Lusk, a Day in the Life - Railroad History
A Day in the Life, Lusk was held on Saturday, August 8 as part of the America 250 / Explore Niobrara events.
The History of the Railroad was presented in three parts with Leslie Stewart, Mike Larson and Terrilou Nelson. The event was held at the Stagecoach Museum.
Click here for the video presentation.
Terrilou Nelson's talk:
It is a pleasure to be here today to share a little about the history of the Lusk Depot, the Powder River Coal Line, and the dedicated people who keep one of America’s busiest freight corridors moving every day.
The railroad has always been more than steel rails and locomotives. It is about the people who build it, maintain it and depend on it. It connects communities, powers industries, and has been an important part of eastern Wyoming for generations.
On that day, torrential rainfall caused widespread flooding throughout the area. The flood destroyed approximately nine miles of railroad track, two mainlines switches, and completely changed the landscape surrounding the depot. Every building around and including the depot was impacted. Railroad trucks and maintenance vehicles suffered extensive damage, and the flood left a tremendous amount of destruction in its wake.
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges was the four trains that became stranded because of the severe damage to the railroad. With the Powder River Subdivision cut in two coal transportation came to a standstill. The Powder River Coal Line is important in North America, and when the traffic stops it has effects far beyond Wyoming.
The railroad immediately shifted into recovery mode. Employees from multiple departments worked around the clock to inspect damage, rebuild the railroad, and safely restore operations.
Just four days later, on June 8, Main track Number Two was reopened to traffic. Shortly afterward, Main Track Number One was also returned to service. Considering the magnitude of the destruction, restoring rail service in such a short amount of time was an incredible accomplishment and demonstrated the commitment and professionalism of Union Pacific employees and contractors.
Although train operations resumed, the depot itself had suffered significant damage. Because the building could no longer function as an office, a man-camp trailer was brought in to serve as the temporary depot. What was intended as a temporary solution ended up serving employees for several years while plans for restoring the historic depot moved forward.
Then, in late 2021 and early 2022, restoration of the depot finally became a reality. Rather than replacing history, the goal was to preserve it.
The beautiful original woodwork throughout the building was carefully cleaned, repaired, and restored. Craftsmen spent countless hours bringing the building back to life while preserving its historic character.
One of the most fascinating discoveries occurred during the restoration itself. While contractors were working inside the building, they uncovered an old trolley system hidden in the floor. Years ago, this trolley had been used to move passengers’ luggage throughout the depot. It was a remarkable reminder that this building once served a very different purpose than it does today.
Today, the depot is much quieter than it was during the passenger rail era. Instead of bustling travelers carrying suitcases, the building now serves approximately ten employees.
It houses offices for the Signal Department, Engineering Department, and Work Equipment personnel. While the depot no longer handles passengers, it remains an important operational center supporting railroad activities throughout the area.
The Lusk Depot is part of the Great Plains Service Unit. That service unit includes operations throughout Kearney, Columbus, North Platte, Morrill, Gering, Sidney, and Lusk. Together, these locations support one of Union Pacific’s most important responsibilities – moving coal safely and efficiently from the Powder River Basin to customers throughout the United States.
Coal transportation continues to be the primary business of the Powder River Subdivision. To appreciate the scale of these operations, consider the size of a typical coal train.
On average, a coal train consists of between 120 to 140 cars. We currently run “combo” trains, two trains put together with two or three locomotives in the middle. These are about two miles long.
A loaded coal train weighs anywhere from approximately 15,000 to 20,000 million gross tons. After the coal has been delivered and the train returns empty to Wyoming, that same train weighs only about 3,000 MGTs.
Every one of those trains represents an enormous amount of energy moving across the country.
On an average day, approximately 20 trains operate over this territory. Most of those trains complete their entire round trip – from the mine to the customer and back again – in approximately seven to ten days.
Keeping that many trains moving safely requires constant attention to the railroad itself. As Manager of Track Maintenance here in Lusk, I have had the privilege of working alongside dedicated employees who take great pride in maintaining this railroad
Since coming into this position, one of our goals has been to continually improve the quality of the tracks so trains can operate safely and efficiently.
One of our most significant recent projects was an undercutting program. Undercutting is a specialized maintenance process that removes the ballast from underneath the railroad ties. The ballast is then cleaned before being placed back underneath the track.
This process may not sound exciting, but it is extremely important.
Over time, mud and fine materials work their way into the ballast, preventing proper drainage and reducing the track’s ability to support heavy trains.
By removing that contaminated material and restoring proper drainage, undercutting helps eliminate mud-related track problems.
In other words, trains spend less time slowing down and more time moving efficiently.
Another major improvement over the past two years has been our concrete tie replacement program. Tens of thousands of concrete ties have been replaced throughout the Powder River Coal Line.
Concrete ties are essential for supporting the tremendous weight of today’s heavy-haul freight trains. Replacing work ties before they fail helps maintain track geometry, improves reliability, and enhances safety. These maintenance projects require tremendous teamwork.
Numerous maintenance gangs have worked throughout this territory, and their dedication has made a real difference.
Their efforts help ensure that coal trains continue moving through Lusk every day. Track maintenance is often something people never notice unless something goes wrong.
But behind every train is an entire team of employees inspecting rail, replacing ties, surfacing track, cleaning ballast, maintaining crossings, servicing signals, and responding whenever problems arise.
The work is physically demanding, often performed in difficult weather conditions, and frequently takes place around the clock. It is work that deserves recognition because it keeps America’s freight railroad operating safely.
Coal remains the primary commodity moving through Lusk, but it is certainly not the only one. Union Pacific has also expanded its operations by hauling frac sand by rail from Yoder to Douglas.
Currently, there are generally two frac sand trains each week.
Unlike coal trains, which typically make a seven – to ten – day turnaround, these frac sand movements usually complete their round trip in approximately three days.
Sometimes only a small group of sand cars is added to an existing coal train. Other times, an entire train consisting of approximately 60 – 80 cars makes the trip.
These additional shipments provide another source of freight traffic for the railroad and demonstrate how rail transportation continues adapting to meet changing customer needs.
As we look toward the future, many people ask what lies ahead for the Powder River Coal Line.
No one can predict exactly what the future will bring.
Energy Markets change.
Technology changes.
Government policies and regulations also play a major role in shaping energy production and transportation throughout the United States.
Those decisions will certainly influence the future demand for coal.
However, despite those uncertainties, I believe the Powder River Coal Line will continue to play an important role for many years to come.
Coal remains an important source of electricity generation in many parts of the country. The infrastructure that supports moving this commodity has been built over decades.
The railroad continues investing in maintaining and improving that infrastructure because reliable transportation remains essential for our customers.
In addition, railroads continue finding opportunities to move new commodities, such as frac sand and other products that help diversify traffic across the network.
That flexibility has always been one of the railroad industry's greatest strengths. Looking back over the past decade, it is remarkable to consider everything the Lusk Depot has experienced.
It survived one of the most destructive floods in the area’s history.
It watched nine miles of railroad disappear beneath floodwater.
It saw four trains stranded and operations temporarily halted.
Employees worked from a trailer for years while plans were made to restore the building.
Today, that same historic depot stands proudly once again.
Its beautiful woodwork has been restored.
Its offices continue supporting the employees who keep trains moving every day.
The depot serves as a reminder that while equipment, technology, and operations continue to evolve, the railroad’s commitment to serving its customers and communities remain unchanged.
The story of the Lusk Depot is ultimately a story of resilience.
It is about rebuilding after disaster.
It is about preserving history while preparing for the future.
Most importantly, it is about the people.
The engineers, conductors, dispatchers, signal maintainers, track workers, bridge crews, mechanical employees, contractors, supervisors, and countless others whose dedication keeps this railroad operating every single day.
Their work often goes unnoticed. But without them, none of this would be possible.
I am proud to be part of that team, proud of the improvements we have made to our railroad, and proud of the role Lusk continues to play on the Powder River Coal Line.
I believe the commodities we move today – and those we will move tomorrow – will continue to keep trains rolling through Lusk, Wyoming, for years to come.
Thank you for allowing me to share the story of the Lusk Depot, our railroad, and hardworking people who make it all possible.