You may have known that Nebraska has a special relationship with the railroads – Union Pacific is headquartered here and many of our little towns across the state were deliberately established right along the route of the tracks. But did you know that Nebraska is also home to the largest railroad classification yard on the planet?
Bailey Yard, located in North Platte, stretches out over an astonishing 2,850 acres. Around 140 trains and 10,000 cars pass through here every day. There are 315 miles of tracks, and 2600 employees keep the operations running smoothly.
Google Maps
Wondering what, exactly, a railroad classification yard is? It’s kind of like a filing system for train cars. Trains and their cars pull in, then the cars are moved, sorted, and sent on their way.
Google Images/Paul Biwer
Locomotives and cars can also be serviced while here. There are three shops, two of which are for fueling and servicing locomotives. The third is for servicing and repairing cars.
Google Images/Rodney Mullis
Union Pacific has developed several types of new technology and streamlined servicing processes that allow trains to move through Bailey Yard more quickly than at other yards.
Google Images/Wesley Michael
If this all sounds terribly boring, just stick with us for a minute. This place is far more interesting than you might expect.
Google Images/Paul Biwer
Next door is the Golden Spike Tower, an eight-story-tall observation tower that’s accompanied by a visitors center. Inside you’ll find tons of information on the history of Union Pacific and Bailey Yard. Most of the friendly volunteers are ex-UP employees, so they know their stuff.
Google Images/Rachel Kulik
From the seventh and eighth floor observation decks, you can look out over this huge yard and watch the cars being moved from one place to the next. It’s far from boring - it’s actually kind of mesmerizing.
Google Images/Tom Shelton
If you want to watch this fascinating rail yard at work, take a look at Bailey Yard’s live webcam. It’s on 24 hours a day, so you can see for yourself how interesting this unique place really is.
Google Maps
Google Images/Paul Biwer
Google Images/Rodney Mullis
Google Images/Wesley Michael
Google Images/Rachel Kulik
Google Images/Tom Shelton
You’ll find Bailey Yard and the Golden Spike Tower at 4000 W. Front St., North Platte, NE 69101. Find out more about Bailey Yard here and the Golden Spike Tower here.
Have you ever visited Bailey Yard? Tell us all about your experiences in the comments!
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: 1249 N Homestead Rd, North Platte, NE 69101, USA
