We woke up at the Alliance Hotel and Suites and then went to McDonald's for breakfast. We decided to drive Highway 2 east of Mullen, something I had wanted to do for a long time and a chance to see BNSF coal trains in a different location. East of Alliance, we had to pull over when we saw something we could not believe.
American Electric Power GP35 2703, ex. Southern Railway built by Electro-Motive Division in 1965.
American Electric Power SL-136 1101, ex. Burlington Northern 1101, nee Chicago and North Western 1199, built by General Electric in 1978. Just east of here by a few miles, we came across another train.
BNSF 8586 East. From here we continued east until we saw another headlight.
BNSF 6220 West east of Ellsworth.
BNSF 9074 East east of Ashby.
BNSF 9150 West west of Hyannis.
BNSF 5695 West east of Hyannis.
BNSF 9145 East in Mullen. This had been a very good drive along Nebraska Highway 2 with plenty of trains to keep me interested. From here we took Nebraska 97 south to North Platte and made our way to our first destination here.
Golden Spike Tower
The Golden Spike Tower.
Union Pacific Diner 4613 "Golden Spike" built by Pullman in 1927. We went inside, paid our fee and soon were in the elevator to the 7th Floor.
View from the 7th Floor open air balcony of Union Pacific Bailey Yard. We took the stairs to the enclosed 8th Floor.
Union Pacific train models.
Aerial photograph of Union Pacifc Bailey Yard.
Elizabeth with Bailey Yard below her.
Union Pacific Dining Car China. We left the tower but before leaving stopped in the gift shop buying several items. We left the tower and headed to Memorial Park.
Maywood Co-op Association GP9 7515, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1957 as Pennsylvania Railroad 7210 then became Penn Central 7210 in 1968. It became Conrail 7210 in April 1976 and was rebuilt at Paducah as 7515 in 1978 before being sold as Maywood Co-op Association 7515.
Memorial Park
Union Pacific 2-8-0 480, built by Baldwin in 1902 as Union Pacific 1901, on display in Memorial Park. We went to our last stop in North Platte, Cody Park.
Cody Park
Cody Park Railroad Display.
Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3977 "Challenger" built by Alco in 1943. The 4-6-6-4 type received its name "Challenger" in 1936 during a meeting between Otto Jabelmann, Vice President of Research, William Jeffers, Executive Vice President of the UP system and J. W. Burnett, General Superintendent of Motive Power and Machinery. Burnett proposed a test run for the new locomotive operating unassisted from Ogden to Wahsatch, UT, and then running fast to Green River, WY, before returning to Ogden with another train. Burnett noted such a run really would be "a challenge for any locomotive". "It certainly is", Jeffers replied, "Let's call them 'Challengers'". Immediately after the meeting, Jeffers then sent a memo to the railroad's Advertising Department advising them that he wanted the name "Challenger" to be used in all future press releases about the new locomotive.
The Union Pacific station from Hershey, Nebraska built in 1892.
Union Pacific DD40AX 6922, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1969.
Two views of the Union Pacific caboose 25161 built by Pullman-Standard in 1944. It was retired after being in a wreck at North Platte in August 1971 and was later donated to the park.
Union Pacific Railway Post Office Car 2069 built by Pullman in 1914. It was retired in 1968 and went on display in Cody Park the following year.
Union Pacific Baggage/Display Car 1350, built by American Car and Foundry in 1927 as Baggage Dormitory Car 2760. It was converted to a Postal Storage Car by the Union Pacific and renumbered in 1957.
Union Pacific refrigerator car 458266.
Cody Park scene.
Elizabeth and Union Pacific DD40AX 6922.
Elizabeth and Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3977.
Elizabeth in the engineer seat of Union Pacific 3977.
Me in the engineer seat of Union Pacific 3977.
One last view of the Union Pacific 3977.
The Drive Along US 30
We drove US 30 for miles without a train until we reached Chappell and as we stopped for a picture of the grain elevator, Union Pacific 7348 West came roaring by.
Farmers Elevator Company GP9 7558, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1955 as Pennsylvania Railroad 7038. From here we drove to Lodgepole for our next stop.
The Lodgepole Union Pacific station built in 1867.
Union Pacific caboose 25007 built by Mount Vernon Car in 1942 as Union Pacific 3707.
Elizabeth at the Lodgepole Union Pacific station. We stopped for lunch at A&W before leaving town. We drove west to Sidney and stopped to check the tire pressure.
Union Pacific 7348 West came into Sidney and stopped. We continued west and just west of town, we made a stop.
Union Pacific 9093 East west of Sidney. We then continued west along Highway 30.
Union Pacific caboose 25276, built by Union Pacific in 1952 as 3976, in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. We then drove the rest of the way to Cheyenne to our next stop.
The Wyoming Merci Car in Cheyenne.
Elizabeth and the Wyoming Merci Car in Cheyenne. From here we went to Holliday Park.
Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 4004 built by Alco in 1941. It made its last revenue run on October 31st, 1958 and was then placed in storage before being officially retired in 1962. The following year, it was donated to the City of Cheyenne and was moved to Holliday Park by UP track crew on June 28th, 1963.
Elizabeth and Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 4004. From here we drove to the Union Pacific station.
Elizabeth and the Union Pacific Cheyenne station.
The Union Pacific Cheyenne station built in 1887. Elizabeth visted the Union Pacific Cheyenne station museum since she never had and I walked up on the bridge over the yard.
The view of the Union Pacific Cheyenne Yard.
One last view of the Union Pacific Cheyenne station. Elizabeth returned shortly and I had one more set of pictures to take in Cheyenne.
Chicago and North Western F7A 401, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1949 as Chicago and North Western 4087A. We left Cheyenne and drove Otto Road out of town but soon had to pull over.
Union Pacific 8006 East along Otto Road.
Union Pacific 8006 East from the bridge along Otto Road. From here we drove to the Ames Monument.
The Ames Monument.
Elizabeth and the Ames Monument.
All sides of the Ames Monument.
One last view of the Ames Monument. We drove into Laramie and picked up dinner at Sonic and took it with us to the Days Inn where we checked in and ate then relaxed during the evening.
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