Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad is a 17-mile (27 km) heritage railroad
headquartered in Dodge County
, Nebraska
. It is owned by the Nebraska Railroad Museum which offers excursion services with the equipment of the FEVR system.
The FEVR line extends from Fremont
to nearby Hooper
. It was originally built in 1869 as part of the larger system, the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad
(FE&MV). In 1903, the Chicago and North Western Railway
(CNW) acquired the FE&MV; in 1984, CNW abandoned the Fremont-Hooper line, which was later acquired by the museum.
Inaugurated on Memorial Day, 1986, as an excursion line for the summer months, the trains were powered by 2-8-0 #1702, a 1942 steam locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works
. A back-up locomotive, EMD SW1200
(Soo Line 2121
), was used until 1996. Since then the motive power is FEVR 1219 (nee CNW 1219, CNW 319) another EMD SW1200
, built in 1962.
(FE&MV); it is one of the oldest sections of existing railroad track in the state of Nebraska
. In its general north-south route, the tracks cross the 1848 Mormon Trail on its way west to Salt Lake City, Utah
. The FE&MV was acquired by the Chicago and North Western Railway
in 1903 and became a gateway to Chadron
in northwest Nebraska, where the tracks then lead north to Deadwood
and Rapid City
, South Dakota, then on to Colony, Wyoming. From Chadron, the tracks leading west terminate in Lander, Wyoming
. In 1984, the section of track FEVR uses was abandoned by the CNW which was acquired by FEVR in 1985. By 1986, excursion operations were inaugurated by Steam Locomotive #1702.
When FEVR started out, it was originally planned out to run trains from Fremont to West Point, Nebraska
. The line was purchased to West Point after the abandonment. Unfortunately, the line from Hooper to West Point was removed by FEVR in 1988.
Between Fremont and the village of Nickerson, a 'track'-diamond intersection exists in the BNSF Railway
's Sioux City subdivision. South of Linden Avenue, the FEVR interchanges with Union Pacific Railroad
(UP), which owns the connection line from M Street to Linden Avenue. The connection line is currently out of service, with trees growing on the right-of-way, ties needing replacement, and other repairs necessary. FEVR has been interested in acquiring the track for a number of years.
for which FEVR provides track and locomotive with operating crews; it travels on Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoons. The dinner train cars were built in the 1940s and '50s. Meals are catered rather than cooked on the train.
Sources
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
headquartered in Dodge County
Dodge County, Nebraska
- History :Dodge County was formed in 1855. It was named after the US Senator Augustus Caesar Dodge.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 36,160 people, 14,433 households, and 9,756 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile . There were...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. It is owned by the Nebraska Railroad Museum which offers excursion services with the equipment of the FEVR system.
The FEVR line extends from Fremont
Fremont, Nebraska
Fremont is a city in and the county seat of Dodge County, Nebraska, United States, near Omaha in the eastern part of the state. The population was 26,397 at the 2010 census....
to nearby Hooper
Hooper, Nebraska
Hooper is a city in Dodge County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 827 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hooper is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. It was originally built in 1869 as part of the larger system, the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad
Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad
The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad , sometimes called "the Elkhorn," was an American railroad established in 1869 in Nebraska.-About:...
(FE&MV). In 1903, the Chicago and North Western Railway
Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...
(CNW) acquired the FE&MV; in 1984, CNW abandoned the Fremont-Hooper line, which was later acquired by the museum.
Inaugurated on Memorial Day, 1986, as an excursion line for the summer months, the trains were powered by 2-8-0 #1702, a 1942 steam locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
. A back-up locomotive, EMD SW1200
EMD SW1200
An EMD SW1200 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1954 and May 1966. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 12-cylinder engine which generated 1200 horsepower...
(Soo Line 2121
Soo Line Railroad
The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , controlled through the Soo Line Corporation, and one of seven U.S. Class I railroads. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste...
), was used until 1996. Since then the motive power is FEVR 1219 (nee CNW 1219, CNW 319) another EMD SW1200
EMD SW1200
An EMD SW1200 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1954 and May 1966. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 12-cylinder engine which generated 1200 horsepower...
, built in 1962.
Roster of equipment
- EMD SW1200EMD SW1200An EMD SW1200 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1954 and May 1966. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 12-cylinder engine which generated 1200 horsepower...
#1219: a diesel-electric switcher locomotive built in 1962; acquired by FEVR in 1986. Received in C&NWChicago and North Western RailwayThe Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...
colors, it was painted into FEVR colors ('painted FEVR') in 1988. - Passenger car 1101: built in 1924 by Pullman; originally a heavyweight sleeper for the CNW. It was acquired by FEVR in 1985 and painted FEVR in 1988.
- Passenger car 1102: built in 1924 by Pullman; originally a heavyweight sleeper for the CNW. It was acquired by FEVR in 1985 & painted FEVR in 1988. This car has been out of service since June 2011 due to brake problems, the railroad intends to repair the car & eventually return it to service.
- Concession car 1938: built in 1914 by American Car & Foundry; originally a heavyweight RPO for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy RailroadChicago, Burlington and Quincy RailroadThe Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
and later used in maintenance-of-way service for Burlington Northern RailroadBurlington Northern RailroadThe Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
. It was acquired by FEVR in 1985 and painted FEVR in 2003. Out of service from summer 2008 to summer 2011 due to various reasons. In July 2011, new knuckles & brake shoes were installed & the car returned to service. The railroad is planning on repainting the car into the original CBQ livery in 2011. - Passenger car 649: built in 1946 by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific RailroadChicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific RailroadThe Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
(Milwaukee Road); originally used on the Olympian Hiawatha. It was acquired by a private owner in 1985 after the Milwaukee Road went defunct, and used by FEVR sporting the yellow scheme used after 1955 by the Milwaukee Road. A second private owner painted it back to the 'original' color scheme. A third owner began restoring the car in 1993, moving it to Chamberlain, South DakotaChamberlain, South DakotaChamberlain is a city in Brule County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,387 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brule County. Chamberlain is home to the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center, which profiles the lives of nomadic Plains Indians...
where restoration work was continued. - Passenger car 542: built by the Milwaukee Road in 1947; acquired from that defunct road by the same private owner of 649. Both cars later were sold and moved to South Dakota for continued restoration. The 542, originally painted for the Olympian Hiawatha, was painted yellow in 1955 and currently sports the yellow livery.
Equipment not used in Active Service
- General Electric 45 ton siderod centercab switcher #2.
- Whitcomb Locomotive Works (Baldwin Locomotive Works Subsidiary)50 ton end cab switcher, #316. Unit named Dorothy by previous owners.
- Davenport Locomotive Works (Davenport, Iowa) 44 ton center cab #1481 (nee USA 1219.) Unit was one of 20 built by Davenport for the US Army Transportation Corps in 1953. The FEVR purchased the unit from a former Cargill grain elevator in Altoona, Iowa.
- Union Pacific 201 Bay Window Caboose, former Rock Island 17092 .
Route details
The tracks ridden by FEVR trains were laid in 1869-71 by the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley RailroadFremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad
The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad , sometimes called "the Elkhorn," was an American railroad established in 1869 in Nebraska.-About:...
(FE&MV); it is one of the oldest sections of existing railroad track in the state of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. In its general north-south route, the tracks cross the 1848 Mormon Trail on its way west to Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. The FE&MV was acquired by the Chicago and North Western Railway
Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...
in 1903 and became a gateway to Chadron
Chadron, Nebraska
Chadron is a city in Dawes County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dawes County. Chadron is the home of Chadron State College....
in northwest Nebraska, where the tracks then lead north to Deadwood
Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...
and Rapid City
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
, South Dakota, then on to Colony, Wyoming. From Chadron, the tracks leading west terminate in Lander, Wyoming
Lander, Wyoming
Lander is a city in, and the county seat of, Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Named for transcontinental explorer Frederick W. Lander, Lander is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. A tourism center with several dude ranches nearby, Lander is located just...
. In 1984, the section of track FEVR uses was abandoned by the CNW which was acquired by FEVR in 1985. By 1986, excursion operations were inaugurated by Steam Locomotive #1702.
When FEVR started out, it was originally planned out to run trains from Fremont to West Point, Nebraska
West Point, Nebraska
West Point is a city in and the county seat of Cuming County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 3,660 at the 2000 census.-History:West Point was first founded in the spring of 1857, when Omaha businessmen formed the Nebraska Settlement Association in order to find suitable townsites in...
. The line was purchased to West Point after the abandonment. Unfortunately, the line from Hooper to West Point was removed by FEVR in 1988.
Between Fremont and the village of Nickerson, a 'track'-diamond intersection exists in the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
's Sioux City subdivision. South of Linden Avenue, the FEVR interchanges with Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
(UP), which owns the connection line from M Street to Linden Avenue. The connection line is currently out of service, with trees growing on the right-of-way, ties needing replacement, and other repairs necessary. FEVR has been interested in acquiring the track for a number of years.
Fremont Dinner Train
The Fremont Dinner Train is a privately owned dinner trainDinner train
A dinner train is a relatively new type of passenger train service whose main purpose is to allow people to eat dinner while experiencing a relatively short, leisurely round trip train ride...
for which FEVR provides track and locomotive with operating crews; it travels on Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoons. The dinner train cars were built in the 1940s and '50s. Meals are catered rather than cooked on the train.
Management
- Dennis Wallen, President
- Erik Muttersbough, Vice President
- George Blessing, Secretary
- Bruce Eveland, Dinner train President
Sources