Reporting mark FEVR, EVRC Headquarters Fremont, Nebraska | Dates of operation 1986–2015 Locale Fremont | |
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Track gauge 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Predecessor Chicago and North Western Transportation Company | ||
The Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad (reporting mark FEVR) is a 17-mile (27 km) heritage railroad headquartered in Dodge County, Nebraska. It is owned by the Nebraska Railroad Museum which offers excursion services with the equipment of the FEVR system.
Contents
- Roster of equipment
- Equipment not used in Active Service
- Route details
- Fremont Dinner Train
- Management
- References
The FEVR line extends from Fremont to nearby Hooper. It was originally built in 1869 as part of the larger system, the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (FE&MV). In 1903, the Chicago and North Western Railway (CNW) acquired the FE&MV & continued to operate the line until 1982, when the section from Fremont to Norfolk (known by C&NW as the West Point Subdivision) was abandoned after flooding along the Elkhorn River damaged the section. From the mid-1970s until the abandonment in 1982, the track had been seeing declining freight traffic levels. The museum later acquired the Fremont to West Point section in 1985.
Inaugurated on Memorial Day, 1986, as an excursion line for the summer months, the trains were powered by 2-8-0 #1702, a 1942 steam locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works. A back-up locomotive, EMD SW1200 (Soo Line 2121), was used until 1996. Since then the motive power is FEVR 1219 (nee CNW 1219, CNW 319) another EMD SW1200, built in 1962.
The line from Fremont to Hooper was sold recently to Mike Williams of Richmond, Mo.-based Railroad Materials Salvage Inc and most track has been torn up
The 17-mile line, now known as the Fremont Northern Railroad, and all of the Nebraska Railroad Museum's locomotives were included in the deal.
Williams owns railroads in Idaho, Missouri, Iowa and South Dakota.
The museum in the depot at 1835 N. Somers Ave., surrounding grounds, excursion rolling stock and two siding tracks leading to the depot were not included in the transaction.
The train can be seen in the movie "To Wong Foo, Thanks for everything Julie Numar" with Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Luigizamo.Roster of equipment
Equipment not used in Active Service
Route details
The tracks ridden by FEVR trains were laid in 1869-71 by the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (FE&MV); it is one of the oldest sections of existing railroad track in the state of Nebraska. In its general north-south route, the tracks cross the 1848 Mormon Trail on its way west to Salt Lake City, Utah. The FE&MV was acquired by the Chicago and North Western Railway in 1903 and became a gateway to Chadron in northwest Nebraska, where the tracks then lead north to Deadwood and Rapid City, South Dakota, then on to Colony, Wyoming. From Chadron, the tracks leading west terminate in Lander, Wyoming. After years of declining freight traffic volumes & flooding damage, the C&NW effectively abandoned the track from Fremont to Norfolk in 1982 & the section from Fremont to West Point was acquired by FEVR in 1985. By 1986, excursion operations were inaugurated by Steam Locomotive #1702.
When FEVR started out, it was originally planned out to run trains from Fremont to West Point, Nebraska. The line was purchased to West Point after the abandonment. Unfortunately, the line from Hooper to West Point was removed by FEVR in 1988, leaving the termination of the track at Hooper. The section between Nickerson & Hooper was embargoed in 2003, due to a faulty bridge north of Nickerson. Now the line goes from Fremont to Nickerson, passing the historic Rawhide Creek on the line.
Between Fremont and the village of Nickerson, a 'track'-diamond intersection exists in the BNSF Railway's Sioux City subdivision which was constructed by the C.B. & Q Railroad. This diamond was removed in the spring of 2014 by the BNSF Railway. South of Linden Avenue, the FEVR interchanges with Union Pacific Railroad (UP), which owns the connection line from M Street to Linden Avenue. The connection line is currently out of service, with trees growing on the right-of-way, ties needing replacement, and other repairs necessary. FEVR has been interested in acquiring the track for a number of years.
In early June 2015, the railroad's crossings over State and Federal Highways were marked "Exempt", with crossing signals and warning devices bagged, and crossing gates removed. These crossings include Broad Street north of 23rd Street in Fremont (US Highway 77), US Highway 30 / 275 west of Luther Road north of Fremont, Nebraska Highway 91 in Nickerson, Nebraska and US Highway 77 at Winslow, Nebraska. November 2016 seen 2 more crossings removed. The crossing ownership at Linden Avenue changed to UP & was removed as well as the UP crossing at Military Avenue.
Fremont Dinner Train
The Fremont Dinner Train is a privately owned dinner train for which FEVR provides track and locomotive with operating crews; it travels on Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoons. The dinner train cars were built in the 1940s and '50s. Meals are catered rather than cooked on the train. The Fremont Dinner Train ceased operations in early October 2012 to move to Baldwin City, Kansas.
Management
Sources