An 0-4-0T tank engine that spent decades switching tank cars at an oil refinery in Casper, Wyo., will return home to the Cowboy State thanks to the efforts of a local historian and two museums.
Standard Oil Company of Indiana locomotive No. 1 was built by the American Locomotive Company’s Cooke Works in Paterson, N.J., in 1920. It spent decades working at the refinery, one of the world’s largest, until it was retired in the early 1960s. In 1962, it was acquired by the Colorado Railroad Museum and put on display in Golden, Colo.
Over the past year, railroader, author and historian Con Trumbull — who also works as the archivist and assistant trainmaster at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum — has worked with the Fort Caspar Museum and the Colorado Railroad Museum to help bring the locomotive home to Wyoming. Plans call for the engine to be displayed near the museum entrance and incorporated into a larger exhibit about the city’s oil industry.
“We are excited about what this project means for Casper history, and Con’s dedication and persistence have been instrumental in moving this project forward,” said Steve Gainer, Fort Caspar Museum supervisor. “He recognized this locomotive’s historical importance to Casper years ago and has devoted an extraordinary amount of time and effort toward bringing it home. He is very committed to preserving our community’s history.”
Colorado Railroad Museum Executive Director Paul Hammond said the locomotive will have a better home in Wyoming, where it can be used to tell local stories.
“Through careful consideration and thoughtful deaccessioning — in cases where we either have artifacts unrelated to Colorado, or duplicates of other more significant objects — the Colorado Railroad Museum is working to place selected items with new owners. The goal is to better target our existing resources, including space, so the museum can continue to collect artifacts and rolling stock that focus on telling the rich railroad history and diverse stories of Colorado,” Hammond said in a press release.
The Fort Caspar Museum is launching a campaign to raise $15,000 to cover the transportation, cosmetic restoration and other costs associated with bringing the locomotive home. For more information, visit fortcaspar.org/standard-oil-locomotive.
—Justin Franz
