Burlington Northern Railroad Branch Lines: The Nebraska Experience

South Platte Press, softcover, 80 pages, 9.5 x 8.5 x.25 in., B&W and Color photographs (mostly color).

This is a study of the last years of operation by the former Burlington Northern Railroad of its once-extensive agrarian branch line rail system across the prairie regions of southeast Nebraska. The authors explain how these branch lines were operated during the late 1950 era by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and again during the Burlington Northern era of the 1970s-1980s.

Included are co-author Hedgpeth's first-person account of working on these branch lines as a CB&Q brakeman. Some 95 rare and large format images, most in color, illustrate how the BN continued to provide freight service to many small town shippers just prior to abandonment of many of the lines depicted.

Also included is a detailed map of past and remaining branch lines in the area.

Contents:

• Acknowledgements, Introduction, pp. 2–6
• Nebraska's BN Branch Line Era, pp. 7–9
• CB&Q Branch Epitome, pp. 10–14
• BN Branch Transition, pp. 15–20
• Competitor With Branch Lines, pp. 21–22
• 'Braking' on CB&Q Branch Lines of the 1950s, pp. 23–25
• Lincoln - Daykin, pp. 26–29
• Lincoln - Bellwood, p. 30
• CB&Q Branch Line Operations 1950s, pp. 31–33
• Lincoln - Nebraska City, pp. 34–35
• Lincoln - Brownville, pp. 36–39
• Wymore, pp. 40–41
• Table Rock - Wymore, pp. 42–43
• Wymore - Lester Junction, pp. 44–49
• Hastings - Roseland, pp. 50–51
• Hastings - Hildreth, pp. 52–57
• Hastings - Palmer, pp. 58–59
• Lincoln - Shickley, pp. 60–63
• Lincoln - Daykin (Part 2), pp. 64–67
• Lincoln - Hebron, pp. 68–73
• Sutton - Clay Center, pp. 74–76
• Bibliography, pp. 77–78
• Index, 79-80.