People climb rock formations to get a look and a photograph as refurbished steam engine Big Boy 4014 makes the long climb westward out of Cheyenne toward Laramie. Thick crowds awaited the retro train in stations between Cheyenne and Ogden, Utah and thronged a pedestrian bridge across the tracks in Laramie. (Charles Pelkey)

People lined the railroad right-of-way from Cheyenne to Rawlins on Saturday, waiting for a train to carry them back to an earlier time.

Union Pacific’s refurbished Big Boy 4014 traveled from Cheyenne to Ogden, Utah, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The steam-powered engine has been retired for 60 years, according to reporting in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

It’s the Spring Membership Drive! Support award winning journalism with a tax deductible donation today.

The train stopped in Harriman, Laramie and Medicine Bow on Saturday before overnighting in Rawlins, according to the paper.

Rep. Charles Pelkey (D-Laramie) took this photo from a ranch west of Cheyenne where the tracks thread through wind-eroded rock formations  and rocky canyons approximately five miles south of Ames Monument. The monument was once the highest point on the Transcontinental Railroad at 8,247 feet before the Union Pacific moved the tracks south.  

Andrew Graham is reporting for WyoFile from Laramie. He covers state government, energy and the economy. Reach him at 443-848-8756 or at andrew@wyofile.com, follow him @AndrewGraham88

Join the Conversation

1 Comment

Want to join the discussion? Fantastic, here are the ground rules: * Provide your full name — no pseudonyms. WyoFile stands behind everything we publish and expects commenters to do the same. * No personal attacks, profanity, discriminatory language or threats. Keep it clean, civil and on topic. *WyoFile does not fact check every comment but, when noticed, submissions containing clear misinformation, demonstrably false statements of fact or links to sites trafficking in such will not be posted. *Individual commenters are limited to three comments per story, including replies.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Thanks for posting my photo. I had a terrific time waiting for the Big Boy to come through the canyon. I met folks from England and Australia. I heard later that people had come from South Africa, Japan and China. And to think my house is just three blocks from the tracks in Laramie.

    Reply