Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Sidney, Nebraska.

One might wonder what there is to do in Sidney, Nebraska. Well, there is a rare experience, that's what. You are looking at photos of the Union Pacific Challenger locomotive. Currently, the largest operating steam locomotive. (No Big Boys are track-ready at this time.) For those of you who care it is a 4-6-6-4 configuration that has been converted to run on oil (no longer on coal). It was a bit dirty, and was stopping in Sidney for a grease-up before finishing its journey back to Cheyenne. It is housed in Cheyenne but was out for some special tour.

It was unseasonably cold, so we left Blanket in the car. After about 20 minutes of being alone he started to object, but it was so cold and windy I didn't dare take him too far from the car. We figured we might not get this chance again before the kids get a lot bigger, so we went. It was 2.5 hours or so to get there. Then I was asking directions to the train station and the girl at the gas station pulled out the phone book (all 30 pages of it) to look at the map. She was having trouble with the directions, but I looked at the map and figured it out.
After watching the train finish maintainence on-the-go we went to Cabela's for lunch. This is right next to Cabela's world headquarters. It isn't very big (as far as Cabela's go) but it does have a polar bear, and an elephant on display. It is also the nearest Cabela's until the open the one in Wheat Ridge (if that ever happens). Then we came home and got home about 4:30. Not a bad way to spend the day. Blanket did want to be held a bunch after we got back, but he had spent the entire day in the stroller or in his car seat. If that were me, I'd want to be held too.

2 comments:

John and Kathy said...

Way cool train. I have been at that Cabela's on my way to Rick's. Sweet!

danandcami said...

Dan appreciates this more than I do. But it does look cool!