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.
