Elizabeth and I arose at the Howard Johnson and after our morning preparations, went to Perkins for an excellent breakfast, after which I drove us to Hardin for our first station of the day and a surprise.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Hardin station built in 1922. Hardin's first railroad depot was moved from Fort Custer after being cut into small sections and transported by train over the Big Horn Bridge. That depot was expanded in 1909 but was deemed inadequate after the homestead boom dramatically increased freight and passenger traffic during the teens. Modelled on Burlington depots in Nebraska, it is a hollow clay tile structure with a brick and stucco veneer. The interior included a general waiting room, men's waiting room, ticket office, and baggage and express room. Segregation was in effect in Hardin, and in addition to men's and women's bathrooms, there was a separate bathroom for Indians. Like other depots, the back of the building is equally as prominent as the building's front. Declared by the Hardin Tribune to be "one of the best depots" for a city Hardin's size "between the Missouri river and the coast", the building, at an estimated $100,000 price tag, showed the railroad's faith in Hardin's future.
The Territorial Train of Montana celebrating seventy-five years of being a territory. It was originally a four-axle Norfolk and Western baggage car, donated by the railroad to the West Virginia Centennial Special then sold to Montana Centennial Train. On the road, this car was the entrance, with visitors entering through the end door; however, at the World's Fair in 1965, it was not. Murals on both sides of the car were identical. When the car returned to Montana in 1965, it gained the number Chicago Burlington and Quincy 501. Today the car sits at the Hardin depot with three new and different murals by new artists.
Montana’s 1964 Territorial Centennial Train, a 30-car cross-country extravaganza, has been called "Montana's greatest publicity stunt". The Centennial Train, which commemorated creation of Montana Territory, also honored 75 years of statehood. The state commissioned Lyman Rice to paint 150 panels to adorn the 30 train cars with scenes intended to lure tourists to Montana. Within eight months, Rice, with assistance from Bud Wert, painted murals on 14,000 square feet of plywood.
The Centennial Train made the epic public relations journey from Montana to New York, hosted presidents and governors, and awed 380,000 people at the New York World’s Fair. Montana beef, specifically shipped in for the event, was served at the Commodore Hotel where famous cowboy star Montie Montana and his horse rode the elevator to the banquet hall.
When the fair ended and the train returned to Montana, the cars were distributed to Montana communities large and small. Some were adopted by towns and used as offices for Chambers of Commerce. Some were abandoned in wheat fields, their large painted panels now faded by the sun.
It is one of only two surviving Centennial Train cars in Montana.
In 2007, volunteer artists including Harry Koyama, Bob Tompkins, Dick Moulden, Berna Loy Ost and Joe Trakimas painted new mural images on the Hardin rail car. The paintings were unveiled in June 2007 during Hardin's 100th birthday celebration.
Burlington Northern depot history board.
Montana’s 1964 Territorial Centennial Train information board.
Hardin Depot display board.
I next drove us to Lodge Grass.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Lodge Grass station constructed in 1906 and relocated to Hardin in 1987, where it was placed in the Big Horn County Historical Museum. It quickly became the center of the growing small town since almost everything, including the mail, arrived by rail. The first floor consists of a waiting room, warm and cold freight rooms and the agent's office which is complete with early day equipment. Displays include original railroad equipment, carts and photographs. Upstairs served as a home to the depot agent. Rooms include a living-room, a kitchen and two bedrooms.
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy emblem on the building.
Two Chicago, Burlington and Quincy baggage carts.
Butte Anaconda and Pacific caboose 05, builder and year unknown.
This wooden rear observation platform car could be an Emigrant Sleeping Car from the Union Pacific Railroad; definite details unknown.
Northern Pacific stock car 82995 built by the railroad in 1931.
The two of us continued our eastward drive, crossed the state line into Wyoming and I drove us to Sheridan.
Chicago Burlington and Quincy Sheridan station built in 1912.
Chicago Burlington and Quincy 4-8-4 5631, built by the railroad in 1940. Originally assigned to the Chicago Division of the railroad, 5631 spent most of its career on the Burlington lines east of the Missouri River. After being retired, it was placed in the scrap lines at Galesburg, Illinois. Dr. Otto R. Docekal, a retired CB&Q paymaster, Sheridan dentist and local Rotary club member, used his relationship with the president of the railroad, H.C. Murphy, and former railroad Assistant Vice President, Fred Gurley (who, at the time, was the president of the Santa Fe railroad), to advocate for its acquisition. In June 1962, the locomotive was donated to the Rotary Club of Sheridan and is now part of Sheridan Railroad History Interpretive Park.
In 1892, Sheridan was smaller than Buffalo, until the railroad came. The Burlington Route was built to connect Puget Sound with Kansas City. Passing through Sheridan and Ranchester, the railroad ran to Billings to connect with Northern Pacific. Sheridan had the distinction of being the western most outpost of the CB&Q, which in 1970 became the Burlington Route. In 1996, Burlington merged with Santa Fe and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) now runs along the rails.
Locomotive restoration partners.
BNSF 4183 East came through while we were here.
The original Chicago Burlington and Quincy Sheridan station built in 1892, which was located just across the street from the Sheridan Inn, making food and lodging easily accessible for rail passengers. The depot was moved to its current location in 1910 to accommodate the new brick station and become the freight station. It was recently restored to reflect its original exterior and interior.
It is a contributing property in the Sheridan Railroad Historic District and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
We continued south on Interstate 90 and stopped in Buffalo.
Wyoming Railroad Buffalo station built in the 1920's. It is now called Potters' Depot, an art gallery and working pottery studio.
From here, we took Interstate 25 southeast to Douglas, where we had an early dinner in the Depot Restaurant, located in the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy station built in 1886.
Burlington Northern Zephyr Public Exhibition Detroit, Michigan Wednesday May 2, 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
Chicago and Alton Railroad "The Great Palace Reclining-Chair Route". Both of these posters were above our table.
Along Wyoming Highway 20, we caught up to an eastbound coal train and it took a few minutes before we could get some pictures.
Union Pacific 7191 East west of Lusk.
Chicago and North Western Lusk station built in 1886.
Chicago North Western bay window caboose 10380 built by International Car in 1954.
The Lusk Water Tower was built in 1886 to provide water for steam locomotives on the former Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad. Lusk itself was built by the railroad at the same time. The tank was originally located in the middle of Lusk near the railroad depot and was moved in 1919 to the present site on the east edge of town, adjacent to what became the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company line now owned by Union Pacific. The wooden tower is round, with a diameter of about 25 feet and the tank is about 25 feet high on a 25-foot base. The structure is believed to be composed of Douglas fir, while the tank itself is redwood. It is the only surviving structure of its kind in Wyoming and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
BNSF 6951 West east of Lusk.
Boeing 737 fuselages were on the first two cars of this stack train.
Nebraska State sign we entered the Cornhusker state. I drove to Crawford then Elizabeth drove the rest of the way to Alliance and the Alliance Inn and Suites where we called it night.
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