Next came the second light engines down the grade.
BNSF 6209 North. All we wanted was one empty coal train and our wish was granted!
BNSF 8530 North. We drove back to our cabin opening then closed the gate behind us.
The rear of our cabin at the Ponderosa Ranch. I worked on the travelogue until it was time to go to Alliance so we departed and drove to Belmont where a train was on the approach.
BNSF 8568 North at Belmont. From here we drove to the Belmont Tunnel, the only one in the State of Nebraska.
South Portal.
North Portal. We continued the drive to Alliance but saw a headlight after Marsland.
BNSF 5901 north near Marsland. We arrived in Alliance and found our first item.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4-6-0 719 built by predecessor Burlington & Missouri River Railroad at their Havelock, Iowa Shops in 1903 as 40 and re-numbered 3687 the same year. When Burlington & Missouri River was merged into the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in 1904, it became 719 and in 1951, it was renumbered 919. It was donated to the City of Alliance in 1962 and was refurbished by Burlington Northern volunteers; on display in Sudman Field.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy caboose 13701 built by Morrison in 1969. Next I took Chris and Robin to Carhenge, which artist Jim Reinders created in 1987 as a tribute to his late father, arranging 38 cars to mirror the original Stonehenge layout in England. Every car is painted battleship gray to match the ancient stones. Some are buried trunk-first in the ground, while others are balanced horizontally on top.
Carhenge. We drove to the north side of BNSF's Alliance Yard.
Burlington Northern C30-7 5546 built by General Electric in 1978, was in bad shape. We filled the car with petrol and started back to Crawford but caught up to a northbound train.
BNSF 5844 North west of Marsland. We drove back to Belmont to photograph him there.
BNSF 5844 North at Belmont.
This wooden building caught me eye. We drove to Crawford and I spotted a caboose.
BNSF caboose 10718, nee Burlington Northern 10718, built by International Car in 1972. We crossed the bridge over the railroad and stopped again.
Norfolk Southern 1101 South at Crawford. From here we drove to the Tailgate Bar and Grill where I had chicken strips for dinner before returning to the Ponderosa Ranch.
The buttes at the end of the valley. We returned for the last night in our cabin, which had been a great place to stay and I will come back some day.
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