Norfolk, NE 04/15/12

Norfolk is one of those forgotten places on the railfan map. Its nowhere near what it used to be in regards to trains but still has some interesting sights.The two players who once made up the rail scene are gone with the yellow/grey of the UP and yellow/green of the CNW having been replaced with the bright red of the Nebraska Central.

The Nebraska Central operations are based out of the old CNW yard on the south side of town. This yard is stubbed on the east side and is connected to the old UP line with a connecting track from the old Cowboy line to the UP. The old UP line through town was remove years ago but traces of it can still be found and the ROW stands out on satellite images. This line used to directly connect to the Omaha line from Emerson, NE. The line from Columbus NE to Sioux City IA was originally constructed by a UP subsidiary with the Norfolk to Sioux City segment sold to the Omaha in the late 1880's.

After a stormy Saturday, I was able to get out and spend a couple of hours exploring the area before heading back home. A drive through the old yard is always a treat as it is typically stocked with old and unique rail cars, primarily mill and scrap gondolas. The sad sight was the old CNW 65' mill gons that filled the yard two years ago seem to have been scrapped as they were nowhere to be found. Ex-Southern 65' mill gons seem to have replaced these in the captive service between the Nucor mill and the roller plant on the west side of town.

In the small engine terminal was NCRC 4600 and 1024. Seeing the 4600 was a nice surprise as I had read that the last of the GP9R's had been retired and shipper out. As I would see later this was not just an isolated unit being stored. NCRC 1024 was still wearing her old UP paint job and number.

After getting a couple of shots of these two units, I headed south of town about 10 miles to Enola, NE. A review of Google Earth showed that there are two units at the grain elevator in this small town. Unfortunately one of them has left since the satellite image was taken, but the one that is left over made up for it. Sitting on the north end of the elevator behind the LPG tank is a ex-Sou SW1 still in that nice black and aluminum paint scheme. SW1's are fairly rare in the wilds of Nebraska and this one was worth the trip.

After snooping around this unit and getting shots from all for corners I headed back up to Norfolk to check out the Nucor mill area. While crossing over the line I spotted NCRC 4600 and 1024 bringing the mill job into the yard. I hadn't expected this movement and tried to position myself to get some pictures. Unfortunately the units pulled down to a private crossing and sat there for sometime.

Instead of waiting, I continued up to the Nucor mill area on the northeast side of town. The track to the mill has an interesting history. The track out of the yard are the old Winner, SD branch while the track to the mill is relaid on the abandoned Omaha ROW that was removed in the mid 70's. The mill yard was being switched by ILSX 321, ILSX 901 and another unknown switcher. These are all remote controlled units and are typically run with a one man crew. The one unit I've been wanting to get a shot for two years of was hiding inside the Louis Dreyfus Ethanol plant and not in a position to be photographed.

I still had some spare time, so I headed back to the NCRC yard to see if the crew had moved the mill job into the yard. They still had not but there was some activity indicating that they would soon. Having found a good place to park, I sat and watched the crew and yard master break up the train and switch around cars for the outbound train. It was nice being able to sit and watch a crew work a train without being called in as a terror suspect. Reminded me of my days as a child watching the crews in the local yard.

After a half hour or so of watching the crew switch I had to call it a day and finish my business in town. On the way out of town heading south on Hwy 81, I caught a glimpse of the UP MCBNC/MNCCB that was preparing to head south to Columbus after a quick turn around in Norfolk.

UP Sioux City Sub

This is an exploration of the Union Pacific's Sioux City Sub from California Jct., IA to Sioux City IA. The Sgt Bluff Industrial and Dakota City Industrial leads will also be looked at. Current and historical images will be used along with a map of the Sioux City Sub 

History Lesson
The line from California Jct. to Sioux City was originally built in the fall of 1867 and spring of 1968 by the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad with funding from the Cedar Rapids and Missouri River Railroad (CNW leased company). In 1864 the UP was released from its obligation to build a branch to Sioux City as required by the Pacific Railway Act of 1862. The SC&P completed what would have been a UP branch line had this obligation not been lifted, though the UP branch would not have followed the current route.

Current State
Since the merger with the CNW in 1995 the UP has operated the Sioux City sub and brought some much needed improvements to this line. Rail, ties, ballast and a new siding are the most obvious changes to the line. Unfortunately these improvements also resulted in the loss of the lower quadrant semaphores with the standard UP Darth Vader tricolor signals for the ABS system.

A westbound grain trains passed the east leg of the wye at California Jct on the Blair Sub.

California Jct., IA
The Sioux City sub begins at California Jct for northbound/eastbound trains and ends there for southbound/westbound trains.

Northbound trains off the Omaha sub will call the Sioux City branch dispatcher at south Missouri Valley for permission to enter the branch. While the crew awaits permission from DS 47, DS 20 is contacted to gain permission to cross from the Omaha Sub to the Blair Sub to access the wye at California Jct. This complicated process occurs in the distance of less than 10 miles and often results in northbound trains holding at Missouri Valley until  a slot is open on the Blair sub to proceed.

A Sloan , IA bound empty grain train takes the hard right onto the Sioux City sub off the Blair sub at California Jct.

Once permission is given by DS 47 on the Sioux City sub it will typically be from from California Jct to either Mondamin or Blencoe, IA. The sub is TWC and meets occur at these two locations along with Salix, IA. Since this is a TWC line listening to the scanner traffic and noting how far a train has permission to proceed to will give a good indication of where a meet will occur.

Southbound trains off the Sioux City Sub are held just north of California Jct. before proceeding either west on the Blair Sub or east on the Blair Sub to the Omaha sub.

A loaded grain train is holding north of California Jct for permission to proceed west on the Blair Sub.

Mondamin, IA
Mondamin has the first siding north of California Jct. Of the sidings along the sub this is the smallest at just over 5300' long. Mondamin was once a junction with the CNW Boyer Valley line. This line was removed in the 50's and 60's in sections heading east to Wall Lake, IA. This junction configuration resulted in the Mondamin siding taking a jaunt to the east around where the old yard was located before returning to the main north of Mondamin.

The local coop still has a load out track connected to the siding, though no cars have been observed at this elevator for some time.

A loaded coaler crosses over the Little Sioux River just north of River Sioux, IA.

Blencoe, IA.
Blencoe has the longest siding between Sioux City and California Jct. Most meets are staged at Blencoe due to its length.

Blencoe does have one customer as the coop will receive inbound cars of fertilizer and will ship an occasional grain load out.The coop is typically switched by the MSXCB as the switch is south facing.

MVPNP holds in the siding at Blencoe for a northbound MKCVP

The MVPNP meets a coaler under the coop elevators in Blencoe, IA.

Onawa, IA

Onawa was once the junction with the CNW Maple River line. This line connected on the south side of Onawa and the old ROW can be seen in places.The CNW depot was moved a number of years ago and now rests in the city park on the north side of Onawa. This is one of only two depots still standing from the Sioux City Sub.

Onawa has one customer left on the UP. Northern Ag Services, where loads of salvaged grain are shipped from its facility. This is also the location of a rare Vulcan end cab switcher.

A loaded Pt Neal coaler heading for Pt Neal, IA.

Sloan, IA.

Sloan, IA is home to the only shuttle loader on the line. Western Iowa Coop loads 110 car grain trains using an ex SBD GP16 that is typically locked away in the engine house in Sloan.

There is also a siding at Sloan that is typically used for MOW storage.

Salix, IA

A new siding was built between Salix and Sgt Bluff, IA in the late 90's to replace the Sgt Bluff siding. This siding is used to facilitate meets with coal trains entering or exiting the Sgt Bluff Industrial lead and road trains out of or into Sioux City.

An empty grain train exits the north end of the Salix Siding.

A southbound ETOH train takes the siding at Salix as the MNPVP holds the main.

Heading south between Sgt Bluff and Salix a loaded ETOH train makes track speed.

Sgt Bluff, IA

Sgt Bluff was once connected to the Moville Extension that headed east to Moville, IA and connected with the Maple River line further east. This line was abandoned in the 50's in sections heading east from Sgt Bluff. Little ofthe ROW can be seen today in Sgt Bluff due to urban sprawl.

Sgt Bluff is also the location of the Sgt Bluff Industrial lead and its many industries and the four coal power plants at Pt. Neal. This important line is responsible for enough car loads to fill a daily train between Sioux City and Council Bluffs, IA

A BN powered coal train passes the CNW depot at Sgt Bluff, IA.

The biggest customers on the lead are MidAmerica energy and AGP. MidAmerica has 4 power generation plants at Port Neal landing with the largest of these being Pt Neal #4. At any given time a coal train can be found unloading at either the Pt Neal #4 loop or the Pt Neal 1,2 &3 loop. These trains are exclusively powered by UP units as the BNSF no longer has the contract to delivery coal to these plants.

EMNPA passes through Sgt Bluff, IA 

AGP is located next door to Pt. Neal #4 and has an extensive operation. Unit trains of soybeans are often unloaded here and soy meal and refined soybean oil are shipped out. The AGP plant employes two switchers of its own for in plant movements. An AGP painted B23-7 and a GP9 can be seen on the south side of the plant moving cars.

CF Industries is another large shipper. The former Terra Chemical plant is located to the north of the Pt Neal 1,2, & 3 complex. This facility is not longer accessible due to increased security measures in place. The plant is switched by a GE 65T center cab switcher.

Just south of Sgt Bluff, IA the MVPNP is heading for California Jct and points west.

Under the I-29 overpass the Sgt Bluff Industrial lead splits with a line heading south to Pt. Neal and another heading north to the Big Soo terminal area. Along the line to the Big Soo terminal are a number of important shippers.

Compressed Steel moved its operations to the industrial area south of the Big Soo terminal after the city requested it be moved out of downtown. A number of gondolas of scrap are shipped out daily.

Cloverleaf Cold Storage ships ARMN refers of boxed pork products from the warehouse in this industrial area. Shipments of boxed pork and beef have been increasing since the UP merger.

The Big Soo terminal was once an important barge transload terminal. Today it serves as a fertilizer transload facility since river barges no longer travel to Sioux City.

Sioux City, IA

Sioux City is a shadow of its former self. The once busy yard is now just a shell  with a number of tracks having been removed and the locomotive shop and servicing facilities removed. With the loss of a number of tracks this yard is typically packed. The MCBVP/MVPNP and MKCVP trains typically make setouts and pickups that are greater than 50 cars.

EMNPA heads out of Sioux City with UP power during a cold winter day in 1982.

At the north end of the UP yard the UP joins the CN mailine to LeMars, IA. This switch marks the end/begining of the Sioux City Sub.

A southbound UP grain train holds on the CN main at the switch marking the beginning of the Sioux City Sub for a new crew to board.

20+ years earlier a CNW grain train holds at the switch for a new crew.

In the city proper there are very few customers. The largest is Tyson Cold Storage who ships ARMN refers of boxed beefs on a daily basis. Additional customer activity is interchange with the CN, DAIR and the BNSF railroads.

DAIR interchanges complete ballast trains with the UP along with Georgetown gravel and rock trains.BNSF and CN interchange cars with the UP with the most interchange occurring with the BNSF. As a curious note the DM&E and Dakota Southern railroad has the ability to interchange with UP at Sioux City as part of the state of South Dakota's agreement with the BNSF that allowed it to purchase of the state owned lines. So far the Dakota Southern and DM&E have not exercised these rights.

A southbound empty coaler crosses the Floyd river in Sioux City.

Dakota City Industrial lead is the remnants of the CStPM&O mainline to Omaha, Norfolk and the NE Nebraska branch lines. This line was severed to Omaha in the 30's with Omaha freights using the Sioux City Sub to California Jct and then the Blair sub to Blair to regain access to the Omaha tracks to N. Omaha. In 1977 the remaining track from Norfolk, NE to Dakota City NE was abandoned and removed.

CNW 4170 takes the dip at Ferry, NE as it leaves the BN main to its own track. 

During the CNW years this track age suffered from deferred maintenance and was a 5 mph roller coaster ride from Ferry to Dakota City. In the mid 90's an Oats processing plant opened on the CNW track and the line was repaired to allow 286000lb cars and 10 mph speeds. The UP has further upgraded this line to but still maintains the speed at 10 mph .

Tyson foods is the largest shipper on this line after Vittera Grain. Roughly 10-15 tank cars of tallow and a couple of cover hoppers of recovered grain are shipped out daily.

 Trains along the line:

• MVPNP - Manifest Valley Park, MN to North Platte, NE is typically a early morning southbound on the Sioux City sub.
• MCBVP - Manifest Council Bluiffs, IA to Valley Park, MN is typically an early to mid morning northbound on the Sioux City sub.
• MCBSX - Manifest Council Bluffs, IA to Sioux City, IA is typically a late afternoon to early evening on the Sioux City sub.
• MSXCB - Manifest Sioux City, IA to Council Bluffs, IA is typically an early morning train on the Sioux City sub.
• MidAmerica coalers can appear at anytime.
• Northern States Power coal loads and empties are seen twice to three times a week.
• Grain loads and empties can appear at anytime.
• ETOH loads and empties can appear at anytime.
• Occassionally a detour off the spine line will appear.
• Rock and ballast trains can appear at anytime.

A typical day will find between 7-10 trains daily on the sub.

Radio Frequencies

• UP DS 47 - 161.175  California Jct. to Sioux City, IA
• UP DS 20 - 160.740 Omaha and Blair Subs
• UP Sioux City yard - 160.680
• BNSF St. Joe DS 99 - 161.235
• BNSF Sioux City yard - 160.680

Blair Sub Update 04/06/12

A continuation of the Feb 20, 2012 post of the ongoing changes being done to the Blair Sub between Missouri Valley, IA and E. Fremont, NE. For ease of reference I have created this Blair Sub changes map

Missouri Valley, IA

Crews continue to work on the configuration changes needed for the junction of the Boone, Omaha and Blair subs. Once completed the junction with be configured with the Omaha Sub east bound connections being moved further to the east in Missouri Valley and the west  bound connection curvature eased.

Switch heater gas lines and signal bases are currently being worked on. The signal boxes have all been moved further away from the current ROW to allow for the new alignments.

E. Missouri Valley, IA looking east.

E. Missouri Valley looking west.

Current Omaha Sub connector

Looking toward east Missouri Valley

A curious note is the land owner who owns the land section on the south side of the ROW have erected 'No Trespassing' signs and positioned large trees along the border to prevent incursion on to his land. This individual is a charmer as I have encountered him once (which was enough) while on the side of S. 6th St. video taping some east bounds. Like most isolated small town people he is more than opinionated about his vision of the world. He is also the owner of the local gun shop which makes him even more charming.

Allen Creek to California Jct., IA

Around Italy Ave, not much activity has occurred since February. The ROW has been mostly used as an access road. The new switch for main two just to the east of Italy Ave is now completed but has not been cut in. 

New signaling has been installed about half way between Italy Ave and Grover Ave.There are four signal masts positioned in this area for the new main two and main three tracks. It is unknown if there will be a set of cross overs at this location or it this will be a new interlocking.

New main two looking west from Italy Ave.

Looking est toward the Allen Creek interlocking.

New switch for main two just east of Italy Ave.

Most of the current activity  is currently occurring east of California Jct on this segment. A new switch has been installed from the current main to the new main 2 ROW about 100 yards east of Fremont Ave. This switch is currently leading to nowhere.

Looking east from Fremont Ave.

The new switch can be seen in this photo.

California Jct to Corning Ave.
Work has progressed on the new ROW from California Jct to Corning Ave since Febuary. Most of the work is currently concentrated at the slough to the west of Austin Ave. Bridge work has begun in earnest with the UP building a temp berm out into the slough to allow for pilings to be driven.

At California Jct. new CTC signals are being installed to replace the searchlight signals currently in place.

Looking west from Fremont Ave at new ROW. New signals can bee seen in the distance.

Looking east from Austin Ave. Drainage work is still ongoing in this section.

Looking west from Austin Ave.

The temp berm alongside the current bridge at the slough.

The work around Corning Ave is confusing as the northwest corner of the crossing are has ROW prep work occurring while the northeast corner does not. There is no evidence that this are will be used with this project as it is untouched.

Corning Ave northwest side looking west.

Looking east at the northeast side of Corning Ave.

Looking east at the work area where the new bridge over the slough will be.

Corning Ave to Hwy 92 Blair, NE
Crews are working on the Iowa side of the Missouri River bridge incline. This area is off limits and no work can be observed from the Blair side or Iowa side.

No activity or survey markers where noted between the Missouri River and CP Duffy.

CP Duffy to Kennard, NE
This section of double track is in use.

Kennard to Arlington Hill.
The old Kennard siding has been completely removed and realignment work begun west of the Papio Creek  bridge west of Kennard proper.This involves cutting into the hill along the south side of the ROW and moving the old siding ROW to this new alignment.

Looking west toward the old East Kennard siding switch.

Current start of double track looking east at Kennard.

New alignment for the old Kennard siding area.

Work continues on the two bridges over the Papio creek tributaries that were crossed by the old Kennard siding. No other work was observed on the new ROW that will replace the old Kennard siding though.

East crossing of the Papio creek

Removed Kennard siding looking west.

Bridge work on the west end of the old Kennard siding.

The access road that was used to gain access to the switches at West Kennard has been removed as crews are currently widening the "cut" under the Hwy 30 overpass. Heavy equipment is positioned in the field between the creek bridge and Hwy 30 for use on the ROW build west of Hwy 30 to Co Rd 21.

East of Co Rd 21 to Hwy 30 has not seen any work other than drainage and tree clearing. With the heavy equipment positioned east of Hwy 30 this may soon change. The excavation work west of  Co Rd 21 appears to be completed for now.This work is observable on the satellite image of the Blair Sub changes map. The curve will be changed in this are to allow for higher speeds.

Looking east from C Rd 21 toward Hwy 30

Drainage work at Co Rd 21.

New ROW between Co Rd 21 and Co Rd 19.

At Co Rd 19 rough excavation work was observed for drainage and signal cabling. A UP crew was also observed working on the CTC signal shack east of the Co Rd. 21 crossing.

Looking south at the Co Rd 19 crossing

Looking southeast at the Co Rd 19 crossing

Looking east toward the Co Rd 21.

The summit of Arlington Hill has had major excavation work done. The narrow cut is now widened and the south side of the hill contoured with a tapered slope. Just easy of Co Rd 34 drainage pipes have been staged for use in drainage work.

East of Co Rd 34 to Co Rd 21 no excavation work was observed. Tree and brush has been removed and rough access paths have been cut in though.

Looking west from Co Rd 34 at the summit of Arlington Hill.

Arlington Hill summit to Arlington, NE
The old tree farm at the summit of Arlington Hill appears to be UP property now. Material and equipment was noted staged on the property and the house is empty.

The west side of Arlington Hill has has a number of changes made to it. The cut atthe summit has been widened and the ROW shifted to the north.

Arlington Hill summit west side changes.

 West of Co Rd 15 the excavation work for the elimination of the s-curve is nearing rough completion. Culvert and drainage work was observed along the ROW heading west from this crossing.

Excavation work to eliminate the s-curve. 

From Co Rd 15 to Co Rd P11 the ROW is away from the road and can not be directly observed. It was possible to see through the trees culvert and drainage work being done and some excavation work for the new ROW.

At Co Rd  P11 excavation work was observed on the north side of the current ROW. The new main will shift over to this side somewhere on Arlington Hill as it will be on the south side of the existing ROW from Kennard to Arlington Hill.

Looking north east from the Co Rd P11 crossing.

Looking south west from the Co Rd P11 crossing.

Survey stakes are now seen through Arlington with the new alignment going between the existing main and the town. I had been lead to believe that the ROW would have used the old Elkhorn ROW through Arlington. No excavation work was noted through Arlington up to E. Fremont.