In the Nebraska Division Time Table No. 43, effective April 26, 1970 Kearney had a day and night operator. The office (telegraph) call was KR. It had yard limits, crossover(s), track scale, wye and dispatcher's phone. A standard clock was located in the telegraph office. The west siding had a capacity of 110 cars, the east siding 99 cars. It was a scheduled stop for passenger trains in both directions. A branch line extended from Kearney 102 miles to Stapleton NE. On the branch line, Kearney was a register station and originated a mixed train Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It returned on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. There were also two company surgeons located in Kearney.
The latest time table is the Council Bluffs Area #5 from November 14, 2016. There are control points at East Kearney, Kearney (MT 1 only), and West Kearney. Turnout speeds are 40 mph for East and West Kearney, 15 mph for Kearney. The Kearney industrial lead begins at that 15 mph turnout and extends 3.8 miles. One street crossing is equipped with an automatic horn system.
A couple other differences. The main line in 1970 was double track operated under current of traffic rules with automatic block signals and automatic cab signals. In 2016 it's triple track operated by centralized traffic control and automatic cab signals. (Recently installed is positive train control. The use of which, and any other changes or modifications to operations in the area, would be listed in the current subdivision general order.)
Jeff
Not certain what date on your timetable, however, TT #1 of April, 1994, page 58, shows Kearney under "Business tracks" with its station number; and the following page advises there is a CCS test loop there, and a Kearney Industrial Lead.
Otherwise, crews would know about operations from the rules and being qualified on certain territories. As BaltACD mentioned, timetable locations primarily indicate control points - or locations with crossovers, passing sidings, etc. To know speed limit, for example, one would refer to the subdivision speed unless a lower speed is prescribed by the subdivision station page, type of equipment, track bulletin and so forth. Had Kearney a passenger station, train order office or controlled signal it would be listed among the "important" stations. That this is not the case does not infer that Kearney does not generate its share of traffic (grain and, at one time, NE cheerleaders).
Employee Timetables tend to focus identity on various Control Points.
In the CSX Baltimore Division Timetable, the closest the timetable gets to identifying 'Baltimore' is a control point known as 'West Baltimore' that is not near what is recognized as 'downtown Baltimore'.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
It seems in my copy of Timetable #1, Union Pacific, that Kearney Nebraska is getting the short end of the stick. On page 58, the "Council Bluffs Subdivision", Kearney is completely overlooked. It is more than obvious that Kearney has some importance on the line... the railroad drops at the very least some grain cars there, and from the satellite view, there is a small yard there that serves a couple of industries.
The timetable reads, going west...
Cory... Gibbon Jct..... Buda... and then Alfalfa Center... Buda is two and half miles East of Kearney and Alfalfa Center is four miles west of Kearney. Kearney isn't in the timetable.
Timetables are almost the bible in train operations... I'm surprised Kearney isn't anywhere to be found in it. With no "notes", siding lengths, speed limits, or otherwise, how would crews know operations in the city without it being on the timetable?
I don't see how it could've been overlooked as the timetable is probably one of the most important books to NOT have any mistakes.
Thoughts?
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