BLOG 2 -- THE NEWFIE 3 DO TRAINS!

We left you at Cabela's in Sidney, Nebraska.  We traveled on to North Platte, Nebraska, a town famous for its World War II Canteen with volunteers meeting every troop train every day for 4 years coming into the North Platte Railroad Depot and giving the troops food, drink, candy, conversation, even dancing all in a 15 minute train stop!  It's also Buffalo Bill Cody's home and his Scout's Rest Ranch along with the largest railroad yard in the world, the Union Pacific Railroad's Bailey Yard, and the Golden Spike Tower for visitors to observe the workings of this huge yard.  There's a lot to see in North Platte!

We went first to the Union Pacific Railroad's Golden Spike Tower with plenty of room to park the 3 RVs.   There is a good introductory film in the lobby then up to the 3^rd floor open air observation area where you can see and hear the hundreds of locomotives and cars being moved around the yard.  

The locomotive shop can service 150 locomotives a day!  Cars are sorted and trains made up at two “hump” stations where the cars roll down a slight grade to hook up with its train!  It's all controlled from a yard tower and a huge dispatch center by radio and voice!  We saw a diesel locomotive painted with Southern Pacific colors; interesting because Union Pacific bought Southern Pacific back in 1992!  A number of tracks had coal unit trains and oil unit trains—whole trains dedicated to that one product!  A retired UP employee was on the enclosed 4^th floor observation deck and provided some good insights into what we were seeing below.  Many exhibits told more about the operations here.    

Bailey Yard Locomotive shop

Trains everywhere!

Then we went to Buffalo Bill State Recreation Area next to Buffalo Bill's Ranch and alongside the North Platte River to set up our camp. We had electrical hookups and water.  The dogs and even Woody, the kitty, enjoyed walks along the river! 

North Platte River

 

Buffalo Bill's House

Paul had some clutch problems along the road and wanted to take the truck to a Dodge dealer and get it checked out so we decided to go on the next morning to Omaha where a larger dealership should have parts and do the work on Monday morning.  We had a nice dinner at a local steak house then back to camp to get a good night's sleep.

Sunday 4/12 as we drove east, we passed under the Great North Platte River Road Archway Monument and continued toward Council Bluffs, Iowa just across the Missouri River from Omaha and parked at the Bluffs Run RV Park at the Harrah's Horseshoe Casino for the night.  A Camping World is a  few blocks away for a few needed items along with many fuel stations and propane.  We were parked on the I-80 frontage of the casino so it was a little noisy but tolerable.  Good showers, laundry and a dump station too.  Some of the others sampled the buffet at the casino; we ate “in!”   The dogs again had plenty of space for walks and the weather was in the low 70s and nice blue skies! 

Golden Spike monument in Council Bluffs

On Monday morning, Paul got his truck into the dealer for clutch service but in the afternoon got the bad news that the whole clutch assembly needed to be replaced—major job and another day!

Big Boy Steam Locomotive                                                        Centennial Diesel Locomotive

Nick, Emily, Maryke and I went to see the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) locomotive display in Kenefick Park up on a hill just as you cross the bridge over the Missouri River into Omaha.  The highlight is a 1944 huge “Big Boy” coal-fired steam locomotive and tender 133' long beautifully maintained weighing 1,250,000 pounds together!  25 Big Boys were built by UPRR during World War II and were the largest steam locomotives ever in service!  8 Big Boys survive today with seven as stationery displays but Union Pacific is currently restoring to service #4014  for its Heritage Fleet in Cheyenne, WY!  These engines produced 7000 HP and could move as fast as 80 MPH! All Big Boys went out of service in 1959 with most being scrapped, and replaced by diesel locomotives.   On an adjacent display is a “Centennial” diesel locomotive, the largest and longest diesel locomotive ever built at 99' in length weighing 545,000 lbs with 6600 HP and capable of 90 MPH speeds!  Centennials were built in 1969 for the 100^th Anniversary of the Golden Spike.  They were retired in 1986 with 13 preserved as static displays and one operational in the UPRR Heritage Fleet.  There are a number of historical plaques along with the specs of each locomotive. Really a spectacular display! 

We did some shopping afterward and visited a huge Scheels sporting goods store.  Outside the front entrance are bronze sitting poses of 4 U.S. Presidents along with tablets containing quotes from their speeches—very patriotic!   Besides dramatic displays of equipment and clothing for every known sport, the store contains a working Ferris Wheel and a float plane hung from the ceiling!!  

They make fudge from scratch too!  What a concept!  Speaking of food, we went to an excellent Chinese dim sum restaurant for lunch.  We love dim sum and so do Nick and Emily so this was a real treat!  Back to the campground and Paul told us they needed more parts and more $!  With all this unexpected time on our hands, we cleaned up the RV and did 2 loads of laundry. 

Tuesday morning the truck repair was promised to be ready by early afternoon so Paul, Nick, Lin and Maryke drove into downtown Council Bluffs to visit the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in the beautifully restored 1905 Beaux Arts-style Council Bluffs Carnegie Free Public Library Building.  

Boy, what a treat this place was!  This UPRR Museum opened in 2003.  The 1^st floor starts with the Union Pacific's Lincoln collection including furniture from Lincoln's rail car.  

President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862 setting in motion the building of the transcontinental railway from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.   Next is the “Building America” gallery showing 150 years of American (and Union Pacific Railroad) history from the 1880s to the 21^st century!  It starts with a series of historic train paintings. 

Displays show the building of the transcontinental railroad, the Golden Spike ceremony in Promontory, Utah and the surveying, track building in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. 

One of our favorite things in this Museum was in several places, a distinguished 19^th century gentleman narrator appears on a vertical panel TV that appears amazingly lifelike and holds your attention while telling some railroad history story!  On the 2^nd floor, a very friendly railroad ticket seller appears in his very realistic barred window and with smiles and gestures urges you to buy a ticket!  Very innovative visitor engagement technique combined with motion detection! 

The 2^nd floor was divided with half “America Travels by Rail” passenger train service gallery and half “Working on the Railroad” railroad operations gallery.  The passenger service area was fascinating as we still remember riding steam trains as well as diesels and the dining cars, porters, posters for the railroad lodges, railroad tours and more.

There are full size displays of passenger coach class cars, dining cars, lounge cars with a realistic steward asking for your bar order and a display of railroad silver service and china!  Union Pacific built many of the western National Parks lodges and of course had passenger service to the National Parks, even tour guides!   Union Pacific's Sun Valley Lodge and ski complex in the Idaho mountains was also featured—a place we are familiar with from the Sun Valley Jazz Jamborees we have attended!   A Cecil B. DeMille movie called “Union Pacific” was also playing!  Wow, that's real history!

The rail operations section had a working locomotive simulator and displays of dispatching and train control historically and modern day operations.   A terrific museum and free too!   

Here's a summary of what the BUILDING AMERICA * section of the museum shows:

“The completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, has had an enduring impact on the growth of the United States. Traveling from the East to Pacific Coast, previously a dangerous trip with many hardships that took as long as six months was reduced to just seven days’ time. Water stops marked the route every 25 miles – the distance a steam locomotive could travel before needing to refill. And each station held the opportunity for a new community to grow, for immigrant families to settle and for commerce to flourish.

Today, nearly everything that American families and businesses depend on is carried on trains – raw materials such as lumber and steel to construct homes and buildings; chemicals to fight fires and improve gas mileage; coal that generates more than half of our country’s electricity needs; produce and grain for America’s food supply; and even finished goods such as automobiles and TVs. After 150 years, Union Pacific now serves a global economy and more than 7,300 communities across 23 states.”   * from Union Pacific Railroad Museum Website

At 5 PM Paul learned that a wrong part had been sent so his truck wouldn't be ready until Wednesday early so we began work on this blog after several days of procrastination.  Maryke got all the photographs together and Lin began writing the text.  It's now 11AM on Wed. 4/15 and Paul and Charli have just made their triumphant return to the campground, hooking up to their trailer and we're hitting the road for our next destination, the Amana Colonies in eastern Iowa just off I-80 near Iowa City.    That'll be the subject for the next blog—coming soon!

 

Oil train passing alongside a river

BLOG 1--THE NEWFIE 3 CROSS THE COUNTRY!!

Welcome to our new 2015 blog!  It's a little different this time since we are traveling as usual in our Sprinter-based Airstream motorhome with 2 other Airstream RVing friends that live in the Washington Land Yacht Harbor in Olympia, WA as we do.  We're all heading for the top of Nova Scotia in the Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada to join an Airstream (Wally Byam Caravan Club) Caravan to Newfoundland!  

Paul and Charli have a 34' Airstream trailer pulled with a Dodge pickup and carry Scout, a young super friendly and energetic American Staffordshire terrier and Woody the cat as passengers!   Nick and Emily have a 25' Airstream Safari trailer pulled with a spanking new very red Ford F-150 pickup and carry a young miniature Schnauzer named Grommit!  And we're just ourselves—no dog but getting a lot of doggie fixes from those 2 dogs!   And now we are The Newfie 3—3 RVs heading for Newfoundland!

We all left Olympia in convoy on April 5, 2015.  We entered Idaho at 4PM and drove to the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Elks Lodge RV Park for our1^st night with no problems. A long day of 342 miles. BUT...the morning of April 6, we all woke up to 3” of snow on the ground and more coming down!  We decided to stay put that day and not take any chances on icy spots on I-90 east.

And so we loaded up later in the morning for a trip to Walmart to buy boots for wet and snowy weather that we expect in Newfoundland as well.  Then we all had a pleasant lunch at Olive Garden and back to the campground where the snow was melting fast! 

On 4/7 the forecast was good and we headed out for the 2 high passes up to 5600' before Montana.   At Lookout Pass, we changed to Mountain Time and lost an hour. Lots of snow alongside the roads and up in the surrounding mountains but the roads were bare and dry with sunny skies!   

 Took a photograph of an coal train heading west over a mile long! 

At 4:55 PM we crossed the Continental Divide at 6393 feet—that's a big hill!  Our first campground try was long closed and deserted so onward to Cardwell where we found a great campground behind the Cardwell General Store with excellent areas for the dogs to run.  Did 319 miles today to make up some time.

On 4/8—now Day 4—bunnies running around the campground—Scout is very interested!  

We stopped at LittleBighorn Battlefield National Monument, watched the Visitor Center movie and walked up the hill to the Last Stand where Custer and his men were wiped out on June 25, 1876.  A large monument marks the place where 220 Army soldiers, scouts and civilians were buried.  Custer was reburied a year later at West Point.  Just below there are regulation tombstones where Custer and many of his soldiers fell. 

There is also a National Cemetery where many other soldier casualties from the Western Indian wars are buried.

A chilly wind was blowing and we took off again.  Entered the state of Wyoming at 3:50PM and headed for the Fairgrounds in Sheridan, WY.  Unfortunately, it was raining and very muddy and our electric box wasn't working so we moved to Peter D's Campground in town which was first rate with especially nice showers!

Battle of the Little Big Horn

Off on the 9^th 272 miles to Fort Laramie National Historic Site, one of the most important forts on the Western frontier opened in 1849 with adobe buildings!  Arrived at 2:30 and watched the Visitor Center movie and walked the circumference of the parade ground visiting all the open existing buildings.  When the Fort closed in 1890, it was sold at auction and ranchers and homesteaders scavenged the wood from many buildings so when the Park Service took over in 1938, they had to rebuild the most important buildings and refurnish them to represent the Army era.  They've done a great job and continue to do living history programs and even battle reenactments. 

Post Surgeon's Quarters

Parlor, Bedroom, Dining room and mountain lion rug in Surgeon's Quarters

The highlights for us were the houses on Officer's Row especially the Surgeon's Quarters, “Old Bedlam” the Bachelor Officer's Quarters and the Captain's Quarters, all beautifully and authentically furnished and finally, the Cavalry Barracks sleeping 60 men per room, with many rows of bunks, weapons and gear!  
  

 

Office, Dining room and bedroom at "Old Bedlam"

 

Captain's Quarters, Bedrooms and Parlor

Cavalry Barracks, sleeping quarters and Mess Hall

 

Gatling gun (predecessor of the machine gun) at Guard House

Leaving the Fort, we stopped at the King Iron Bridge with its 3 spans built to give all weather access to the Fort over the Laramie River.  

 


Life at frontier Forts was very hard and many didn't survive! Our camp was a mile or so away from the Fort in the town of the same name. 

 

The oil and coal trains went by next to the campground in Fort Laramie!

On 4/10 we entered the state of Nebraska and headed for two major Western landmarks, Scotts Bluff National Monument and Chimney Rock National Historical Site. 

Scotts Bluff is a huge bluff extending a mile or more at various heights with a pass through it later used by wagon trains.  After the Scotts Bluff Visitor Center, we drove up to the top of the Bluff, passing through 3 tunnels.  An overlook on the trail 500' above the town and surrounding prairie gave an excellent view.   

On another trail, there is a covered wagon sans cover!  Looks good with Scotts Bluff behind!  

 

And with a modern "covered wagon"!!

On the way out of town, we wanted to find the grave of Rebecca Winters we'd read about.  She was a 50 year old Mormon wife who died of cholera here, as many did on the wagon trains.  A friend of the family carved her name on a metal wagon hoop as a tombstone after she was buried and amazingly, the railroad was built around her grave and recently, she was exhumed and moved a small distance by the railroad and a proper memorial was built with the blessing of her family.  The hoop is still there marking the site too! 

The highway parallels the railroad and we were fascinated by the huge railroad machines laying tracks, preparing roadbed and testing the rails! 

ChimneyRock stands by itself and is amazing with overall height of 480' at the top of its tall spire which is visible at least 30 or 40 miles away.  The Visitor Center here is excellent with lots of history of the Western movement of the wagon trains.  

Note the Rattlesnake warning sign!

 

William Henry Jackson, a famous Western artist and later a photographer, has a wonderful painting of Chimney Rock in the distance as a wagon train approaches!    

One unique feature is the “Load Your Wagon” game for kids (of all ages!) where they can load bags of food and every other type of supply listed nearby as pioneer necessities and see the weight and whether their wagon is overloaded and they must leave some items behind—great idea!

We drove down a dirt road to get a better view of Chimney Rock and found another grave of a Mormon wife and mother of 8 children in the tiny old Chimney Rock Cemetery. 

We spent the night in Sidney, Nebraska at Cabela's RV Park, which was very nice with full hookups and good showers!  We visited the large Cabela's store also and enjoyed seeing their very tall wildlife display!  

At the entrance to Cabela's, there is a large monument to the Pony Express riders with a large bronze galloping Pony Express rider as the centerpiece!

That's it for this post.  Stay tuned for more The Newfie 3 adventures in Nebraska and Iowa coming soon!

 

Paul and Scout