Nebkota Railway

Nebkota Railway
Reporting mark	NRI
Locale	Nebraska
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Headquarters	Chadron, Nebraska

The Nebkota Railway (reporting mark NRI) is a Class III railroad that began operations in 1994 with 73.5 miles (118.3 km) of former Chicago and North Western Railway Cowboy Line track between Merriman and Chadron, Nebraska. Due to a loss of grain shipments from Gordon, Nebraska in 2006 the railroad abandoned the eastern 43 miles (69 km) of its line between Merriman and Rushville, Nebraska. In September 2007 the railroad abandoned the line between Rushville and 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Chadron due to the loss of grain traffic to larger main-line loading facilities.^[1] In addition to freight service the railway offered a three hour passenger excursion service as a dinner train that ran through the scenic Pine Ridge area near Chadron. Prior to the abandonments, the railroad hauled primarily grain along with some gravel and timber.^[2]

Since 2007 the railroad has continued to haul grain from the elevators in Chadron several miles west via trackage rights to its connection with the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern at Dakota Junction and a further 20 miles (32 km) by trackage rights to a connection with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe at Crawford, Nebraska. In 2010 newly formed Nebraska Northwestern Railroad purchased the line between Dakota Junction and Chadron, including the Chadron rail yard. Nebkota retained it's trackage rights.

In January 2010 West Plains Company, owner of the Nebkota, announced plans to construct a 14 million dollar grain loading facility on the remaining 4 miles (6.4 km) miles of track east of Chadron capable of loading a 126 car unit train in 10 hours.^[3] After local opposition and the purchase of the track between Dakota Junction and Chadron by Nebraska Northwestern Railroad, the large loading facility was instead built near Alliance, Nebraska and a much smaller $800,000 grain loading auger was built east of Chadron.^[4]

Roster

Number	Builder	Model	Date
49	EMD	GP7	1952
613	EMD	SD9	1957
1374	EMD	SD9	1957

References

1. ^ "Chadron to Rushville Nebkota line track removed". Double Q Country Radio. http://www.doubleqcountry.com/artman/publish/printer_9056.shtml. Retrieved 2011-11-07. 
2. ^ "Chadron rail line removal starts". Chadron Record. http://rapidcityjournal.com/thechadronnews/news/chadron-rail-line-removal-starts/article_11473692-0908-5341-8e0e-a7f3c091b0a4.html. Retrieved 2011-11-07. 
3. ^ * "Grain loading project prompts concerns". Chadron Record. http://www.thechadronnews.com/articles/2010/03/03/chadron/headlines/doc4b71b8d8969d893361. Retrieved 2010-03-04. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "Grain loading facility raises road damage concerns". Chadron Record. http://rapidcityjournal.com/thechadronnews/latest/grain-loading-facility-raises-road-damage-concerns/article_97add8a8-cdc0-11e0-b806-001cc4c002e0.html. Retrieved 2011-11-07.