Starting with the great migration along the Oregon Trail in the 1840s, central Wyoming has long been a transportation corridor of the western United States. Railroad tracks first worked their way into the region in 1886 with the arrival of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad, building westward from Douglas to Lander. In 1913, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, after successfully building through the Wind River Canyon, began construction south and east through Casper to connect with its existing line at Orin Junction. Connecting central Wyoming to the outside world brought goods and people and allowed for the development of the oil fields, agriculture, industry, and tourism.
Utilizing photographs from the Casper College Western History Center, the Fort Caspar Museum, the Wyoming State Archives, and personal collections, many of which have never been published, author Con Trumbull tells the fascinating story of central Wyoming railroading. Additionally, he pulls from his personal experiences working with historic railroads to provide valuable insights to these images.