UP yard and facilities... Help

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I’m looking for some help from someone who knows the UP fairly well. I’m trying to better understand the railroad’s yard facilities. Particularly, what kinds of facilities are at each location? (i.e. Yard, terminal, classification yard, hump yard, shop, intermodal ramp, etc) What’s the size or scope? How many trains run through? Start & terminate? Etc.Specifically, I’m having problems with the following points on the system. Texas: Pecos, Alpine, HerneCA: Yermo, DunsmuirKS: Sharon Springs, MarysvilleIA: Clinton, Boone, Missouri Valley, Council BluffsAlso, Dexter, MO; Vaughn, NM; Yampa/Bond, CO; Nampa, ID; Milford, UT; Livona, LA; Yuma, AZ

Any help is much appreciated!!

2

Clinton, Boone, and Mo Valley are crew-change points in Iowa for trains on the ex-CNW portion of the Overland Route. Clinton used to be a lot more important than it is now. Any more than this you’ll have to get from people who work there.

Livonia, Louisiana, has a small hump yard.

3

Because you are covering so many widespread geographic areas and are asking for a lot of information, I would suggest the following:

  1. Where available, do a Bing “Bird’s Eye” or Google satellite search for an overview of the yard in question. That alone will answer many of your questions.

  2. Join some of the Yahoo railfan discussion groups that cover the areas and ask the questions there.

John Timm

4

I would be curious to know why you are asking all these questions.

5

I noticed from your profile that you joined the forum on 19 July 2010 and this is one of your first posts. Why are you asking for so much information – seems to be a suspicious motive here because you don’t indicate in your questions why you desire so much information about Class I railroads throughout the U.S.

6

cacole, Sorry, I didn’t mean to be mysterious. I sent you a private reply answering your question. However, since you’ve thrown my integrity and motivations under the bus in front of everyone, here’s what I wrote to you for all to see:“The reason I’m looking for help is that I’m a transportation economist and I’m trying to become a little more knowledgeable about the actual operations of the big railroads. I worked for three different railroads back in the 1980’s, so I’m a little out of date concerning the transportation ops side. I’ve been a reader of Trains and other industry magazines for a long time but never participated in the forums. I guess I finally decided to get over my shyness and jump in. Hopefully I’ll learn something, maybe make a few new friends, etc.”

I don’t mean to be rude but maybe next time something offends you you’ll consider handling it in private, one-on-one.

7

Do you really think a potential terrorist is going to be using Trains.com as an intelligence tool rather that just searching Google.Maps? While I have no doubt that there are members off the forum who are RR industry professionals who do have knowledge of sensitive information I’m confident thay do not share it…

8

At this point I will interject because an RA has been posted to the Reports forum. Please, the OP has explained the nature of his circumstances. Let us not continue to side-track his quest any more than we absolutely must. He has responded, and now each of us can either provide what we can in the way of satisfaction, or we should simply desist from responding.

Thanks, and back over to the originator…

-Crandell

9

Some bare basics for you-

Marysville, KS- Crew change point/small yard/fueling pad for runthrough freights.

Hearne, TX- Crew change point/small yard on ex-SP main in town/directional running

Pecos, TX- Nothing, yard is abandoned (ex-T&P)

Alpine, TX- No yard on main (ex-SP Sunset Route), interchange with Texas Pacifico

Clinton, IA- Moderate size yard/ crew change point

Boone, IA- Moderate size yard/ crew change point

Missouri Valley, IA- small yard mostly used for storage and MOW, had yard switcher unit late 70s.

Council Bluffs, IA- UP trackage major classification yard/ ex-CNW yard now downsized and site of Heritage Park (Business Car shops)/ Crew Change point

Livonia, LA- Moderate classification yard/ SIT (Storage In Transit) yard for Baton Rouge area chemical plants

Dexter, MO- no facilities of note.

Nampa, ID- Moderate classification yard

Milford, UT- Small yard/crew change point (LA&SL)

Sharon Springs, KS- No yard- couple long siding tracks for holding coal trains.