The annual North Platte Rail Days event in 2012 was particularly good, as it included all six of the Union Pacific’s Heritage diesels, along with other special locomotives (UP 7964, the 5000th GEVO, UP 7400 honoring the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation and UP 2010 honoring the Boy Scouts), along with UP 4-8-4 844, the only steam locomotive in North America to have never been retired by a railroad. I found myself in Nebraska on short notice (due to a death in the family) and happened to swing by UP’s Bailey Yard to see if there was anything shootable from the parking lot and got invited in when some employees spotted me. Thanks to them for a bright spot in an otherwise depressing week. (North Platte, Nebraska – September 16, 2012)
