UtahRails.net

UtahRails.net

Union Pacific Subsidiaries

Coalmont Branch, Wyoming Division

This page was last updated on December 29, 2015.

Laramie, North Park & Western Railroad

• Organized in 1901 as Laramie, Hahn's Peak & Pacific Railway
• Re-organized in 1914 as Colorado, Wyoming & Eastern Railway
• Re-organized as Laramie, North Park & Western Railroad in 1924
• Sold to UP in 1951

The following comes from Union Pacific Steam, Eastern District, by James L. Ehernberger and Francis G. Gschwing:

On January 1, 1936 as part of the overall lease of OSL, LA&SL and OWRR&N, to which Laramie, North Park & Western Railroad and Pacific & Idaho Northern Railway protested, the ICC forced UP to purchase 24,964.4 of the 25,000 shares of LNP&W, along with 100 percent of Pacific & Idaho Northern Railway. (Moody's Transportation Manual, 1959, page 840) (Read more about the P&IN)

As part of the application, when UP applied for control of the St. Joseph & Grand Island, it was protested by the Pacific & Idaho Northern Railway, and Laramie, North Park & Western Railroad; UP was forced to purchase both the P&IN and the LNP&W. The UP purchased 99.7 percent (24,946.4 of the 25,000 common shares) of the LNP&W and the OSL bought 100 percent of the shares of the P&IN. (The Streamliner, Volume 2, Number 1, January 1986, page 37, Q&A 4)

LNP&W was controlled by Union Pacific after 1936. The line was operated as UP's Coalmont Branch beginning on December 1, 1951. The portion of line between Walden and Coalmont was abandoned in 1955. Purchase and operation of Laramie, North Park & Western Railroad by UP was approved and authorized by the federal Interstate Commerce Commission on September 26, 1951. (ICC Finance docket No. 17331)

In November 1987, Union Pacific sold the 92-mile Coalmont Branch to Wyoming Colorado Railroad (WYCO) and short line service between Laramie and Walden started on December 19, 1987. For its first motive power, WYCO leased three former Alaska EMD carbody F units. The two cab units were numbered as Alaska 1510 and 1512, and they kept their numbers WYCO units. The cabless booster unit was Alaska 1511, as well as WYCO 1511. The units were leased from Mountain Diesel Transportation, and later purchased the three locomotives. (Railfan & Railroad magazine, September 2015)

November 30, 1987
Union Pacific made its last run on the Coalmont Branch.

Laramie, North Park & Western Railroad 2-8-2 -- 5 locomotives

LNP&W Number	First Number	Second Number	Builder	Builder Number	Date Built	Date Vacated
LNP&W 4	LHP&P 4	CW&E 4	Baldwin	36661	Jul 1911	Jun 1947
LNP&W 5	LHP&P 5	CW&E 5	Baldwin	36786	Jul 1911
LNP&W 6	LHP&P 6	CW&E 6	Baldwin	37120	Oct 1911	Jun 1947
LNP&W 7	LHP&P 7	CW&E 7	Baldwin	37121	Oct 1911	Jun 1947
LNP&W 8	CW&E 8		Baldwin	47486	Jan 1918

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