Well today i went out on a mission today to find a long lost depot that supposedly exists nr Cheyenne.....not only did we find the Carr Colorado depot complete but in two halves, we also found a most staggering surviving early UP boxcar.
Pictures attached
This boxcar may date from the 1860's as the writing includes UNION PACIFIC RAILWAY not Railroad and the lettering the other end is CALIFORNIA FAST FREIGHT LINE
We have to rescue this one when the time comes....

Mike Pannell
Cheyenne

Industrial archaeology at its best! Well done, guys!

Well done indeed! Lots of work to be done, but the basic structure of both (with the exception of the depot being cut in half) seems to be complete and it looks like there might even be a fair amount of hardware left on the boxcar.

Was there sheathing over the original siding on the other side as on the near end? If so, and there aren't too many door/window openings (or better yet, none at all), then there might be a complete car number or other identifying information still in place; even the remaining hardware might help determine both who the builder was and when it may have been built.

Hi there
Well here is the history as far as we now know on the boxcar Its a UP 40000 series boxcar either OSL 40050, or 40150, or UP 40250 or 40350. built from June 1884.
Hopefully we will pin numbers down on the inside.
The depot is like a time capsule inside, ticket windows, cash drawers and telegraph desk all in situ along with lots of other fittings and lathe and plaster walls !

Mike Pannell

Nice finds, Mike!

Every time I see such amazing finds of ancient buildings and cars in decent shape, I really envy your climate. With our wet, humid spring and summer, cooler but often wet fall and heavy winter snow, such artifacts would have been destroyed decades ago. Even "preserved" equipment is difficult to preserve up here.

Keep up the great work on 57. I always look forward to your updates... you do very nice work.

Incidentally, could you tell whether all the windows were cut in for work service, or by the farmer? The near window on the side appears to be a railroad modification with neatly installed bracing, as opposed to a chain saw "hack job" without regard to structural integrity.

Regarding the original (or most recent) number, it may be very clear on the car ends. If it was legible when the siding and roofing was installed, it should be well protected.

Steve Hunter
Cardinal, Ontario

Another couple of shots of the fruit line boxcar nr Cheyenne inc a prototype photograph.

Mike Pannell

It is interesting to see how much of this early railroad equipment still exists in one form or another. I haven't been out west but it seems the climate there is much more conductive to preserving this stuff.

Seeing the old lettering on that car is really something...thanks, Mike!

(1/30/2012. Apologies for reviving an old thread.)

Mike,
So that's a refrigerated boxcar, correct?

Searching on-line, I ran across "California Fast Freight Line" refrigerated service offered jointly by UP and SP. The photo below is an example:
http://www.sacramentohistory.org/admin/ ... 8_2237.jpg

The photo caption reads:

<< West Oakland yard crew with Southern Pacific steam locomotive 307 and freight car lettered "California Fast Freight Line." The Southern Pacific and the Union Pacific joined in 1885 to form the "California Fast Freight Line" to guarantee the swift shipment of fruit across the Overland Route. Ice blocks were placed at each end of the ventilated box cars to cool the car's contents. >> (source: Sacramento History Online)

The car you found near Cheyenne is a real treasure. What an outstanding artifact.

I can't wait to see your team go to work on it.

(PS. Are you guys set up to accept donations?)

Hi there
Yes it is astonishing but very much on a back burner, we can accept donations via the Cheyenne Depot Museum.

http://www.cheyennedepotmuseum.org/

Mike Pannell
Cheyenne