Family campground near North Platte, NE

x4 on Holiday. In addition to the Steak house stop be Peggy Sue's right next to park. Great burgers and breakfast.

x3 for Holiday. There is a pool - not large, but functional. Plenty of shade (nice in the summer!) Not sure there's a view of the tracks, but the hotel right next door is where the yards workers stay (I know - I have stayed in that hotel myself on one trip). Good location, close to gas, restaurants, and the yards.

There is a nice campgrounds in gothenberg ne by brother lives in gothenberg and works for the railroad I've been to Bailey yard before pretty cool

I do in fact want to be near the tracks. My property adjoins the railroad here in VA and we can see the trains from the house. When we go to Hershey Highmeadows campground in PA I specifically get a site as close to the tracks as possible. Once the check-in lady tried to move me further from the tracks. No! I protested. I want that spot.

Holiday X2. The rail yard is indeed impressive. While there, we also enjoyed Cody's Rest Away and the County's historical museum is really fascinating, surprising large and provides a lot of history on the rail yard. Your kids would probably also like the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument & diorama near Kearney and on your way via I80 west to N. Platte. And a little south of Kearney, in Minden, is Pioneer Village (including on site campground) which is a huge collection of Americana - bigger than Henry Ford's Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI

I wonder if you really want to be near the tracks because the trains run about every 30 minutes and if there is a crossing nearby, the horn will blast you awake every time ;)

We have used the Holiday RV park twice for overnights in North Platte. It's right at I80 exit 177. I think they have a pool, but not sure. I took a quick look at Google Earth and don't see any campgrounds near the tracks. The trains run frequently and would keep you from sleeping anyway.

There was a nice steakhouse just up the road from the campground.

The best way to appreciate the rail yard is from the Golden Spike Tower. We must have spent 2-3 hours up there watching the cars going over the two humps, as well as the other train movements. Bring binoculars if you have them.

FYI, we always take route 30 between Grand Island and Ogalalla. Light traffic, no trucks like on I80 and the rail tracks run right alongside the road. Fun to watch the mile long or longer coal and freight trains go by. Route 30 goes through a number of small to tiny towns, so not as fast as the interstate but IMO more fun.