Steam Railroads in Central Wyoming

The first steam locomotives entered central Wyoming in 1886 as the rails were laid, and the railroad would soon become the driving force for agriculture, industry, and commerce.

The two main lines, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad and the Chicago & North Western Railway, both operated steam until diesel-electric locomotives began to replace them. This journey will focus on the lines between Valentine, Nebraska, and central Wyoming as well as the survey work done beyond the town of Lander, Wyoming. The areas around the towns of Douglas, Glenrock, Casper, and Riverton will all be examined. The last steam locomotive in regular service would leave the region in 1952, and with its departure would come sweeping changes to how the railroads of the region operated and of their connections to the communities they served. The majority of the photographs presented have never been published.