Largest Railyards in North America

[Doc Murdock]

In a similar vien to my last post, where are the largest railyards in North America located?

[snagletooth]

 BRC in Chicago (okay, Bedford Park),  the former BN in Galesburg and Northtown. The ATSF Argentine in KC. I believe the NS yard in Atlanta holds the title now, though. And the tidewater yards in Norfolk HAS GOT be close. Any others?

[CShaveRR]

The "Official" largest yard in the world is UP's at North Platte.  At one time, CNW's Proviso Yard held that honor, but it was cut back a bit in the 1950s.  Still pretty busy--I'm off to "check it out" for about eight hours today.

[vlmuke]

The largest yard in the NS system is located in Elkhart IN

[spbed]

Is not Bellevue the largest NSRR yard?

 

 

 

The largest yard in the NS system is located in Elkhart IN

[Anonymous]

Conway and Selikirk are the bigest in the ex-conrail system

[CNW 6000]

I think its Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska.  On UP's website (http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/facilities/bailey/index.shtml ) it says:
"Union Pacific Railroad's Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska, is the largest railroad classification yard in the world."

Works for me! 

[Mookie]

What/where is the largest BNSF...?

[vlmuke]

Bellvue has only 29 tracks in the EW yard plus another 47 in the CY yard another 15 in the A and W yards plus a few other small tracks which is a total of 91 tracks the Elkhart yard has 72 track in the hump yard plus receiving yard of 15 track and two departure tracks of 6 and 7 each plus a local yard with 12 tracks which is 112 tracks plus a few more mot counted such as the car and diesel shop tracks so that would make Elkhart yard the biggest in the NS system

[spbed]

OK thanks for the info

 

 

Bellvue has only 29 tracks in the EW yard plus another 47 in the CY yard another 15 in the A and W yards plus a few other small tracks which is a total of 91 tracks the Elkhart yard has 72 track in the hump yard plus receiving yard of 15 track and two departure tracks of 6 and 7 each plus a local yard with 12 tracks which is 112 tracks plus a few more mot counted such as the car and diesel shop tracks so that would make Elkhart yard the biggest in the NS system

[Railfan1]

I believe Rice Yard in Waycross, Ga is the second or third largest.

[MP173]

How would one determine the largest?  By car capacity? or by land mass? 

Carl, how many cars does Proviso classify daily on average?  Also, there is a north south yard just east of 294.  Is that also Proviso?  I would assume that handles Wisconsin and Northern Illinois traffic.  Correct? or not?

Just checked my CORA map...it does indeed say Proviso North.  I have a customer up in that area and there always seems to be activity in the yard by the office.

ed

[Chris30]

The north/south yard just east of I-294 is Proviso Yard 9 - receiving yard and run through for trains (coal/hopper) goiung north onto the Milwaukee (ex-New) Line Sub.

CC

[CShaveRR]

Ed, our throughput is several thousand cars a day--up to 2000 of which are humped.

Our name for the yard parallel to 294 is Yard 9 (Proviso was divided into nine smaller yards at one time).  It serves as the receiving yard, where inbound manifests (all of them, not just Wisconsin) are inspected before humping.

If you have to visit your customer up there, let me know!

[oskar]

Baliey Yard is the largest in North America but in the world I was told that a city in Germany has that title now. Rice Yard is close to that top spot.

 

 

Kevin

[Anonymous]

What/where is the largest BNSF...?

If I remeber correctly the BNSF Largest yard in Argentine Yard.  Or so some of the BNSF guy in KC say.  They say it  is the BNSF flagship yard.

[snagletooth]

What/where is the largest BNSF...?

If I remeber correctly the BNSF Largest yard in Argentine Yard.  Or so some of the BNSF guy in KC say.  They say it  is the BNSF flagship yard.

HHMM, Argentine trumphs Galesburg?, Northtown? WOW! I beleive ya', just WOW

[traisessive1]

Canada's largest is also CN's largest - MacMillan Yard. It is located in Toronto Ontario.

[Anonymous]

What/where is the largest BNSF...?

If I remeber correctly the BNSF Largest yard in Argentine Yard.  Or so some of the BNSF guy in KC say.  They say it  is the BNSF flagship yard.

HHMM, Argentine trumphs Galesburg?, Northtown? WOW! I beleive ya', just WOW

I know, pulling a train into Galesburg seems like it takes forever to get from the North R&D to the South.  I have not pulled any trains into Argentine, but I have seen it from the outside.  I believe it is 8 miles long.  I could be wrong on the length.

[chicagorails]

up in north platte baileys yard......................up container in rochelle global 3....................

[beaulieu]

Several European humpyards sort more cars than Bailey Yard at North Platte, but if you count the unit coal train cars that are inspected at Bailey Yard, then it is the busiest, also it covers the largest amount of land area.  The busiest humpyard in Germany is Maschen Yard, SE of Hamburg, it regularly sorts over 5,000 cars per day, and is rated for 6,000 cars/day. It was completely rebuilt a few years ago with all the refinements in humpyard equipment. All cars pass through 3 sets of retarders to allow the highest possible humping speeds, and all tracks are equipped with cable mules for track trimming, and gathering. Other busy European humpyards are, Kifhoek Yard near Rotterdam, Kledering Yard near Vienna, and Noord Yard at Antwerp. Many small European yards feature a mini-hump, without retarders, so that there is no need to "kick" cars in an otherwise flat-switched yard.

[TH&B]

MacMillan Yard (CNR) has two humps, one has a double hump leading to some 77 tracks in the bowl. The other hump is a single hump about 50 tracks for local traffic. Mac yard is stub ended so it does not handle throught trains like double stacks and unit trains very much, almost all trains that arrive get humped. 

I wonder how many cars it humps a day and how it rates to other yards. All I know is that it is BIG.

Most European cars are smaller then North American cars so that should be taken into account hump capactity. Although some steel carrying cars are very heavy compared to US cars. 

[Tommy-Jimmy]

The largest railyard/railfacility on the west coast is the Roseville yard in California near Sacramento, the capitol. This facility has:

• Encompasses 915 acres
• 55 bowl tracks
• 50 miles of track constructed around local area for bulk and intermodal trains
• More than 86 miles of new track
• 247 switches
• 2 main lines
• 6,500 rail car capacity
• 1,800-2,300 cars per day classification ability
• 8 receiving and departure tracks
• New repair facility
• Processes trains twice as fast
• Pre-blocking for longer hauls, reduces additional switching
• Maximizes the long-hauls to and from locations to the south, east and northwest
• Improved transit times
  • Cuts one to five days off transit times
  • Expedited manifest service from Northern California to Chicago and further east on CSXT and NS
  • Improved run-through service from and to the major shortlines in the Pacific Northwest
• Improved local service
• Reduced terminal dwell time
• Improved car utilization and car availability
• Increased capacity
•    State-of-the-art computer tracking system - improved tracking of cars
• and theres an Amtrak Station next to it so theres even more traffic for ya.

[Tommy-Jimmy]

The largest on the West Coast is the UP Roseville yard/Facility. In addition theres an Amtrak station right next to it, and I've seen many cabooses. 98% of all rail traffic in Northern California goes through this place. To keep things simple it has a capacity of 6500 cars, has an engine repair facility, 2 mainlines, 50 miles of local track for bulk and intermodal trains, 915 acres, and has 55 bowl tracks. 1800-2300 cars classification per day ability. And finally 8 receiving and departure tracks.

[CandOforprogress2]

Selkirk New York 5 miles from front to back and about a mile wide or so-

[CandOforprogress2]

Was it not somewhere in Germany that had the largest yard?

[mudchicken]

snagletooth

What/where is the largest BNSF...?

 

If I remeber correctly the BNSF Largest yard in Argentine Yard.  Or so some of the BNSF guy in KC say.  They say it  is the BNSF flagship yard.

HHMM, Argentine trumphs Galesburg?, Northtown? WOW! I beleive ya', just WOW

 

If you're talking car velocity, then Barstow (w/hump) or Hobart (no hump, still growing) in its Transcon enema role leave Argentine behind. Parameters to measure against have got to be stated somewhere. Corwith in Chicago was always a madhouse, but always has been way too small.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

mudchicken

. . . Parameters to measure against have got to be stated somewhere. . . . 

Yeah - what measurement(s) are we using to define "largest" ? 

- PDN. 

[rdamon]

Paul_D_North_Jr

 

 

mudchicken

. . . Parameters to measure against have got to be stated somewhere. . . . 

 

 

Yeah - what measurement(s) are we using to define "largest" ? 

 

- PDN. 

 

Last I checked a yard was 3 feet 

[mudchicken]

Imperial/International or US Survey Feet?