I do not have any information on this abandoned route. If you know anything about this route, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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This was abandoned about 1982. I am not sure how far west though. I believe all of the NE portion is gone. It is now a very long bike path Norfork to at least Valentine, NE.
James Heydt Lincoln, NE 2/5/2012
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Built in the 1880's, the Cowboy Line was abandoned by the Chicago and Northwestern between Van Tassell, Wyoming and Crawford Nebraska in 1991 after a storm caused many washouts on the line. In 1992 the 321 miles of track between Norfolk and Chadron, Nebraska were abandoned. In 1994 the Nebkota Railway started operations on the westernmost 74 miles between Merriman and Chadron, hauling mostly grain. In 2006 the railroad abandoned 43 miles between Merriman and Rushville and in 2007 abandoned most of the remaining line. The Nebkota retained 4 miles of track from Chadron to the east and has a small grain loading facility on the line.
A grandson of the Sandhills Northern, MN 2/24/2012
The Van Tassell-Crawford portion of the line was abandoned after a May 10th 1991 storm dropped 7" of rain in about an hour in the area. The rain caused a flash flood with a wall of water 15-18' high on the White River, destroying the line through White River Canyon west of Crawford.
Source: Rapid City Journal article - June 15, 2011.
A grandson of the sandhills Northern, MN 3/27/2012
This line ended at the Purina grain elevator in Lander. You can keep an eye on that elevator at http://www.wyoroad.info/highway/webcameras/US287Lander/US287Lander.html.
Richard Gilpin St. Louis, MO 4/18/2012