Near Guernsey in Platte County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
The Guernsey-Wendover Cutoff
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 9, 2016
1. The Guernsey-Wendover Cutoff Marker
Before Guernsey Reservoir was constructed in 1927, and before Lake Guernsey State Park was developed for recreation in the 1930s, a railroad was built through this area by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy. In 1915, a nine-mile stretch of tracks connected Guernsey to Wendover, located northwest along the North Platte – a difficult engineering feat that included three timber-lined tunnels.
Competing for western markets in the late 1800s, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy built steadily westward. The Burlington, as it was called locally, reached Guernsey in 1900 to haul iron ore from the huge mine at nearby Sunrise. Its network of rails extended from Chicago and Kansas City, westward to the Pacific, and southward to the Gulf of Mexico – except for one 9-mile gap between Guernsey and Wendover.
The Guernsey-Wendover Cutoff was constructed in 1914-1915 across “a piece of very rough country” that required a 640-foot steel truss bridge across the North Platte River and three tunnels. The $2 million price tag made it the most expensive segment of the entire Burlington system. The first train ran the new route on December 4, 1915.
This historic Cutoff provided a vital link
this page online
Tunnel No. 2, the middle of the three tunnels, was located directly beneath this bridge. It was removed to facilitate rail traffic. Tunnels 1 and 2 are still in place.
Erected 1998 by Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars.
Location. 42° 17.994′ N, 104° 47.394′ W. Marker is near Guernsey, Wyoming, in Platte County. Marker is on Skyline Drive near Newell Drive, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Guernsey WY 82214, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Guernsey Tunnel No. 2 (within shouting distance of this marker); Civilian Conservation Corps (approx. ¼ mile away); Brimmer Point (approx. 1.1 miles away); Guernsey State Park Museum (approx. 1.4 miles away); "Million Dollar Biffy" (approx. 1½ miles away); The Castle
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 9, 2016
2. The Guernsey-Wendover Cutoff Marker
More about this marker. The marker is located at the southeast corner of the overpass.
Also see . . . The Burlington Route: Wyoming’s Second Transcontinental Railroad -- WyoHistory. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy had two reasons for investing in Wyoming. First, the company wanted Wyoming’s timber, coal and iron to sell in eastern markets, and also for operating its large network stretching from Denver, Colo. back to Chicago, Ill. More importantly, railroad officials saw that northern Wyoming lay at the crossroads of the northern Rockies. Wyoming offered the best routes for transcontinental lines originating in the Midwest and South and terminating in the Pacific Northwest. (Submitted on October 5, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 9, 2016
3. The Guernsey-Wendover Cutoff Marker
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 9, 2016
4. The section of Burlington Northern track daylighted by the removal of Tunnel No. 2
Credits. This page was last revised on May 16, 2018. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 659 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 5, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
