I lived in Laramie and the surrounding area in the mid 1980s to about 2002 or so…… loved it. Probably not as interesting then as when you were there, railroad wise.
My neighbor was a retired UP engineer, then in his mid 80s, by the name of Clayton Stehman (not sure I’m spelling that right). He worked Steam Engines over Sherman Hill to the diesel era. I would sit in the backyard with him, a couple glasses of 12 yr old Scotch and bug him to tell me about his railroad days. He said he would have done it for free if he didn’t need to eat! Another retired engineer had a house around the corner from us with a fence made from all sorts of railroad tools and pieces welded together. I think this fence is now in the park in Cheyenne with the steam engine on display there. His name was Floyd Young and he had something of a railroad museum in his basement.
I worked for the Forest Service in Walden Colorado around this time and saw some of the final trains from Laramie to service the sawmill in Walden (wood chip hoppers). I seem to recall seeing some coal hoppers also, for the coal mine at Coalmont. Once or twice there was a passenger special that would lay over in Walden. I believe they put the passengers on busses from there to Granby and Rocky Mountain National Park. There was still a small yard and a ramshackle depot there then.
Had to move to the Front Range eventually, but the Laramie days were the best, my kids were both born there so they are “native” Wyoming-ites. I still get a little misty eyed when I go visit up there.
Tom L
Wellington CO
