Omaha Belt Line
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| Omaha Belt Line | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Dates of operation | 1885–Early 1960s |
| Track gauge | |
The Omaha Belt Line was a 15-mile (24 km) long railroad that circumnavigated Omaha, Nebraska, starting in 1885. Carrying passengers and cargo, the railroad was operated by the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
Contents |
[edit] History
First charted by some officials with the Union Pacific Railroad in 1883, nothing was done with the charter until 1885, when Jay Gould decided to use it to run the Missouri Pacific Railroad around Omaha. To ensure local agreement, Gould stacked the Omaha Belt Board of Directors with local officials - except S.H.H. Clark, who was a former president of the Union Pacific eager to work for Gould's growing empire.
After 1885, the railway was built entirely with materials from the Union Pacific.[1] That use of combined resources was the subject of a later dispute between the railroad companies which they carried to the US Railway Commission.[2] The case was eventually dropped. By the 1920s, 178 trains per day went in and out of Omaha carrying mail, passengers, and freight.
The line was discontinued in the early 1960s as public transportation service in Omaha became more efficient and popular. Today a portion of the Belt Line has been turned into the Field Club Trail, a recreational trail in Omaha.
[edit] Lines and properties
Omaha Belt Line included the main yard at Nicholas Street in South Omaha, the "Alley" switching district in Downtown Omaha, the "short belt" industrial area and the Westside Junction. At the Junction the Belt Line interchanged with several other roads.[3] The Belt connected with the Missouri Pacific Railroad at South 48 and Leavenworth Streets.[4] The railroad also had branches into Lincoln, Wahoo and Nebraska City.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Klein, M. (1986). The Life and Legend of Jay Gould. Johns Hopkins University Press, p 343.
- ^ Young, C.P. (1887). Report of the Commission and of the Minority Commissioner of the United States Pacific Railway Commission, p 1282.
- ^ MoPac Right of Way. Screaming Eagles. Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
- ^ Kratville, W. (2002). Railroads of Omaha and Council Bluffs. Arcadia Publishing, p 75.
