Laramie, North Park and Western Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Laramie, North Park and Western Railroad was a railroad in the U.S. state
s of Wyoming
and Colorado
between Laramie, Wyoming
and Coalmont, Colorado
. It operated under several different names between 1901 and 1951 prior to absorption by the Union Pacific Railroad
.
30 miles (48.3 km) west of Laramie at the base of the mountains. Under the auspices of the Acme Consolidated Gold & Mining Company the partners constructed a sawmill, lumber yard, newspaper and other improvements. Fighting financial issues, the railroad did not arrive in Centennial until 1907 after mining operations in the Snowy Range has mostly died out.
The company opted to go south to North Park
in Colorado
. The company bought part of a coal deposit near Walden, Colorado
and named it Coalmont. The first train reached Walden in October, 1911 and Coalmont in December. The line was very difficult and expensive to operate during winter. In 1914 the company was unable to pay its mortgage and the Colorado, Wyoming and Eastern Railroad took control of the line. In April 1924 the line was sold to new owners that renamed it the Northern Colorado and Eastern Railroad Company. The citizens in Laramie requested the name of the town be in the line, so in June it was renamed again as Laramie, North Park and Western Railroad.
The line continued to struggle through the 1930s, and the Interstate Commerce Commission
urged Union Pacific to take over. In 1935 the UP acquired control of the LNP&W, and Union Pacific ran the line under the LNP&W name until 1951 when the companies merged, the line becoming the Coalmont Branch of the Union Pacific, and the LNP&W depot in Laramie was closed. Shortline Wyoming Colorado Railroad
bought the line in 1987, and subsequently abandoned it.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
between Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
and Coalmont, Colorado
Coalmont, Colorado
Coalmont is an unincorporated town and U.S. Post Office in Jackson County, Colorado, United States. The Coalmont Post Office has the ZIP Code 80430.-See also:* Jackson County, Colorado* List of cities and towns in Colorado* State of Colorado...
. It operated under several different names between 1901 and 1951 prior to absorption by the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
.
History
The railroad was established in 1901 as the Laramie, Hahns Peak and Pacific Railway Company by Issac Van Horn, who planned to construct the line to the mining camps near Gold Hill in the Snowy Range west of Laramie. Van Horn and his partners also invested in the mining camp of CentennialCentennial, Wyoming
Centennial is a census-designated place in Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 191 at the 2000 census.-History:As the Union Pacific Railroad was pushing west to link up with the Central Pacific Railroad, as part of the First Transcontinental Railroad, they sent logging crews...
30 miles (48.3 km) west of Laramie at the base of the mountains. Under the auspices of the Acme Consolidated Gold & Mining Company the partners constructed a sawmill, lumber yard, newspaper and other improvements. Fighting financial issues, the railroad did not arrive in Centennial until 1907 after mining operations in the Snowy Range has mostly died out.
The company opted to go south to North Park
North Park (Colorado basin)
North Park is a high, sparsely populated basin in the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado in the United States. It encompasses a wide valley in Jackson County rimmed by mountain ranges at the headwaters of the North Platte River and several smaller tributaries, including the Michigan River,...
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The company bought part of a coal deposit near Walden, Colorado
Walden, Colorado
The Town of Walden is a Statutory Town that is the county seat of, and the only incorporated municipality in, Jackson County, Colorado, United States. It is situated in the center of a large open valley called North Park. People from Walden and the surrounding area refer to themselves as "North...
and named it Coalmont. The first train reached Walden in October, 1911 and Coalmont in December. The line was very difficult and expensive to operate during winter. In 1914 the company was unable to pay its mortgage and the Colorado, Wyoming and Eastern Railroad took control of the line. In April 1924 the line was sold to new owners that renamed it the Northern Colorado and Eastern Railroad Company. The citizens in Laramie requested the name of the town be in the line, so in June it was renamed again as Laramie, North Park and Western Railroad.
The line continued to struggle through the 1930s, and the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
urged Union Pacific to take over. In 1935 the UP acquired control of the LNP&W, and Union Pacific ran the line under the LNP&W name until 1951 when the companies merged, the line becoming the Coalmont Branch of the Union Pacific, and the LNP&W depot in Laramie was closed. Shortline Wyoming Colorado Railroad
Wyoming Colorado Railroad
The Wyoming Colorado Railroad was a shortline railroad formerly operating three separate divisions in Colorado, Wyoming, and Oregon. Of the original system, only the Oregon division is still in operation as the Oregon Eastern Railroad....
bought the line in 1987, and subsequently abandoned it.