Cheyenne (UP & BNSF)

Cheyenne sits at milepost 509 on Union Pacific's Laramie Subdivision, where the Overland Route begins its climb toward Sherman Hill. The best public viewing starts at the Cheyenne Depot Museum at 121 W 15th Street, which offers a second-floor observation area overlooking the UP yard and main line. From here you can watch trains assembling in the yard and departing west toward Borie and the three-track ascent of Sherman Hill.

For trackside viewing west of town, WY-225 (Happy Jack Road) parallels the UP main line for roughly 15 miles between Cheyenne and Borie. A county road overpass at Borie (GPS: N 41.08677, W 104.96389) provides an elevated vantage point over the junction where Track 3 (the Harriman Cutoff) diverges from Tracks 1 and 2. West of the I-80 junction at mile marker 348, access is limited to rough gravel roads branching off the interstate.

BNSF's Front Range Subdivision tracks run through the south side of town, connecting Denver to Wendover, Wyoming. This former Colorado and Southern line sees lighter but consistent traffic. The UP and BNSF networks intersect near central Cheyenne, creating opportunities to see both Class I railroads within a short distance.

Scanner frequencies for the area: UP Laramie Sub road channel is 160.470 MHz (Cheyenne to Hanna, Dispatcher 14), with 160.680 MHz for the Cheyenne Yard channel and 161.070 MHz for the Car Department. BNSF Front Range Sub uses 161.160 MHz (Wendover to Utah Junction). A scanner is highly recommended as it helps predict train movements on Sherman Hill.

Cheyenne occupies the High Plains of southeastern Wyoming at approximately 6,062 feet elevation, perched at the eastern base of the Laramie Mountains. The landscape is defined by vast open grassland stretching east to the horizon, with the rocky foothills of the Laramie Range rising to the west — the geographic barrier that forced the original transcontinental railroad builders to engineer Sherman Hill.

The climate is characterized by over 230 sunny days per year, persistent wind, and dramatic temperature swings. Summer brings warm days in the 80s-90s°F with afternoon thunderstorms and spectacular lightning displays. Winter conditions can be harsh, with blowing snow, icy roads, and wind chill well below zero. The wind is near-constant year-round and can affect camera stability — bring a sturdy tripod.

The Cheyenne Depot dominates the downtown railroad corridor. Built of polychromatic sandstone quarried near Fort Collins, Colorado, its six-story clock tower with four 6-foot-4-inch diameter clock faces is visible from much of the surrounding area. The Richardsonian Romanesque architecture creates a striking backdrop for train photography, especially during golden hour when the warm sandstone glows against the Wyoming sky.

Union Pacific's Overland Route through Cheyenne carries heavy transcontinental freight traffic. The corridor handles intermodal double-stacks (including premium Z-train service), manifest freight, unit grain trains, ethanol, and significant Powder River Basin coal traffic moving east from Wyoming mines. UP operates approximately 874 miles of track across Wyoming.

Between Cheyenne and Laramie, the three-track main line over Sherman Hill accommodates intense traffic. Tracks 1 and 2 follow the original alignment with a 1.55% ruling grade, while Track 3 (the Harriman Cutoff, built 1951-1953) maintains a gentler grade under 1% (0.82%). Eastbound and priority westbound trains typically use the double-track main, while slower westbound trains take Track 3 for its easier gradient. The summit at Sherman stands at 8,015 feet — the highest point on the UP transcontinental main line.

BNSF's Front Range Subdivision (former Colorado and Southern Railway) connects Denver to Wendover, Wyoming via Cheyenne. BNSF owns 965 route miles in Wyoming and moves predominantly coal (over 200 million tons annually from PRB mines statewide), along with grain and petroleum products. The Front Range Sub sees moderate traffic compared to UP's Overland Route.

There is no current Amtrak service to Cheyenne. The Pioneer route, which last served the nearby Borie station, was discontinued in 1997.

The Cheyenne Depot Museum building itself is one of the most photogenic railroad structures in the American West. Its Richardsonian Romanesque facade, six-story clock tower, and 331-foot length (after the 1922 expansion) create a dramatic backdrop. Shoot from the Depot Plaza on the south side for the full building with trains passing behind. Afternoon light (west-facing) illuminates the sandstone facade best.

For train action, the Hynds Boulevard overpass provides an elevated perspective over the UP yard and approaching trains. The second-floor viewing area inside the Depot Museum offers a sheltered vantage point — particularly useful in Cheyenne's notorious wind.

The Borie overpass on a county road off WY-225 (GPS: N 41.08677, W 104.96389) is a classic Sherman Hill photo location. From here, long telephoto lenses (200-400mm) can capture trains with the Laramie Mountains as a backdrop. Morning light is best for westbound trains at this location.

Big Boy 4004 in Holliday Park (East 17th Street and Morrie Avenue) makes an excellent static subject. The locomotive is accessible year-round with no fencing, allowing close-up detail shots. Visit during the UP heritage fleet's annual appearance at Cheyenne Frontier Days (late July) for the rare opportunity to photograph Big Boy 4014 or Northern 844 under steam in their home territory.

Cheyenne was founded on July 4, 1867, by Union Pacific surveyor Grenville M. Dodge, who selected the site at Crow Creek for its water supply and the natural ramp westward through the Laramie Mountains — a geological feature known as the Gangplank. Named after the Cheyenne tribe, the town grew rapidly as UP construction crews pushed the first transcontinental railroad toward Promontory Summit, Utah.

Sherman Hill, the great engineering challenge west of Cheyenne, required a crossing of the Continental Divide at an original summit elevation of 8,247 feet with grades up to 1.92%. A massive 650-foot wooden trestle spanning Dale Creek, 127 feet high, became one of the engineering marvels of its era. In 1901, Edward H. Harriman's UP rerouted the line through Hermosa Tunnel (1,800 feet long), lowering the summit by 232 feet to 8,015 feet. The Harriman Cutoff (Track 3) was added in 1951-1953 with a sub-1% grade.

UP's Cheyenne shops opened April 16, 1890, and became the base for the railroad's most powerful steam locomotives. The legendary 4-8-8-4 Big Boy class — 25 locomotives built by ALCO in Schenectady, NY between 1941 and 1944 — was specifically designed to conquer Sherman Hill's grades. Big Boy 4014, built November 1941, was restored at the Cheyenne Steam Shop between 2014 and 2019, returning to service in May 2019 as the world's largest operating steam locomotive. Northern 844 (4-8-4, built 1944) holds the distinction of being the last steam locomotive never officially retired by a Class I railroad. Both are maintained at the UP Steam Shop at 200 West Union Pacific Avenue.

The Cheyenne Depot, designed by architect Henry Van Brunt (Van Brunt and Howe, Boston) in Richardsonian Romanesque style, was completed in November 1887. It was expanded in 1922 by 114 feet to its current 331-foot length and renovated with Art Deco interiors in 1929. Designated a National Historic Landmark, the building was donated by UP to the City of Cheyenne in 1993 and now houses the Depot Museum.

Cheyenne is the only place in the world where you can see a fully operational 4-8-8-4 Big Boy locomotive in its home shop. The UP Steam Shop at 200 West Union Pacific Avenue houses Big Boy 4014 — restored to operating condition from 2014 to 2019 — and Northern 844. While the shop is inside an active rail yard and normally closed to the public, the Depot Museum occasionally offers guided tours ($40/person). Big Boy 4014 became the first steam locomotive ever equipped with Positive Train Control (PTC) technology.

The combination of two Class I railroads (UP and BNSF), the nation's highest transcontinental main line crossing at Sherman Hill, an operating heritage steam fleet, a National Historic Landmark depot with a museum, and a static Big Boy display at Holliday Park makes Cheyenne arguably the most complete railfan destination in Wyoming. The annual Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration in late July typically features UP heritage fleet excursions, bringing 4014 or 844 under steam to their home territory.

Eight Big Boys survive worldwide: 4004 at Holliday Park in Cheyenne, 4006 in St. Louis, 4012 in Scranton, 4014 in the Cheyenne Steam Shop (operational), 4017 in Green Bay, 4018 in Dallas, 4023 in Omaha, and 4005 in Denver. Cheyenne is the only city with two Big Boys — one on static display and one operational.