Sunday Morning, July, 9th, 2006, I will be leaving St. Louis for a Western rail adventure. If anyone lives in the following areas, I will try to meet with you.
Kansas City, MO
Council Bluffs, IA
Omaha, NE
Gibbon, NE
Lincoln, NE (OVERNIGHT STAY, Maybe)
Cheyenne, WY
Dale, WY
Bill, WY
Billings, MT (OVERNIGHT STAY, Maybe)
Livingston, MT (As Far west as we will go)
Miles City, MT
Fargo, ND
I will be traveling with another railfan, so I hope he will want to meet railfans from other states.
Of course, I will try to post nightly reports of the days sightings.
I will be looking forward to meeting some of you
And before you as, YES, we will be going on US 30 along the UP Mainline.
I just moved back to California from Bozeman, Montana but I would hope that you are at least going up the pass when you hit Livingston. You have to see the MRL SD70ACe in Action in the helper service. That’s a much since I left before the ACe’s showed up. (Sad for me)
Too bad you can’t just go another 2 hours and head up to Helena for the Mullan Pass. Probably one of my most favorite rail fanning spots in the state or all over for that matter. Big bridges, tunnels and two sets of helpers is never dull. I highly consider taking the time. Make a loop and head down to Butte on the way home and see the great history.
I would really consider these or you might be missing a lot.
I agree with miniwyo and zgardner18, you’re missing the best of the best by not going further West. Mullan Pass, Missoula, Marias Pass, the Izack Walton Inn, Bonners Ferry, the “Funnel” between Sandpoint ID and Spokane WA, the Palouse River Canyon, Pasco, Pendelton, Deadman Pass, Huntington, Glenns Ferry, Shoshone, Pocatello, Lava Hot Springs, Kemmerer, Rock Springs, Sherman Pass, Cheyenne…that’d make a nice loop.
Its only about 300 miles more to come from Cheyenne to Rock Springs, then another 100 to Kemmerer (oddly enough, we just call it kemmer[:P] ). Then its a straight shot to Pocatello and from there I have no clue.
If anyone was going from Kemmererer…[%-)]…on to Pokey, you’d be wise to stop at Lava Hot Springs, where you can sit and soak in the hot pools while UP freights roar a few hundred yards above you!
Yes. Have a great and safe trip. I, too, am heading for Montana in a week’s
time. I am heading for Kalispell to attend the GNRHS convention. Having
been through Montana several times on the Empire Builder, I have to agree
with those who say you should head further west-the scenery is awe-inspiring.
A good rule of thumb especially for Wyoming, never let your tank go below half. IE. Along 1-80, there are 6 real towns. Pine Bluffs, Cheyenne, Laramie, Rawlins, Rocks Springs, and Evanston. The shortest distance between any 2 of those is 50 miles between Cheyenne and Laramie, no real stops between them. and say in the case of Rock Springs, We are literally 100 miles from nowhere! So what I am trying to say, fill up whenever you can. It is a really smart thing to do.
And Eat. A good big breakfast like a western omlette and all the trimmings will reduce your cravings for snacks. I used to eat at Ft. Bridger east bound and had Laramie for westbound. I consider Wyoming one large area where there is very little oppertunities to stop.
If you head towards Billings, you are going to find some natural barriers at the Continential Divide. That mountain pass and others requires good attention especially in bad weather.
Coming back east to Fargo ND you will find some of the most lonely areas out there. The Badlands is something to behold. There are very few places to stop in ND. But the food is good and the people very good.
One feature that is not so important in the summer is the gates at the interstate ramps. Usually they are open. But if they are closed and prevent you from getting on the interstate you might as well settle into the hotel and wait until it reopens.