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Train lovers mecca, Golden Spike Tower
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Train lovers and transportation buffs will appreciate the new Golden Spike Tower and the dramatic view it offers of the Union Pacific Rail Road (UPRR) Bailey Yards in North Platte, NE. An 8 story concrete, modernistic tower with elevator and stairway access to the 7th floor outdoor viewing area and the enclosed 8th story offering a panoramic view of the Yard and the surrounding town and countryside has been erected during the past year near the Bailey Yard. Freight trains from throughout the west flow through the Yard at the rate of 150 trains and 15000 rail cars per day.
An average of a train every 10 minutes/24/7 passes through the city of N. Platte. (I heard most of those locomotives sound their whistles as they exited from the city while I camped in the city park, at $5.00/day, along the Platte River.) The abundance of trains and rail activity means $$$s to the residents of this river town because the UPRR is the number one employer in the area.
Each day an estimated 3000 rail cars are pushed to the East or West Hump and allowed to roll gently toward trains that are headed to dozens of destinations. There are more than 50 arriving and departure tracks in the vast 2800 acres Yard.
Viewed from the open 7th floor deck or 8th floor are the thousands of cars both full and empty, clustered along the many tracks. The rail cars and the value of their contents coupled with the $2.5 million cost of each of the estimated 50 locomotives in the Yard at any given hour offer an idea of the total value of rail shipments in the US.
The Golden Spike was originally the last spike driven into the rails during a commemorative ceremony when the east and west rails were joined together after a dramatic rail building effort from the Pacific Ocean and the Mississippi River. The Golden Spike Tower was so named because the original design was of a railroad spike shape, which was actually not a feasible design in the tornado prone Nebraska plains. The Tower is the result of a fund raising effort by a non-profit foundation formed by a determined group of railroad enthusiasts from across the nation. Paid and volunteer staff may be on site to lead tours and describe the daily activities across the Yard.
A few informative displays and kiosks are distributed in the lobby and 8th floor. A gift shop and videos are in the lobby. Tickets are priced at a reasonable rate, as are the gifts. The Tower provides safe viewing of the activities in the Yard and is a pleasant diversion from the usual cowboy and Indian highlights along I-80. Incidentally, other sights of interest include the Buffalo Bill Cody homestead north of town and a National Military Cemetery located 13 miles east off I-80.
I apologize that the photos taken of the Tower and railroad yard would not upload to this site. I have tried repeatedly to upload the photos and now have lost them when my laptop died. Sorry. bob
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