Dakota Junction

Dakota Junction Rd crossing the small yard West of Chadron, Nebraska

As discussed earlier, Dakota Junction serves three separate railroads, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, the Nebraska Northwestern, and the Rapid City Pierre and Eastern.

For the Rapid City Pierre and Eastern, Dakota Junction is an interchange with the Nebraska Northwestern and shares trackage with that railroad on the leg of the wye which leads south to Crawford, Nebraska.  Dakota Junction is the southern-most point of the Black Hills Sub-Division for the RCPE and is the last point of full trackage rights.

Dakota Junction has no inhabitants as it is not a town, just a point on the RCPE.  But being an interchange, Dakota Junction is a very vital piece of the line South of Rapid City.

This photo shows the yard tracks from the East end of Dakota Junction.  A half mile or so West of this point is the wye.  While no trains came that morning, it is apparent there has been recent traffic in the area.  There might be a weekly train, or perhaps a train on an as-needed basis from Rapid City to this point.

Looking to the East from the yard we can see a grain loader on the mainline of the Nebraska Northwestern. Train cars here probably head south to Crawford, Nebraska where they are interchanged with the BNSF. The only thought that causes doubt is that the mainlines at Crawford serve only one purpose, coal hauling.  I have not yet seen a grain train on that mainline between Crawford and Edgemont, South Dakota.

This crossing is about 2 miles South of Oelrichs, South Dakota between Dakota Junction and Oelrichs.

Oelrichs, South Dakota

This is the first real town North of Dakota Junction.  Located in Fall River County, South Dakota, Oelrichs has a population of 126 and sits right alongside the main line of the Black Hills Sub-Division of the Rapid City Pierre and Eastern.

The only industry in town is a small grain elevator which, amazingly, still seems to be in use.

This town is also where I graduated high-school, which is the town's main employer.  Like most of the small towns in South Dakota, the infrastructure is decrepit, many houses are single-wides surrounded by cars on blocks, and every house has an unkempt yard with cottonwood, oak, or evergreen trees.

Here is the view track side:

 

The Grain elevator at Oelrichs is small, but apparently being used.  I had always thought this was abandoned, but apparently not!

Judging by the number of cars, this particular elevator can only hold enough grain for a few hoppers, probably about 13.

Another possible explanation is that the siding is simply being used as winter storage for the cars, as is apparent in other small towns.  I just like to think positively.