Kearney Sub Railfan Guide
Вставка
- Опубліковано 22 сер 2024
- In my "Railfan Guide" series of videos, I include extra information that would help a person railfan the line themselves.
As a disclaimer, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information contained within this video. It was gathered by myself through personal observation, and external research. Things change and information that was useful could be obsolete by the time you watch this.
I started the trip in the town of Gibbon, NE. The Kearney sub runs from Grand Island to the eastern side of North Platte. At Gibbon Junction, the Marysville sub connects from Kansas City. From this point to the east, both the Marysville and Kearney subs each see half the traffic the Triple track segment carries.
The Triple track then heads west to the west side of North Platte near the town of Southerland, where the the Sidney and South Morrill subs split. Coal trains to and from the Powder River Basin use the South Morrill sub, and everything else uses the Sidney sub toward Cheyenne.
A radio scanner is helpful between Gibbon and North Platte. Keep in mind though, even with so many trains, there isn't very much radio traffic. Defect detectors only transmit an entrance message when the headend of a train first goes by. Otherwise, trains move on signal indication so rarely have to communicate with the dispatcher unless there's a problem. The main road channel is 2424 (160.470mHz). Locals and yard crews may use other channels when performing those tasks.
Within the North Platte Terminal, the Terminal Train Dispatcher (TTD) uses 3838 (160.680mHz) for the main track activity of arriving and departing trains. However, each yard group has their own channel for East Hump, East Trim, West Hump, West Trim, Engine Service, and a host of others. Because of the high number of different radio conversations taking place at the same time on so many different radio channels, a scanner doesn't provide much understanding of what's going on.
The position of the sun various with the seasons. Most mid-afternoon shots will be best from the south side of the tracks. There are many public roads that cross over to the south side of the tracks for the entire route. Morning and evening can vary, so plan accordingly. Not all roads are public though. Farmers are protective of their fields and livestock. They do not tolerate trespassing railfans.
Also, Union Pacific employs several Special Agents who are based in North Platte and patrol the Triple track regularly. They are used to railfans, and generally just wave as long as you're on public property.
Very nice info and video!
Nicely done and great info, sweet! (Dave).