All Aboard!

Here at the High Plains Museum we have the exhibit of Goodland Treasurers up.  This exhibit shows some of the treasurers of Goodland as well as explaining why Goodland is special.  One of Goodland’s treasures would be the railroad.  The railroad started the serve Goodland in 1888 and continues to serve Goodland today. 

The C.K. and N. railroad was built through Goodland to much jubilation.  The C.K. and N. stands for the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway and was a part of the Rock Island System.  July 3, 1888 is when the first train came into Goodland carrying equipment to finish the railway.  July 4, 1888 was the celebration day in Goodland for that’s when the “Great Rock Island Route” was finished and had officially arrived in Goodland.  The railway connected Goodland to Colorado Springs and Denver and made Goodland an important stopping point on the railway.

The picture to the left shows the C.K. & N. Brooks 4-4-0 engine #1 which was built in 1886 and scrapped in 1925.  This train was a passenger train.  The railroad is a Goodland Treasure because it helped establish Goodland as the town it is.  Other towns like Edson, Ruleton and Kanorado sprang up thanks to the railroad, with Edson being the last town started in the county.  The railway could transport grain, livestock, and other goods.  While a passenger train no longer services Goodland Kyle Railroad is an important part of Goodland.  Kyle Railroad moves wheat, soybeans, milo, corn, alcohols, siding asphalt and roofing granules.  In 2010 alone Kyle moved more than 21,000 cars over its 625 miles of tracks.

While the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway no longer services Goodland, it helped establish Goodland as the town it is today.  The railroad connected Goodland to Colorado and made a fast and efficient way to travel.  Today the Kyle Railroad serves Goodland to transport the goods of Sherman County.