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DOUGLAS RAILROAD INTERPRETIVE CENTER REVISED EDITION ---PAGE BREAK--- D OUGLAS RAILROAD INTERPRETIVE CENTER is arguably the most important historic attraction in Converse County. Like many other cities and towns throughout Wyoming, the city of Douglas—which is the County seat—was born out of the westward expansion of the railroads. Union Pacific—Northern Pacific—Chicago & Northwestern—Chicago, Burlington & Quincy—the Great Northern: these were the arteries that carried the lifeblood of 19th-century America out into the wilds of the country’s western territories. In the process, whole towns were born; in the end, east met west, and the nation became truly continental. Before that epochal transformation, there was little but natural turf encompassing most points west of the Mississippi and east of the Rockies. The native peoples would settle for a week, or a month, or sometimes for years, at the more habitable spots across the vast expanse of the high plains; and for eons, the tips of their animal skin dwellings were all there was to pierce the line of the horizon. Across the first half of the 19th century, these were joined by the shrouded humps of the pioneer wagon caravans, sometimes seen bumping across the rutted dirt trails, into the western sun. And everywhere, always, a puff of smoke in the distance could mean only a campfire, an accident, or a fleeting signal, borne on a breeze.… Those conditions—pre-industrial in the extreme—vanished forever around the middle of the 19th century, when a new and different breed appeared amongst the equine herds that ran wild across the interior plains. This was a horse differing not in color, but in constitution; it was an Iron Horse—so they called it—and it ran, not helter-skelter, but with utter and absolute control, along two fixed channels of hardened steel laid out on a path defined by a mathematician. It carried coal and water and fire, and it cut the line of the horizon with plumes of belched black smoke. And its sole purpose, its only motive, was movement; hence the genius who made it, named it—a locomotive. It came from England, originally—and bore west: first to America’s eastern seaboard, and then west again, on steel rails—out of the old settlements, and into the new, furthest, empty reaches of America’s western frontier. And it towed chains of wooden crates, mounted on wheels, that carried an infinite variety of cargo—and passengers, too, with an infinite variety of hopes. last stop: douglas ---PAGE BREAK--- The first iron horse appeared in Wyoming while the future state was still only a Territory, in 1867. It ran on the new rails of the Union Pacific, which was building across the southern expanse of the Territory, en route to an 1869 rendezvous with a golden spike, at Promontory Summit, Utah. Along other new rails, other engines soon followed. One entered Cheyenne City, on tracks built by the Colorado & Southern Railroad, in 1870; another steamed into Granger in 1881, on the Oregon Short Line. And in 1886, another left Chadron, Nebraska, bound for a tiny settlement being thrown together along the banks of the North Platte River. The place was called “Douglas,” after the expansionist Illinois senator, Stephen A. Douglas. It was a motley collection of wood-frame structures set beside a dirt road. At the west end of that road, a small wooden building would soon be erected to receive the Nebraska train, and many others like it, in the years to come: the Passenger and Freight Depot for the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad. That first engine into Douglas was the steam-driven FE&MV No. 63. Retired from service in 1921 (with, at the time, Chicago & Northwestern), some portion of it may be embedded in Cadillacs cruising highways of the 21st century, and other parts rotting into earth. But in that year of 1886, when it hissed to a stop amongst the scatter of wooden skeletons rising against the sky in a barren stretch of the Wyoming Territory, the infant Douglas had its walking legs. One hundred years later, descendants of the FE&MV’s earliest passengers, and others who’d long since joined them, built a museum, of sorts—a shrine, actually—to the machines that were the midwives to their city on the plains. And they named it, somewhat pretentiously, the Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center. Today this Center unpretentiously—and thus, very effectively—showcases a fascinating assortment of railroad vehicles dating from both the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the FE&MV Depot building itself. As for the Depot, after being closed to regular passenger traffic in the 1950’s, it was used for a time as a railroad storage facility, and then retired from service in the 1970’s. In later years, it fell into a state of disrepair. But in the 1990’s, after being acquired by the City of Douglas, it was meticulously restored and now ---PAGE BREAK--- serves as headquarters for both the Railroad Interpretive Center and the Douglas Chamber of Commerce. The interior of the building is also restored (and somewhat modified for modern use), and is open to the public during regular business hours. As for the vehicles, a total of eight were donated by railroads to the State of Wyoming, across the latter half of the 20th century; all were transferred, in 1992, to the city of Douglas: a steam locomotive (and tender)—a dining car —a stock car—a sleeping car—a baggage car—a passenger coach—a caboose— and, last and least, a track inspection car. The engine and cars were owned and operated by various railroads, for varying of time; most of them rolled across Wyoming at some juncture during their service life—many pieces, no doubt, right through what would eventually prove to be their last stop. Some have been carefully restored; others are slated to be so, as funds are found. All can be freely viewed from the exterior, seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. Tours of the car interiors can be arranged with staff members of the Interpretive Center, who are available during normal business hours. Driving directions to the Center: From Interstate Highway 25, take Exit 140, and drive the Yellowstone Highway into Douglas, for approximately one mile—to the intersection of Center Street and Brownfield Road. RAILROAD COMPANY ABBREVIATIONS B&M Burlington & Missouri River BN Burlington Northern Chicago, Burlington & Quincy C&NW Chicago & Northwestern C&S Colorado & Southern FE&MV Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley GN Great Northern OSL Oregon Short Line UP Union Pacific ON CHRONOLOGY The “chronology” at each feature specifies dates of important events in the life of the vehicle. When only approximate dates are available, entries are followed by the notation for circa. A dash signifies that no date, and no good estimate thereof, is available. ---PAGE BREAK--- T HE PASSENGER DEPOT of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad was constructed in 1886, when the railway, which was building out from Nebraska and toward the Rocky Mountains, established the town of Douglas as its temporary western terminus. Built to standardized plans, the wood-frame structure was no dif- ferent than hundreds of other small railway depots that dotted the 19th century American landscape, and offered the usual arrangement of the usual spaces: a wait- ing room, a ticket office, two restrooms, and a freight room. Built with strict econo- my, there is scarcely a nail or a board extraneous to the functional purpose of the structure. Restored by the City of Douglas, it was reopened to the public in 1995, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. CHRONOLOGY 1886 designed and built by FE&MV (sub. of C&NW) 1950 closed to passenger traffic 1970 retired from service 1990 purchased by City of Douglas 1992 renovation begun (by City of Douglas) 1995 opened to the public as HQ of Interpretive Center The interior of the Passenger Depot was modified for modern, multiple uses during renovation of the building in the 1990’s. Yet, it still retains much of its essential character—owing largely to the finish ma- terials, all of which are original to the structure. The interior walls and ceiling, for example, still exhibit planks of the box car siding that was used as wall- board—a material available to the railroad in, natu- rally, ample supply. All expense was spared during construction of the Depot, since the future viability of the stop—meaning, in this case, the town of Douglas itself—was by no means a sure thing; and, as the town went, so would the depot. In the end, the physical longevity of the building is a testament to the railroad’s design and construction department. And what proved to be its longevity of service stands as a historical testament to the citizenry of Douglas. passenger depot—fe&mv rr Two chimneys vented heating stoves at the interior: one in the office space (at the north half of the building) and the other in the original passenger waiting area (at the south end). The shingled roof, replaced during the 1990’s renovation, closely conforms to the character of the original. Most of the exterior wood sheathing, while periodically repainted, is original to the building. Roof brackets at the eaves are the only significant ornamental features in this strictly utilitarian building. Door into the baggage storage area was sized to accommodate the width of a standard baggage cart. Fixed transoms above door openings ascend to the same height as the window framing, establishing a uniform line across the façades. Entrance to original passenger waiting area. Bay window projecting from the office area afforded views in each direction, out along the length of the track (which originally ran proximal to the west façade, along a north-south axis). Original ticket office window was probably accessed through this entrance at the north end of the main façade. The building is supported on a foundation built of wooden railroad ties. ---PAGE BREAK--- CHRONOLOGY 1940 mfd. by CB&Q as #5633 1962 retired from service 1962 donated to State of Wyoming 1993 donated to City of Douglas A mass of levers, knobs, dials, and gauges—the nerves and brains of the beast—occupy the front wall of the cab. In #5633, the cab held an Engineer, who would monitor the speed, direction, and overall health of the train; a Head Brakeman, who protected the train from potential head-on hazards; and a Fireman, who fed the firebox with coal and regulated the flow of water into the boiler tubes. A locomotive was rarely isolated from its tender for the sim- ple reason that it could go nowhere without it; even at the roundhouse (a gigantic garage, of sorts, where locomotives were serviced), the car usually remained attached. While the train was en route, fresh supplies of coal and water were taken on at trackside supply depots, at intervals ranging from ten to nearly one hundred miles— and in enormous quantities. At the height of the steam locomotive era, the railroads were consuming almost one-quarter of the total annual domestic coal supply. I T WAS AN ENGLISHMAN, Matthew Murray, who designed what was probably the first working steam locomotive, in 1804; 136 years later, the manufacturing di- vision of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy made one of the last—which is #5633. Despite a host of improvements introduced across the thirteen intervening de- cades, the motive power of both machines was generated in exactly the same way: a burning fuel turned water to steam—which, in a compressed state, was directed against a pair of steel shafts, which linked to, and turned, a set of wheels—which bore down mightily upon two fixed rails; friction between the rails and the wheels set (and kept) the vehicle in motion. Murray’s locomotive ran on timber rails and might go ten miles per hour—if pulling nothing; #5633 ran on rails of steel and could cruise at 100 miles per hour, while pulling thousands of tons. When it was retired in 1962, #5633 had rolled more than one million miles. locomotive—cb&q #5633 The firebox contained the burning coal, and was surrounded by a water tank at the sides and top. The cab, which held the masters of the machine, perches at the back, appearing almost as an afterthought. The steam-driven whistle was used during fast travel on the open rail; the bell at the front of the engine was used at slower speeds. Near the front of the engine, the smokestack vented gases from an exhaust port called the “smokebox.” The powerful headlamp lit the track ahead, and served as an advance warning for anything in the path of travel. The outside cylinders house massive pistons, which were propelled back and forth by compressed steam. Stairs and catwalks on the outside of the smokebox and firebox were used by workers to access service points along the engine. The drive rod transferred the motion of the pistons (housed within the outside cylinders) to the driving wheels. The coupling rod links the drive wheels together, so they turned in unison. The trailing tender car stored the engine’s rations: 27 tons of coal and 18,000 gallons of water. A locomotive’s wheel arrangement is described by a numeric code; #5633 is a “4-8-4”—signifying 4 wheels at the front, 8 driving wheels at the middle, and 4 wheels at the rear. Railroaders term this arrangement the “Northern type.” ---PAGE BREAK--- dining car—cb&q #196 The dining area occupies one-half of the interior, and could accommodate up to 48 passengers. Furnishings throughout were made to harmonize with the pastel fin- ish of the walls and ceiling. Booths with bench seating at each end of the space are separated from the central, tabled area by means of thick glass partitions. Interior lighting ran the length of the dining area, in tubular fix- tures along the upper edge of the side walls. A tiny bar occupied the center of the car. Background music issued from a grid of ceiling-mounted loudspeakers, via a 17-station hi-fi system. The stainless-steel kitchen occupied the other half of the car; it included oversized ovens and stoves, refrigeration compartments, automatic dishwashers, prep tables, hot tables, and three sinks. It was staffed with two entree cooks and a pastry chef, in addition to one “cook” charged with dish and pot washing. Menus were extensive for all three daily meals. A PPROPRIATE TO ITS FUNCTION AND APPEARANCE, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy nicknamed car #196, the “Silver Salver.” While it originally ran the rails between Chicago and Minneapolis, it may have been used by the CB&Q on runs through Douglas, in the early 1950’s; it also ran on both the “Twin Cities Zephyr” and the famed “California Zephyr” lines. Eighty years before, in 1868, the very first dining car was developed by railroad entrepreneur George Pullman. While such cars were at first used only on trains catering to the wealthy, competition eventually led to their inclusion on passenger trains of every stripe. Diners like the Silver Sal- ver, however, were never profitable for the railroads; they were the heaviest of all passenger vehicles, and were very expensive to manufacture, maintain, and staff. Some of that expense could, however, be recouped at retirement: cars not unlike #196 were often purchased from railroads and set up as stationary, roadside diners; these proved to be the prototypes for those specially-manufactured units of similar character commonly found in American cities throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s. CHRONOLOGY 1947 mfd. by Budd Co. for CB&Q as #196 — to BN as #1160 1972 retired from service 1974 donated to State of Wyoming 1993 donated to City of Douglas The car’s streamlined, stainless steel exterior was emulated in designs for stand-alone roadside diners. That half of the car reserved for dining is apparent from the exterior by a row of broad, rectangular windows, one per table. Unlike other passenger cars, the diner was accessed by travelers only from either end of the vehicle; smaller doors at each side of the car were used only for service access to the kitchen. The asymmetrical window arrangement at the kitchen—a single window at one side, and four at the opposing side—was dictated by the layout of the kitchen equipment. Accordion-like membranes formed sheltered vestibules between the diner and adjoining passenger cars, allowing for access-in-transit. The nickname of car #196 was employed as a veritable brand name by the railroad, and was featured prominently at the exterior. ---PAGE BREAK--- stock car—up #48330d T HIS DOUBLE-DECK WOOD FRAME CAR was used to haul domestic livestock such as pigs and sheep. “Double-deck” refers, simply, to the fact that the car has two interior floors, one above the other. Number 48330D was originally constructed for the Union Pacific Railroad in 1914, as a simple wooden box car for transporting dry goods. Later, it was converted into a livestock carrier—which entailed removal of alternate boards along the side walls, installation of that second floor, and the appli- cation of yellow paint on the exterior (over the original box car red). Although this unit has only a single sliding door, many double-deckers included Dutch doors, which allowed for separate loading (and unloading) of livestock at each level; load- ing and unloading two levels through a single door made, as one might imagine, for more complicated proceedings. Sheep are an integral part of the history of Wyoming—and of the city of Douglas, in partic- ular. When, in 1888, the town lost its privileged status as the western terminus of the Fre- mont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad, the Douglas population rapidly shrank—from 1,600 to a mere 300. But after sheep were introduced to the region in 1889, the town recov- ered; and by 1907, population was approaching the 2,000 mark. In tribute to the industry, when the first Douglas City Hall was built in 1916, a ceramic ornament was installed over the main entrance—featuring, most prominently, a ram’s head relief. One of the most successful early ranchers in the region was John Morton, who owned and operated what was for many years the larg- est sheep ranch in Converse County. While Morton, who died in 1916, never set eyes on unit #48330D, the growth of his business very much depended on cars of a similar character, for transporting stock to far-flung markets. CHRONOLOGY 1914 mfd. (as box car) by Western American Car & Foundry Co. for OSL as #[PHONE REDACTED] converted to stock car for OSL as #48330D — to UP as #47926 1964 retired from service; donated to State of Wyoming 1993 donated to City of Douglas Signboards, here painted over, originally identified the railroad company and the car number. Open wood framing afforded light and ventilation for the stock in transit. Hand-cranked wheel controlled the braking mechanism, and allowed an operator (standing atop the platform) to precisely position the car alongside the loading dock. An exposed steel truss supports the roof and the wood-frame side walls. Sliding, full-height doors at each side of the car afforded simultaneous access to both levels of the interior. After unloading of the stock, the interior of the car would be cleaned with lime. ---PAGE BREAK--- sleeping car—GN #1182 R ECLINING TO THE HORIZONTAL, in a semiconscious state, within a tube of metal cruising on steel rails at 80 or 90 miles per hour—across a dim, moonlit land- scape … does seem, on the face of it, to lack appeal. Nonetheless, railway “sleepers” have had a long history of successful service and are still in use on passenger trains today. In America, the earliest sleeping cars were designed by George Pullman, and mass-produced at the Pullman company town, near Chicago. Because of their intri- cate, heavily-equipped interiors, the cars were expensive to build, costing up to five times as much as that of a typical passenger coach. Car #1182 offered 16 duplex “roomettes” (each affording space for one sleeper—or two, in a pinch), and four “bedrooms” (larger units, accommodating two adults apiece in relative comfort). The sleeping units offered retractable beds, a lavatory, and upright passenger seats for day traveling (and insomnia). Each unit was accessed through a curtained open- ing, from a central, extremely narrow corridor. The sleeping compartments were accessed from an extremely nar- row corridor, and closed off by means of heavy draperies. Each of the units included a roll-out bed—mounted on rails, like a bureau drawer: when the bed was stowed, a seat cushion became accessible; in the open position, the bed locked in place, to prevent inadvertent stowage of the sleeping passenger. Equipped with wash basins and toilets, the only basic need not provided for within a compartment was that of consumption—to fulfill which, the passenger would re- pair to the dining car. The Great Northern Railway was the brainchild of James J. Hill— the “Empire Builder.” Hill devised the unprecedented strategy of moving potential customers onto established rail routes—with the railway effectively paying settlers to establish new towns along those routes. CHRONOLOGY 1950 mfd. by Pullman- Standard Mfg. Co. for GN as #1182 1970 to BN 1972 retired from service 1974 donated to State of Wyoming 1993 donated to City of Douglas All cars within a typical GN passenger train of this time period bore the bold “EMPIRE BUILDER” graphic: the honorific of entrepreneur James J. Hill, whose railway, the Great Northern, connected the Gulf of Mexico with Puget Sound. “Bedroom” sleeping units are characterized by a single window at the first level; and “duplex” units, by pairs of diagonally-stacked windows. The sleeper was nicknamed after a huge glacier—the Agassiz—that, eons before, encased the same terrain across which the trains of the Great Northern later rolled, from Minnesota to Montana. The paint scheme incorporates numerous color separations—and is, as such, more complex and colorful than that characterizing other cars in the collection. Flexible membranes at the end walls afforded an enclosed passage between adjoining cars. ---PAGE BREAK--- baggage car—Up #1897 N UMBER 1897 WAS MANUFACTURED by the Pullman Car Company for a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad, which was called the Oregon Short Line. The car trundled passenger baggage and fresh produce, and accommodated one baggage handler, who sometimes remained with the cargo en route. The exterior of #1897 was originally painted a uniform “Pullman Green,” but was repainted in bright yel- low (with red striping), as part of a “recoloring program” conducted by the UP in 1947. From early on, baggage cars were the frequent targets of train robbers, who knew where the goods were kept; this accounts, to some degree, for the car’s forbidding appearance, security of the cargo being a paramount design consider- ation. Today, the interior is essentially only an open box; originally, however, #1897 was designed as a mail car—and, as such, included a complex assortment of appara- tus for the manual sorting of mail, in-transit. CHRONOLOGY 1911 mfd. (as mail car) by Pullman Co. for OSL (UP) as #331 1914 to UP as #2114 1924 converted to baggage car by UP, renumbered as #1897 1961 retired from service 1961 donated to State of Wyoming 1993 donated to City of Douglas The Pullman company was founded in 1864, in Chicago, by George Mortimer Pullman— first, to manufacture sleepers and, before long, other types of railway cars; it was the Pull- man Company, in fact, that introduced the first dining car to American railways, in 1868. Pullman established both a plant and a company town near Chicago and, by 1893, the com- pany had over two thousand cars on rails all over the country and boasted a net worth of 62 million dollars. When the organization’s fortunes took a dip in 1894, worker disaffection culminated in the violent Pullman Strike of 1894, which was quashed by Federal troops. As a result, Pullman’s reputation took a severe hit: upon his death in 1897, to quell his family’s concern that his remains would be desecrated, his grave at Chi- cago’s Graceland Cemetery was dug deep, and overlain with asphalt, concrete, and—steel rails. Baggage carts were used to shuttle both passenger baggage and bundled or packaged dry goods, from depot to train, and back. The cart on display probably dates from the 1920’s or 1930’s. In the display, the baggage car is coupled to the sleeper, GN #1182. The roof and outer walls are clad with riveted steel plates, 1/8” thick. Drip channels deflected rain water away from the loading door openings. The original function of the car—to transport mail—is suggested by the barred windows within the loading doors (which are present on both sides of the vehicle). Grab handles at the top of the car facilitated access to the roof. The REA was founded in 1918, as a Federal shipping agency; a railroad consortium bought out the service in 1929, but poor management and competition from private carriers led to its dissolution in 1975. Originally finished in a uniform “Pullman Green,” the car today sports colors specified by the Union Pacific’s “recoloring program”—specifically, “Armour Yellow” and “Stop Sign Red.” ---PAGE BREAK--- day coach—c&NW #1886 C OACH #1886 WAS FIRST PLACED IN SERVICE IN 1884, on passenger trains traveling what would soon come to be called the “Cowboy Line” of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad—which proceeded westward from the state of Nebraska, and out across the wilds of the Wyoming Territory. The car is called a “day” coach because, with the bands of broad windows along each side, the ventilating skylights, and the fixed, straight seat backs, it was intended to accommodate passengers on trips of only a single day’s duration; but of course, given the comparatively slower speeds of the early trains, arduous overnight passages were not always avoidable. Number 1886 could hold a total of about 72 adults, two per seat; thus the population of a train that included numerous such day coaches as this would sometimes exceed that of the little towns and settlements through which it passed. CHRONOLOGY 1884 mfd. by St. Louis Car Co. for C&NW, as #1886 1915 renovated by American Car & Foundry Co. 1961 retired from service 1962 donated to State of Wyoming 1993 donated to City of Douglas The interior of the coach included a tile floor (over a cement underlay), gas light fixtures, mahogany panels (along the lower side walls), overhead bag- gage racks, and a skylight clerestory equipped with wooden shutters. Thirty-six seats could accommo- date up to about 72 passengers. The original gas- lights were replaced by electric fixtures as part of the car’s 1915 make-over. American Car & Foundry Company, which remod- eled #1886 in 1915, was founded at the end of the 19th century; the company is still in business today, as ACF Industries. While they originally produced only wood-frame cars, by the second decade of the 20th century, their cars, and those of most other manufacturers, were being made almost entirely of steel. Each end of the coach was originally equipped with retractable steel gates (now absent). Flexible diaphragms at each end of the coach formed a vestibule between adjoining cars; the steel end plate was spring-loaded, to maintain contact with the end plate of an adjoining car. Green and yellow was the trademark color combination of the C&NW Railroad. Ventilation was provided by adjustable wooden shutters along the roof of the car. Windows along the side walls were furnished with roll-up shades at the interior. Steel sheathing was installed over the original wood siding, as part of a 1915 renovation. A wooden box affixed to the undercarriage of the car (at the side opposite that shown here) held an emergency fire axe. ---PAGE BREAK--- caboose—cb&q #14140 A S A CAR TYPE, the caboose dates from the 1830’s, when train workers were being housed in roughshod shanties built atop flatcars. Presumably, this makeshift arrangement led to the design of what was variously known as: the “crummy,” the “brain box,” the “bone-breaker,” the “snake wagon”—and, finally—the “caboose” (which odd term may derive from the Dutch word for a ship’s galley, kabuis). The car was a multipurpose vehicle, affording office space and living quarters for a train’s brakeman, flagman—and the all-important conductor, who was responsible for everything from ticket sales to mail bag retrieval. The car was also used to over- see the length of the train during travel, and to monitor the rear horizon for ap- proaching trains bound along the same track. Today, cabooses have been relegated to menial labors on local freight lines, and to yard switching—and have been sup- planted on major freight lines with a computer in the last car known as an (End of Train) device, which relays signals to the locomotive automatically. CHRONOLOGY 1885 mfd. by B&M for CB&Q as #14140 1912 renovated (prob. by B&M) — retired from service 1958 restored (prob. by B&M 1958 donated to State of Wyoming 1993 donated to City of Douglas Interior appointments of the caboose includ- ed equipment lockers (which doubled as seat- ing and sleeping platforms), a coal-burning stove for cooking and heating, a lavatory wash- stand, and an outhouse-style latrine. A draw- ing board, work desk, and storage cabinets were used for paperwork. And a platform to- ward the rear of the car supported two look- out chairs, installed at a second level within the cupola. The natural wood of the walls, floor, and ceiling lend the multipurpose space the look of a ship’s galley. Steel rod assemblies reinforced the rooftop cupola against wind loads generated by the moving train. The cupola was similar in function to a sailing ship’s “crow’s nest”—consisting of a perch for those inside to oversee the length of the train ahead, and the horizon behind. The smokestack vented an interior stove, which was used for heating and cooking. A ladder afforded the brakeman access to the roofwalk of the caboose, which served as a springboard to the roof of the adjoining car. The open platform at the back provided for easy access and egress by the flagman, who was charged with protecting the rear of the train with flags, lanterns, and stationary flares. Ample window area afforded light for paperwork, and overviews of the exterior in all directions. ---PAGE BREAK--- motor car—fairmont #217980 M OTOR CARS WERE USED BY RAILROADS throughout much of the 20th century, to inspect track and transport workers. Manufactured in various sizes and con- figurations, they were generally boxy contraptions, short on style and comparatively slow, with a top speed of about 30 miles per hour. Their predecessors were the man- ually-operated handcars used on the early railways; but the motor cars, variously known as “track cars,” “speeders,” and “jiggers”—were propelled with gasoline en- gines, and required an operator only for controlling speed. The Fairmont car in this collection was a one-seater, the smallest available model; larger units could accom- modate 12 people or more. Motor cars, which are about as uncomfortable as they look, were superseded in the 1980’s by a device known as a “Hy-rail,” which allows ordinary pickup trucks to cruise the rails by means of retractable, rail-guided wheels. Today, retired track cars are prized as collector’s items and recreational vehicles. CHRONOLOGY 1960 mfd. by Fairmont Railway Motors as #217980 — to UP — to C&S — donated to State of Wyoming 1993 donated to City of Douglas Retired motor cars have become popular with me- chanically-savvy railroad buffs, who invest ample hours (and funds) in restoring the vehicles. Many of the rejuvenated units are used for recreational jaunts along scenic stretches of the nation’s smaller railway companies, for a nominal fee. Clearance must, of course, be obtained from the railroads well in advance; and operator’s insurance is not a matter of choice. Photo by B. Douglas Jensen/Motorcar Operators West The proportions of this solo motorcar resemble those of a cube; larger models, seating up to 12, were built more along the lines of a bread-box. The engine was air-cooled through a radiator at the front end. The open cab was typical of most motor cars; on larger models, it was often enclosed by a wraparound canvas shroud. Grab bars extending from the front and back of the car were used by the operator to lift the vehicle on and off the rails. The one-cylinder gasoline engine sits beneath a cowling beside the operator. Track scrapers, mounted at each side, cleared the rail surface of water and of small debris that could destabilize the lightweight vehicle. Two lockboxes at the front held flares for signaling, and hand tools for quick, minor repairs of the rails. ---PAGE BREAK--- LOCAL AND REGIONAL HISTORIES Trails to Rails: A History of Wyoming’s Railroads by Robert A. King Endeavor Books–Mountain States Lithographing, Casper WY: 2003 Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley R. R. Co. by David Seidel Harbor Mist Publications, Columbus NE: 1988 Historic Downtown Douglas: A Walking Tour City of Douglas, Douglas WY: 2002 RAILROAD BIOGRAPHIES The Life and Legend of Jay Gould by Maury Klein John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD: 1986 James J. Hill and the Opening of the Northwest by Albro Martin Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul MN: 1991 RAILROAD FICTION Held for Orders by Frank H. Spearman The Paper Tiger, Inc., Cresskill NJ: 1996 The Nerve of Foley by Frank H. Spearman The Paper Tiger, Inc., Cresskill NJ: 1996 Whispering Smith by Frank H. Spearman The Paper Tiger, Inc., Cresskill NJ: 1996 recommended reading ---PAGE BREAK--- Thanks to the staff of the Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum for their invaluable help in the preparation of this guide—and to the City of Douglas, for making it possible. Brochure design and text, and all contemporary photos (except as noted), by Jeffrey Derks. All historic photos courtesy of Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum. ©2004; 2015 IntoPrint ---PAGE BREAK--- 1804 1827 1856 1867 1886 1914 1971 1990 Douglas acquires FE&MV Depot—headquarters of the Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center. Chicago & Northwestern Railroad closes FE&MV Depot. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad lays track through (and builds depot in) city of Douglas. Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad enters Wyoming Territory, establishing Douglas. Union-Pacific is first railroad to enter Wyoming Territory (en route to Promontory Summit, Utah). First railroad bridge across Mississippi River is completed, at Davenport, Iowa. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad becomes first westward-bound railway in America. Matthew Murray invents first working steam locomotive, at Leeds, England.