the cars in the photo were silver and if I remember correctly, the photos I saw on the news did not show any AEPX cars. Not sure if that's right, but that's what I remember.

Willy

[traingeek087]

sorta, I was looking for what kind of train it was, nice photo though.

[Nora]

http://www.nebdiv.com/Ashland%20Cleanup2.JPG

Not sure whether that does anything to answer your question, though...

[traingeek087]

All right here we go. 2/1/04. http://domino.bnsf.com/website/updates.nsf/0/d9321dac061ee45186256e2d007ea931?OpenDocument

[traingeek087]

I'll search for it but I can't remember either. Keep me posted.

[Mookie]

Duh....trying to think back that far -

If you can get me a date approx - I may be able to do a little research. I know we looked at the sight a couple of mos ago when we were going to and from Omaha.

Moo

[traingeek087]

This one goes out to all of the people who live in Nebraska. Mookie, Willy2, etc.... The question I have is remember a while back this winter, there was a derailment at Ashland NE, between Lincoln and Omaha? Well I was talking about that with some other fans, and was wondering what kind of train it was. I thought it was a AEPX train, that's the ones with the yellow sides w/ black. Am I correct? If I'm not, correct me if I am wrong........Gracias ya'll