Bailey Railroad Yard, Nebraska

The largest railway yard in the nation, where more than half of Union Pacific's rail traffic passes through at some point. The yard extends for a few miles, bulging in the middle with as many as 200 parallel tracks, where trains are assembled, reconfigured, and loaded at a rate of around 120 trains and 10,000 freight cars per day. In addition, maintenance facilities repair locomotives and railcars at the yard. The yard is a popular spot for railfans and other tourists. A visitor's center, built by Union Pacific, includes a gift shop, interactive and static displays, and an 8 story observation tower in the shape of a golden spike. Due to the volume and diversity of goods handled at the yard, its activity is apparently a responsive barometer of the overall economic condition of the nation.