My wife and I are planning on spending the Labor Day weekend there, primarily because we’ve been invited to a wedding that Saturday. I think it’s a great opportunity to check out some of the UP sites there, like the display they set up with the two engines shown being moved on that TV show a few weeks ago, but I have no idea how to find them. Lately I’ve been alittle short on computer time, so I thought I’d just start a thread and give some of the members from that area the opportunity to share where to go and what to do. Thanks!
Go to Lincoln
I found Fremont better then Omaha. Right at the soybean silo is terrific (west side of town). [:o)]
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Originally posted by blhanel
The Amtrak station in downtown is a fairly good spot. It is very near the Durham Western Heritage museum.
Council Bluffs has a lot of trains, but you may have to search for a place to watch, mainly because a lot of the tracks go through some rather seedy neighborhoods where I don’t feel particulary safe watching.
Fremont is really good. There is a spot on Union Street which is just a couple of streets east of Main street that is really good. The UP tracks are in front of you, the BNSF tracks are behind you.
As Mook said, Lincoln is pretty good too.
The UP headquarters downtown has a careteria in it that’s open to the public so that would be a fun place to eat lunch and maybe go to the company store downstairs[:-,]. In terms of train-watching spots I like that Amtrak station.
The cafeteria probably wouldn’t be open on a Sunday, would it?
How do I find those two locos they moved over the city streets a few months back? I know they’re up on a hill on display somewhere…
Kenefick Park is located at Abbott Drive and 6th Street. It isn’t really due to open until October, but I think you should be able to see the Big Boy and the Centennial from the surrounding streets.
It is right next to the zoo, and that is well marked. The zoo and park are at the south end of Omaha. You won’t probably be able to get real close, but within shouting distance.
Mook
The DD40AX and Big Boy should be visible from the Driveway up to the Lauritzen botanical Gardens. When completed it will be visible from the I-80 bridge crossing the ricer.
I’m not sure about the cafeteria…I’m guessing no but I’ll ask my dad and get back to you.
The railroad museum at the Rock Island Depot in Council Bluffs. Take I-80 to hwy 192 and go north, exit at 16th Ave. BNSF and IAIS yards to the right.
Leave the museum and go under hwy 192 westbound, turn north and go up to 14th Ave, then go west all the way to 35th Ave.
Turn left and go to Nebraska Ave and get on I29, take that S to I 80 and go west , exit at 13th St. go North to Bancroft, turn right and go to the Botanical Gardens to see 6900 and the Big Boy.
Retrace your steps and go back to 10th st and go north to the Tracks. The 10th St overpass, the Western Heritage museum and the Amtrak depot are all good vantage points. The CB&Q depot is the basis for the Walthers passenger station.
Go west to 13th St, the south on 13th back to the interstate. Take I80 west to Gretna. You will parallel the UP main from I 480 to i680. At Gretna, exit North.
For the UP trip go north to Elkhorn and turn left on US 64, exit at Valley and head to the left over towards Valley. Follow the tracks to Fremont.
For the BNSF trip, turn left/west on US 6 just north of the interstate and follow the BNSF all the way to Lincoln. Havelock shops are right on the eastern edge of Lincoln.
The UP Museum in Council Bluffs is about 1/2 mile north of the RI depot in Council bluffs.
Dave H.
Great info, thanks folks!
Omaha is much better now because their are lots of Westbound detours coming off the IAIS Railway. Allan.
The UP stopped detouring over the IAIS. They had a certain window to run the westbounds and it didn’t work out very well.
A couple of weeks ago when the tie gang went on their 5 day break, the detour pool jobs were abolished and not rebulletined when the gang went back to work. As far as I know, all the westbounds are running the normal route.
Jeff
Hmmm… normally all the UP traffic takes a bypass route north of town, right? I seem to remember a picture or two of that in one of the past issues of Trains.
Right now they are. The tie gang is all but done until Sept 1st when work will resume.
Yes the Trains are running their Normal runs. So Omaha will be boringly slow. Allan.
I made this trip about a year back and found the UP museum to be OK, but not great…Ditto the old RI depot museum, but found Freemont wonderful. Also, if you happen to be into airplanes as well like me, a trip west of Omaha about thirty minutes to the SAC museum is REALLY a wonderful experience (it will get your heart pumping, I guarantee it).
Dave, I had your directions printed off, ready to follow, then proceeded to leave them behind in the first hotel I stayed at Saturday night.[:(!] However, I managed to find my way around and get some good pictures in three locations- Council Bluffs, Downtown Omaha, and Fremont. The pictures can be seen currently at this site- http://www.flickr.com/photos/85729295@N00/sets/893579/
Some comments/observations from the weekend:
-Didn’t get inside the museum, as I got there before they opened, and didn’t want to wait around.
-A couple of times I was frustrated that I arrived j
Someone suggested in another thread that I start posting pictures in www.rrpicturearchives.net- I’m happy to report that I’ve been accepted as a member and I’m working at uploading the shots to there!
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QUOTE: Originally posted by blhanel
That doesn’t suprise me. I’m normally there by 6-7 on those days when I get pics…but I’m normally getting some [dinner] until 8-9. Did you check out the BNSF yard in Omaha? I should’ve told you about it. [#oops][soapbox] There is a public road going through the center so it’s a great place. Glad you enjoyed in this state of ours[;)]