When the coal boom started, there were two guys from Clown Town who went out there and hired out. I knew three guys from the Motor City who went out there and when they saw how Alliance was in the middle of Noplace, USA, they decided that wasn't for them. I remember meeting an ex-Con who told me he and his brother were both furloughed and they went out there, his brother took the job and stayed but he decided that his ties to home were too strong and he would get called back eventually, so he didn't go. When I met him, his brother was getting ready to retire from BNSF and he wasn't too far from retiring from LAMCO.
Early 1990's Alliance was the biggest collection of BN motive power on the system with a 100 trains a day
going to the coal mines or coming from the the coal mines to Lincoln or Denver. I had to see the place for myself.
Following the BN from Grand Island to Alliance taking video of mostly loaded coal trains gliding by my location
downhill doing 50mph with no sound from the engines. My night in an Alliance motel was not the best sleep I ever
had. Interesting turning on the TV in the motel room and I think it might be the default channel was the BN Alliance
crew calling screen and what order crews were in and what trains were being called going various places. I took
video of a couple minutes of this as I thought it was very interesting. Also while I was in Alliance I visited "Carhenge".
I took almost a whole roll of pictures at Carhenge and will find them to post.
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If you are in a horror movie, you make bad decisions, its what you do.
Snippy's beloved Nebraska is not so beloved anymore. It is still bold and beautiful in many spots, though. They'll be on the wrong side of the coming Civil War(s).
Found my Carhenge pictures. Hope they fill the screen enough. Remember I got into Alliance a couple hours before dark. Found that "jewel" of a motel and grabbed some fast food from one the limited choices in town and found Carhenge. Just a few miles north of town. I was the only one there the whole place to myself. It was windy I remember. Carhenge is listed as one of the 1000 sites in the USA/Canada you must see before you die. I can check that one which may be one of the hardest. Notice after I was there in 1992 that some additions to outer areas and a jeep pickup is atop the the top row now that wasnt here before. Carhenge has been bought and preserved forever so you still can go see it.
