The BNSF railroad has track through the west part of the ranch. One can watch massive 12-15 thousand tons of coal being shoved over Crawford Hill. Set up your tripod on Breezy Pont (Windy Point) and get some great shots of the trains around horseshoe bend.
Beautiful scenery, tight curves, steep hills, and high traffic, between 40-60 trains per day, make this a "must see" for serious railfans. One of our cabins is located 1 mile from the tracks on an unmaintained road, some of that mile will need to be on foot. You will need to do some hiking/walking to get to the best photography areas.
Photos courtesy of Dave Franklin and Tim Tonge
Dave's story: "...the Lund's property completely surrounds the horseshoe curve and gives you every angle, both high and low. It also provides the opportunity to take all your pictures with the sun at your back-the perfect training experience! With the trains traveling slow and approximately 26 per day, make sure you have lots of film! One other point, and probably the most important, I would like to acknowledge is that because the Lund's property surrounds the entire curve, there is absolutely no need for trespassing & the experience is completely safe." (Dave's Full Story)
2012 Rates
Railfan package - Lodging, breakfast, and safe and legal access to photo
"hotspots" for 1 or 2 adults - $125 per night
2 night minimum stay (May 15 - September 30)
We are happy to provide dinner for $15 per person, advanced notice is requested. We serve pancakes or french toast with homemade bread, bacon or sausage, coffee, milk, or orange juice for breakfast. Please let us know if advance if you have any special requests.
Deposit - We request a 50% deposit when making a reservation and the balance is due upon arrival. Nebraska State sales and lodging tax will be added to the price. We are happy to take a personal check made payable to Ponderosa Ranch as we don't accept credit cards. Thank you!
Cancellation Policy - You have the option to apply your deposit to a future stay this year, otherwise cancellation 90 days before scheduled arrival date- $50 fee retained; cancellation less than 90 days before scheduled arrival date - full deposit is retained, unless replacement renter is obtained, in which case deposit less $50 cancellation fee is returned.
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What will my family do while I take pictures of the train?
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