Line Relocation in Eastern Wyoming: A Photo Study of Union Pacific's Abandoned Mainline Segments

Abstract

This photographic essay explores the four abandoned segments of the transcontinental mainline in eastern Wyoming between Buford (26 miles west of Cheyenne) and Dana (34 miles east of Rawlins). As initially constructed this route totaled 133 miles, but it was reduced to 114.16 miles by line relocations undertaken by E.H. Harriman at the turn of the twentieth century to improve the railroad's operations by eliminating excess grades and curvature. Images from some of the well-known and accessible sites -- such as Old Sherman, Howell Road, and the former site of Carbon -- as well as the contemporary railroad have been included for context. Between Cheyenne and Laramie lies the Laramie Mountains, which the builders knew as the Black Hills. Much of the original grade is still in use between Cheyenne and Buford, but west of Buford line relocation begins as the Union Pacific sought better alignments through the rugged terrain.

Copyright 2019 by the Union Pacific Historical Society. Deposited in CACHE with permission of the publisher, limited to Kalamazoo College users only.

Koenig, Richard. “Line Relocation in Eastern Wyoming: A Photo Study of Union Pacific's Abandoned Mainline Segments.” The Streamliner, Vol. 33, no. 1, Winter 2019, pp. 32–39.