Missouri Pacific River and Prairie Rails: The MoPac in Nebraska

Starting in 1881, the Missouri Pacific Railroad extended its tracks north and west to serve the rich riverfront and prairie lands of southeast Nebraska. For just over 100 years the “MoPac” was a familiar method of conveyance touching the lives of both small-town residents and those residing in the state’s metropolitan centers of Lincoln and Omaha. The story of the MoPac in Nebraska includes the historic Omaha Belt Line and Union connection to Lincoln, the glory days of the "Missouri River Eagle" streamliner and the melancholy demise of steam power. The Table of Contents lists 33 different chapters, including Pikes Peak or Bust; The Wyandotte; Passenger Trains; Freight Traffic; Motive Power; Floods and Snow; Division Point Life; The Eagle and the Eaglet; Branch Line Abandonments; Depots; The Siberian Subdivision; and more. Over 250 black & white photographs, maps and drawings illustrate the information, including a 1933 employee timetable. Although a 1982 merger with the Union Pacific Railroad spelled an eventual end to its separate corporate identity, "Missouri Pacific River and Prairie Rails" provides an expertly written memorial to a fondly remembered railroad.