CASPER, Wyo. — The Fort Caspar Museum Association will look at the history of an infamous local train wreck when it hosts its Fall Lunch and Learn program in the coming weeks, as local historian and author Con Trumbull will discuss the Cole Creek train crash that occurred just east of Casper 100 years ago.
The program will last from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23.
On an unusually stormy September evening in 1923, 69 passengers boarded train No. 30. Departing the Burlington Depot in downtown Casper. The train was scheduled to reach Denver the following morning. Just an hour into its voyage, disaster struck — the locomotive and most of the passenger cars plummeted into a chasm left by the washed-out Cole Creek Bridge. The result was Wyoming’s worst passenger rail disaster.
Trumbull. the president of the Fort Caspar Museum Association, is a fifth generation Wyoming rancher from Casper. His love of history and railroads led him to the Nevada Northern Railway in Ely, Nevada, where he is the trainmaster as well as the archivist. He brings first-hand knowledge of operating century-old steam locomotives and passenger cars to provide a unique insight into the Cole Creek Wreck. He co-authored “Images of America: Casper” and was the author for “Images of Rail: Central Wyoming Railroads as well as a children’s book series “The Adventures of Dirt the Shop Cat.”
An optional lunch will be served at non, followed by the lecture at 1 p.m. Reservations are required for the lunch and must be made by Sept. 21. People can call 307-235-8462 to register. The cost for lunch is $5 for FCMA members and $8 for non-members; the lecture is free with a paid lunch or with paid museum admission. The lunch will feature a buffet of fried chicken, sides, dessert, and beverages.
For more information, people can call the museum or visit the museum website here. Fort Caspar Museum is located in Casper at 4001 Fort Caspar Road.
