Cheyenne railroad fan racing to save forgotten CB&Q line before it vanishes

CHEYENNE — When most people drive the back roads of Wyoming, they see empty prairie, distant fence lines and maybe an occasional wind-bent tree. Cheyenne railroad enthusiast Michael Pannell has his eye on something else entirely: traces of long-abandoned railroads and the forgotten structures that once went with them.

His latest fascination is the old Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad line that ran between Cheyenne and Sterling, Colorado, from 1887 to 1974. Pannell has been walking stretches of the line for 25 years, but lately he’s felt urgency. “I’ve seen some landowners clearing a lot of areas and encroaching on the railway and plowing bits in and demolishing stuff,” he said. “It’s just fading away quicker now than it ever has.”

Pannell has already pinpointed a boxcar he wants to save for a small display near Arcola, which he envisions featuring a restored CB&Q boxcar and original signage. He’s also recovered an original depot sign and a milepost. Through his nonprofit, High Plains Railroad Preservation, Pannell is working to restore a 113-year-old Union Pacific boxcar and other historic railcars. “It’s always a shame to see history lost or forgotten,” he said. “It’s a way of life that just doesn’t exist at all anymore.”