Part Twelve

"Let's see what today brings"

Day 12 begins with a question, namely, where do I go today?  So I decided to explore some new areas and revisit a few and do some real estate looking....sort of. More later.

First stop was in Axtell, Nebraska which is the home to NTV, known locally as Nebraska Television. 

They are the ABC and FOX affiliates for Central Nebraska and north central Kansas. With 6 different transmitter sites, they cover a wide service area. I swung by to get a tour but the tour person was not available. Knew I should have called previously but I gave it a shot. Maybe next week on my way back east.

So south I go then west on Nebraska route 34 and head towards Holdrege. On my way there I find another item to scratch off my list. Along 34 is a single track mainline for the Burlington Northwest Santa Fe which moves a lot of corn in this part of the state.  As I follow the mainline, I see scattered piles of brand new railroad ties ready to replace older ones but no work crew. Well a mile later I see the headlight of a BNSF work train. 

A locomotive on each end with some gondola cars in between and a small crane to load and unload ties. Seems the train was done with their drop-offs and was heading back to base.

After getting into Holdrege, I head southwest to this tall tower I see in the distance. 

The tower turns out to be part of NET, Nebraska Educational Telecommunications. On top of the tower is the TV antenna for KLNE-TV and right below it is a 10-bay FM antenna for KLNE-FM. Both stations are licensed to the city of Lexington.

Upon heading back northeast to downtown Holdrege, I see this lone AM antenna. 

I tune across the dial and I find AM 1380 KUVR and at the top is an FM translator antenna for FM 96.9 W245CK which simulcasts KUVR-AM. I find the station and meet Amanda who appears to be the Jacq-of-all-trades for the station. It is quite small for its size. 

They have local programming in the morning and then go to Westwood One's adult contemporary satellite feed.

I bid ado to Amanda and head north thru Holdrege to the corner of US 183 and 737 Road. There is the transmitter site for AM 880 KRVN, licensed to Lexington, Nebraska. 

Usually when I come here, the corn has been harvested but today the fields surrounding the transmitter site have been picked clean with the remainder of the stalks ready to be plowed under soon.

KRVN has a 4 tower array. the station runs full time at 50,000 watts and is omnidirectional with the  signal coming out of the number 3 tower. But at local sunset, KRVN has to protect WCBS-AM in New York City from nighttime interference. So KRVN feeds power to all 4 antennas and beams its signal to the west.  

Anyone from about 60 miles and further to the east listening to KRVN will hear the station disappear like  it went off the air.  Still, a very cool station to listen to if like to hear what is happening in the agricultural world. And they can be heard at www.krvn.com worldwide.

After some lunch, it was time to continue west until I got to Lexington. As I approached the town's grain elevators, I saw something that I have been trying to document. The loading of a 125 car  covered hopper grain train.  

This the the peak time of the year to harvest corn. I have seen it picked and transported but never loaded. So I went to take a look. At the head end of this long train are 3 locomotives. About every 2 minutes, the train pulls ahead a half of a car length to fill the front end of a car. Then the train pulls up a half car length again so the back of the same car can be filled and so forth. 

During the filling, a trainman, complete with an air mask, walks the top of each car on its steel walkway. He opens and closes the hatches on top as each car is loaded. 

On the other side of the bridge, tractor trailer trucks full of corn kernels are weighted and then they move to the unloading bin to drop off their loads. 

And I'm made one last stop at Kiffin Murphy Real Estate in Cozad to see what houses go for and what the taxes were. From small houses to large ones. Not much to report but I'll still do some digging. Oh, if only.......

So, today was a banner day. I stop my mobile office outside North Platte Airport to write today's entry. 

And the Union Pacific provides the usual great entertainment. 

And before I forget, I shot a bumper crop of photos today. Check out the other blog and enjoy.

And one more note on radio station KUVR.  Those call letter struck a cord with me today. If you add a number 1 after the K and before the U, you get the ham radio call sign K1UVR. His name was Eric and he hailed from the town of Madison, Connecticut. Eric was one of the first hams that I met on the W1BCG 2-meter repeater in Killingworth, Connecticut way back in 1981. He helped me get started in how to use the repeater to get my ham "etiquette". He taught at Quinnipiac University and as he went home and I went to News 8, we would talk on just about anything. A few years of me being in the hobby, Eric fell to a illness and passed on soon after. I think of him from time to time. I did have the opportunity to "eyeball" him, which is ham radio parlance for meeting one another in person. Eric, wherever you are, I hope the heavenly ham shack is keeping you well. Take care old friend. K1UVR/SK de N1BOW. 73, OM.

Thursday we begin the second half of our 24-day journey, heading to Cheyenne, Wyoming along one of my favorite stretches of the UP's Transcontinental Railroad. Weather still looks good. As Robin and Linda Williams use to sing on A Prairie Home Companion, "Count your Blessings".

I'm Philip J Zocco. On The Road. In North Platte, Nebraska.