Steam & Excursion > CFD? Cheyenne question.

While planning a trip to California we decided to leave Tulsa and go North to the Overland Route, make a left turn and go to Sacramento then make another left to Fresno. Along the way we will stop at North Platte, Cheyenne, Ogden, Golden Spike NHS, Portola and a few other interesting spots to visit museums, railfan and ride some trains. When I looked up the Cheyenne Depot Museum it mentioned that during the time we would be there that it was the "CFD" Emporium and noted other "CFD" related events. Not knowing what CFD was I did another search and found it stands for Cheyenne Frontier Days. I guess if you are a local you know what CFD is, I didn't. But I have heard of the event. I determined to avoid Cheyenne and the crowds.
Then I remembered that UP runs a special train from Denver just for the event and we will be passing through that same morning. My question; is it possible to photograph the train arriving in town. I just want to get one decent shot of the train then get back on I-80 and keep heading West. I noted a dirt road to a crossing just West of town off 255 leading to Clear Lake Reservoir. Seems like this would work, open with a slight curve toward the morning sun, but I have never been to Cheyenne and was hoping for a little guidance from someone familiar with the area. Thanks, Marc

Marc,
Well if you get off I-80 at the I-25 north exit and get right off of it at the West Lincolnway exit you will be on the west side of town and away from most of the madness. Now West Lincolnway parallels the north side of the 4 UP mainlines and the train from Denver will come into Cheyenne on tracks 3&4, the farthest two to the south. I am sure there will be a railfan fiasco at Tower A at the west end of Cheyenne yard just west of the BNSF bridge but that is one spot to get it from. west of the I-80 overpass the two south mainlines turn south and have less access to them from there.
If you go south on I-25 and exit at the Hi Plains/ Swan Ranch industrial road, you can work your way to the west and to the back of that area and next to 3&4 tracks to catch them coming around off the Denver line into Cheyenne.
I hope you and the family have safe trip. Remember Evanston still has a good sized piece of the old engine facility including much of the roundhouse and turntable.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

laramie and green river also have neat pedestrian overpasses

I'll second Bob's comments ... both about Cheyenne and about Evanston, WY on I-80 ... Evanston has done a very nice job about preserving their RR heritage ... not really "restoring" to what it was, but at least preserving the external appearance of some of the buildings including the roundhouse ... well worth a pull off the interstate and "smell the roses" kind of adventure ... the depot at Ogden is also well worth the time ... both the depot and it's architecture are worth the time to see, plus the road engines on exhibit there are great ... there's also the Browning Arms Museum in the depot ... a lot of history there too going back to WWI and WWII ... Make sure you have the current schedule for the steam engine moves for Promontory NHS ... it's about a 45-minute drive (depending upon I-15 traffic) from Ogden ... another very worthwhile sojourn.

Cheers,

Odyssey

Evergreen, CO

Bob3985 Wrote:
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> <SNIP> I am sure there will be a railfan fiasco at
> Tower A at the west end of Cheyenne yard just west
> of the BNSF bridge but that is one spot to get it
> from. <SNIP>

It's going to be interesting to see how much fewer people will be out, both public and chasers, since it won't have steam on it.
~wko

dan Wrote:
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> laramie and green river also have neat pedestrian
> overpasses


The CFD special does not run through Laramie. It goes up into Speer Junction then east into cheyenne.

Thanks guys. I think I will be able to get a photo there. Yes I realize there will be no steam this year but I have lots of shots of UP steam, though none on the "real" UP. Plenty on former MP,SP,MKT, etc. Heck 844 spent the night just 10 miles from my house one year. They normally use this line through Okla. to reach Arkansas and Texas. But I have never photographed the yellow streamliner without something black in front. So I will be pleased to get that. Thanks for the info about Evanston, I wasn't aware the facilities still existed. Attached is a shot from 2006 on the ex Rock Island Pecos river bridge at Logan, NM just outside Tucumcari. Thanks again, Marc



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/14 20:55 by MP4093.

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dan Wrote:
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> laramie and green river also have neat pedestrian
> overpasses

Yeah. Wait for the CFD train there. NOT