Our road trip following the Union Pacific from Promontory to Altoona

PART TWO OF THE USA ROAD TRIP

Left Cheyenne and slowly made our way over to Omaha, stopping at a place called North Platte. This is in the middle of a large agricultural area (lots and lots of corn), and certainly was not what I was expecting. We went to "The Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Centre", and I was blown away!!!

This is the largest freight/distribution/repair/maintenance facility I have ever seen.....we have nothing at all here in Australia that even comes close to the magnitude of this Union Pacific facility. This Visitors Centre and tower was constructed solely for the viewing pleasure of railfans.......incredible!!!

I was also able to see a "hump yard" in action, with different cars being "cut" from the consist. They then rolled unassisted down the track into the nominated sidings, all on their own....unreal!!! There were two "hump yards" in this facility, one at each end (east and west), but the west end "hump" was more visible from the observation tower. See photo below

Finally, there was the largest engine shed/maintenance depot I have ever seen, with all types of UP diesels lined-up, nose to tail, on side tracks everywhere, waiting for their turn in the workshop. Just an incredible sight for this "boy from the bush"!!!

Left North Platte and continued driving on to the "Lauritzen Gardens" at Kenefick Park, Omaha to see the largest steam engine and the largest diesel engine on display together, perched on the side of a hill facing the west bound highway. I don't know how in the **** they got those monsters up there to display them!!

This is the second "Big Boy" I have now seen "in the flesh", and this one seemed to be in a slightly better cosmetic condition than the one displayed in Cheyenne.

The Union Pacific Centennial DDA-40X diesel was something else.......it truly is a "monster" in its own right. I have now started looking for an MTH model of this loco in the RailKing version, so it can navigate my O42 curves, but I don't think they have produced one so far.

Our journey across the US will have to stop here for a while, but will resume in my next post.....stay tuned!!!

Peter.....Buco Australia

PART THREE AND THE FINAL SECTION OF OUR USA ROAD TRIP

Stopped at Patrick's Trains in Wheeling, West Virginia on our way east. Met Pat and his tech guy Billy, and spent some time with them going through the store. I have never seen so many new boxes of Lionel and MTH O gauge trains in my life. I thought I had died and gone to model train heaven!!! I've said it before....we don't have anything like this what-so-ever here in Australia.

Just had to buy something from Pat, so I got one of his special run MTH RailKing "beer" box cars. Here it is back in Australia in the freight yard, on my garage layout. It is  with the box car I also got from The Choo Choo Barn (red roof one).

Next stop was Altoona PA, and we stayed there for a couple of days so I could spend some time at "Horseshoe Curve". Got lucky and saw some freight coming up from Altoona going around the curve, and shortly after, a large loaded consist coming down the mountain. Below is our arrival at the "World Famous Horseshoe Curve", and the lovely Sue is about to capture the moment on film.....but I beat her to it!!!

Some freight on the way up the curve, and one on its way down the mountain

It would have been a whole lot easier getting from the carpark/entrance pavilion up to the viewing area if the funicular was up and running.....oh well, maybe next time.

After Horseshoe Curve we drove across the mountain to visit the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site and Museum. Truly incredible how they transported people and goods over the Allegheny Mountains via stationary steam engines pulling barges up the inclines, using cables before Horseshoe Curve was built.

Second day we went to The Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona. Once again, an incredible account of early railroad history in this part of Pennsylvania. Here's Sue again heading over to the museum from the carpark......can't hold that girl back when it comes to trains!!!!

Got to see my very first and only true-to-life GG1.....I have two Williams GG1's, but I have never seen one up close and personal!!! It is in a sad state cosmetically, and I believe there is no way any of these remaining GG1's will ever be restored and operational again......very sad!!

They also had a box car on display from Norfolk Southern advertising "Horseshoe Curve". And in the workshop they are in the process of restoring K4s 1361. They were working on the boiler, and had the drive wheels stored and ready for reinstallation, once all of the new steam pipes have been re-fitted.

Left Altoona and kept working our way over to the East Coast. Stopped at the Rockville Bridge, the longest railroad viaduct ever built. A Norfolk Southern freight was on the bridge when we turned up.

Made our way over to Strasburg via Gettysburg (wanted to see where the famous "battle" took place, and also where the Gettysburg speech by Abe Lincoln was given). Found the "Choo Choo Barn" in Strasberg, and met the new owner, Gary Russell....he is an incredible man, and has a vision for continuing the legacy of the founding family. He showed us through the huge layout, and then into the hobby shop next door.

I had to buy a new MTH RailKing box car from him as well, and it also now resides in the freight yard of my layout.

That brings to a conclusion our road trip, as things "went to custard" quickly after that. We had planned a "long weekend" in London England when we got to New Jersey, to catch-up with one of my nephews, so we left the rental car in the long-term parking at Newark Airport, Sunday afternoon and caught a six hour flight over to London.

We were to fly back to Newark the following Tuesday afternoon, and resume our road trip down to Florida, and then back up through the lower states (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona etc) over to Los Angeles, to return the rental car and fly home.

On the Monday night while having dinner with my nephew and his wife in a restaurant, my wife (Sue) had her handbag stolen. This contained her/our credit cards, but the worst thing was she had our passports in that handbag.

After much anguish and an extra 7 days being stuck in England, we finally had to come to terms with the fact that the US Government would not let us return to the United States to finish our road trip, using the emergency passports issued by our Australian Embassy in London.

We had to fly home and organize with a friend (Andrew) who lives in New Jersey to get the car out of the airport parking, and return it to the rental car company at Newark Airport. We then had to arrange for our luggage (suitcases, personal belongings etc) that had been retrieved from the car to be shipped home to us here in Queensland, Australia.

Trust me, the story goes on and on from there, but suffice to say we are finally getting our lives back together, and are even making plans to return next June/July, and finish what we missed out on.

LOOK OUT AMERICA.......WE WILL BE BACK!!!!!

Peter...Buco Australia.     

Peter,

So sorry for your awful, nightmarish experience on the London leg of your trip and all you had to do with your rental car and luggage return. Glad you are all safely home and recovering from this mess.  Some years ago, at the beginning of a European cruise, my wallet was stolen out of my man-purse while in Barcelona. (I got the man-purse to prevent such a theft but the thieves are highly sophisticated in their profession.) Fortunately, I instantly realized the theft, held onto the woman that stole it, and grabbed the wallet back. We were lucky.   

Peter,

So sorry to read of your misfortune after what sounds like a wonderful trip in the States.  You did not mention the R.R. Museum of Pa. in Strasburg.  If you did not get to visit it, try to return to Strasburg.  Check it out on the internet to get a good idea of what you will see.  Safe travels.

Buco,

Too bad about the issues toward the end of the trip.    And I thought the Brits were our civilized neighbors!

However, you seemed to totally miss "flyover country" = the middle of the US.    And the UP does not go east of Chicago.

so for your next trip, I'd like to suggest some stuff in Illinois and Ohio that  your might enjoy.   First in Illinois, there is a very nice large RR museum at Union IL, about 75 miles NW of Chicago.    They have a lot of Interurban and regular RR stuff.    A second  spot up there is a "railfan park" in Rochelle Il, where the UP crosses the BNSF.    Both are double track.     There can be a lot of traffic there.   

As  you head east, there is the NYC (New York Central) RR museum in Elkhart Indiana.    Not huge, but a decent size  museum.    And It is right next the NS mainline which is the old NYC from NY to Chicago.  

After that  you can head into Ohio,   If you follow the NS mains, there are a few restored RR stations.    About 4o miles west of Toledo, you can head south about 30 miles to Deshler Ohio, where there is another Railfan park on the CSX mainlines.     There is a crossing of an old C&O line going north south with the double track CSX mainlines.    All lines are used.   There are also connections between the lines in all 4 quadrants around the diamonds.   Both lines are CSX now.    The next spot is Fostoria Ohio and the Iron Triangle.    There used to by 4-5 different RRs through there, but now only 2, NS and CSX.     the CSX line is the same one  you see 4 miles west at Deshler.    The NS line is from the Old Nickle Plate.    there is also a north-south CSX line crossing both the east west lines to form a triangle.    There is a very nice Railfan park within the triangle.    

The next hot spot is Bellevue Ohio about 30 miles northeast from Fostoria.     It is a big yard NS that used to a major point on the NKP.     There is a railfan viewing platform there as well.    There all the lines are NS, but there are 3-4 that converge on the west end of the yard.    There can be quite a bit of traffic.    Also at Bellevue, a little ways from the viewing platform is the Mad River RR museum which has a nice collection.    They recently got and cosmestically restored an NKP Berkshire.    They have at least a half dozen of very nice diesels too. 

so if you get a chance and urge on one of  your trips, get off the interstates in the middle and check out some of the RR attractions there.

Hot Water.....I sure hope you have been able to "see" my photos by now.

It may have something to do with that new fangled electronic gizmo thing you are using to read my post.

Peter.....Buco Australia....from the good old days!!!

Bruce Brown:

Thanks Bruce for reading about our road trip, and its nightmare ending.

Had the same sort of thing happen to us last year when we were driving from France to Barcelona. A guy following us in a red Audi A3 came up beside us, and was waving frantically for us to pull over, indicating we had something wrong with the rear R/H tire/wheel on our rental car.

Pulled off to the side of the motorway, and we all got out to inspect the rear wheel. While we were crouched down looking at the wheel, his accomplice (who was hiding in the back seat of the Audi) quietly opened the rear L/H door of our car, and stole Sue's backpack containing her iPad, phone chargers, both our international drivers license's, and personal stuff etc.  Didn't know we had been robbed till later that day when we arrived in Barcelona, and went to get our luggage out of the car, before checking into our hotel.

Why can't all of these a..holes get a proper job (like us), and work and save for the things in life they want????

Goody:

Yeh...we had the Strasburg Railway Museum on our list, and actually drove past it that afternoon when a steam engine with some passenger carriages had just pulled up at the station, but we were running late (spent way too much time at the Choo Choo Barn), and Sue would not let me stop (I'm going to blame her, cause she won't be reading this post!!!!)

Got it back on "the list" for our second attempt next year!!!!

prrjim:

The pommes are still mad at us Aussies.....cause they sent their convicts to this tropical island in the South Pacific with glorious weather, incredible beaches, and vast open spaces,  which is far cry from the cold, miserable, grey, damp place they call home!!!

Anyway, all of your suggestions have been duly noted, and your list of places have been saved so we can look at visiting at least some of the ones you have suggested on our next foray into driving across the great US of A in June/July next year!!!!!

Thank you one and all for your comments and "likes" on our road trip across America.

Peter....Buco Australia.

@Buco posted:

A guy following us in a red Audi A3 came up beside us, and was waving frantically for us to pull over, indicating we had something wrong with the rear R/H tire/wheel on our rental car. Pulled off to the side of the motorway, and we all got out to inspect the rear wheel. While we were crouched down looking at the wheel, his accomplice (who was hiding in the back seat of the Audi) quietly opened the rear L/H door of our car, and stole Sue's backpack containing her iPad, phone chargers, both our international drivers license's, and personal stuff etc.

O M G !

Peter, You are indeed a victim of unfortunate circumstances.

Your drive across the U.S. is one that many Americans have never done, and you did it driving on the "wrong" side of the road. You've certainly seen more unique and geographically diverse U.S. trainspotting and historical locations than many U.S. train aficionados have done.

Please follow @Training Wheels advice to use Rich Melvin's instructions for inserting your pictures.

Did you happen to stop in Ogden while you were in Utah. There  is a nice rail museum there.

Buco,

I just noticed you did not visit Colorado and the narrow gauge RRs.     The narrow gauge (3 ft) RRs in the USA lasted longest in Colorado     There are two major narrow gauge tourist lines operating in colorado.    The Durango and Silverton, and the Cumbres & Toltec.     I rode the Cumbres & Toltec back a few years and it was a great trip.    We stayed in Chama New Mexico at a B&B about a block from RR yard.    The yards were accessible and there were 2-3 steamers being prepped.    There are multiple trips possible.    The most common is to ride the train one way from Chama to Antonito in Colorado and ride the included bus back to Chama.   Or you cac ride from Antonito to Chama and take the bus the other way depending on where you are staying.    It is also possible to ride the train to Dossier where they stop for lunch, and take the train going the other way back to your starting point.    The westen end is in very  rugged mountains and the scenery is spectacular.    The train ride is from about 9-10 am to 5 pm.    The bus makes the trip back in about an hour or so.   It is a 50-60 miles trip.     The lunch buffet in Dossier is included.    The first class car seats 24 in parlour chairs and has a Doscent describing the sites and what not.     it is an all day adventure either way.  The yard is chama is loaded with  preserved narrow gauge freight equipment and MOW.  

The train fills up quickly during the summer season, so advance reccomendations are probably necessary.    While Chama is a small town, there are 3 decent restaurants.  

I don't anything about the Durango & Silverton facilities but I think the trips are similar in length.     I understand their yard is not as accessible as Chama was when I was there.

The East Broad Top in narrow gauge Central pennsylvania has restored steam to operation on weekends.    Much shorter ride.    They are headquarted in Orbisonia PA.  

Thank you guys.

Found the problem with that “new fangled electronic gizmo thing” at my end. I had an "Update" and it stuffed up the way I normally attach the photos......all sorted out now.....Hot Water and others who let me know of the problem can now re-read the third installment.....and see the photos!!! (I hope)

Chris.....yes, we did stop briefly in Ogden, and saw the museum, but we were unable to spend a lot of time there as Sue was keen to get to Derby, Montana to see for herself the "Dutton Yellowstone Ranch" !!!  It's a girl thing.

prrjim:  Did the Durango to Silverton ride a couple of years back (before they set the mountain on fire) and loved every minute of it!!! Also did the "Roaring Camp" ride up the mountain and back down in a Shay in Northern California on that same trip.

Your additional info has also been added to the list, and the latest from Sue is we may be over there come May next year......watch this space!!!!

Thank you again guys.

Peter.....Buco Australia.

Thanks for posting all the great pics.  I'm exhausted just from reading about your trip.  Good to see that the Choo Choo Barn is up and running.  Sorry about the hiccups in England, but it sounds like you recovered OK.

Since you were in Strasburg, I hope that you were able to visit the TCA Museum.  Another suggestion if you return to the Horseshoe Curve area is Gallitzin Tunnel - great place to see trains up close, and there's a B&B adjacent to the tracks at the tunnel portal.

What date were you at Horseshoe Curve and Altoona?  I was there on August 2.

@Buco posted:

PART THREE AND THE FINAL SECTION OF OUR USA ROAD TRIP.

It would have been a whole lot easier getting from the carpark/entrance pavilion up to the viewing area if the funicular was up and running.....oh well, maybe next time.

... Found the "Choo Choo Barn" in Strasberg, and met the new owner, Gary Russell....he is an incredible man, and has a vision for continuing the legacy of the founding family. He showed us through the huge layout, and then into the hobby shop next door.

It's 197 steps to the top of HSC - we counted!

Which handsome guy is Gary Russell, and which one is you?

Peter, I didn’t see any mention of the UP Challenger in Cody Park when you were in North Platte. They also have another DD40x along with some rolling stock.

Pete

Hey Mallard4468:

Sue and I were in Altoona for two days - Thursday 13th and Friday 14th July.

You are sooo right...197 steps up to the viewing area...thank the Lord for those small landings every 10 or so steps!!!!

The handsome skinny gent with the glasses on the left of the photo is Gary......you can guess who the other fellow is.

Pete (Norton): I didn't know there was a "Challenger" or even a "DD40X" on display at North Platte. There was no mention of them at the UP visitors tower or souvenir shop at the UP "hump yard".

Peter.....Buco Australia

@Buco posted:

Pete (Norton): I didn't know there was a "Challenger" or even a "DD40X" on display at North Platte. There was no mention of them at the UP visitors tower or souvenir shop at the UP "hump yard".

Peter.....Buco Australia

Here you go Peter from North Platte. Just another stop for your next trip.

Pete

Man, what a great trip! I've never seen a Big Boy or Challenger (but I want to), but I've seen both a UP FEF 4-8-4 and DDA40X in Ogden, Utah (not far from Promontory Point). Wow! Those UP engines were massive. The biggest engine I saw while I was there was one of the UP Big Blow 3-unit Gas Turbines that was preserved. Holy Smokes! Those turbine units are huge!

I've also seen the Santa Fe 4-8-4 #3759 on display in Kingman, Arizona. That is a pretty big steam locomotive, too. Its wheels (80") are taller than me, and I'm not that tall (only 5' 2").

Speaking of UP's Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska, it is actually the largest freight yard in the entire world at over 8 miles long and over 2 miles wide. I guess UP had to go big or go home with their yard as well as their engines!