Bailey Yard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (March 2008)

Bailey Yard is the world’s largest railroad classification yard. Owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad, Bailey Yard is located in North Platte, Nebraska. The yard is named after former Union Pacific President Ed H. Bailey.

Bailey Yard lit up at night.

The gigantic Bailey Yard covers a total expanse of 2,850 acres (12 km²) and is over 8 miles (13 km) in length and 2 miles wide (3.2 km). The yard is made up of some 315 miles (507 km) of track, including 18 receiving and 16 departure tracks.

Bailey Yard handles over 10,000 railroad cars every day. Approximately 3,000 cars are sorted daily in the yard’s two humps. Because of the enormous amount of products that pass through Bailey Yard, Union Pacific describes the yard as an “economic barometer of America.”

Besides being home to two humps, the yard also includes a locomotive fueling and servicing center that handles more than 8,500 locomotives per month, a locomotive repair shop that can repair 750 locomotives monthly, and a car repair facility that handles nearly 50 cars daily.

Union Pacific employs more than 2,600 people in North Platte, most of whom are responsible for the day-to-day operations of Bailey Yard.

Bailey Yard has expanded significantly since the first tracks were laid in 1948. In 1995, as a result of its massive size, the yard was recognized in the Guinness Book of Records. It was recently featured on the "Freight Trains" episode of Modern Marvels on The History Channel. It was also featured in the book Uncommon Carriers by John McPhee (2006).