Cheyenne Retiree Enjoys Building Intricate Wooden Trains
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Some people make a hobby out of building wooden cars or planes. Wilbur Craig’s interest leans towards trains. Big‚ big trains.
Craig’s most famous model to date is Big Boy‚ a replica of an actual locomotive that currently is on display in Cheyenne. At six feet long‚ the train has 9‚000 wooden pieces and‚ when pulled‚ has 90 parts that move simultaneously. Like most of Craig’s wooden masterpieces‚ it has neither nails nor screws and can be disassembled.
Oh‚ and he built it from looking at pictures and his own drawings - not a blueprint in sight.
“I started building things when I was 12 years old‚ working with my dad‚” Craig says. “I helped him to rebuild some cars‚ including a 1949 Buick convertible. I’d love to know where that’s at today.”
After he married‚ he occasionally worked with wood to build toys such as bulldozers for his children. “I only built one‚ but my wife said I’d better do two more because we had three kids‚” he recalls.
When he retired from a career that included stints at Ford‚ the Wyoming Highway Department and even dog grooming‚ he began to putter around with wood again. Soon the locomotives started coming out of his workshop.
“I’ve got enough in there to start a museum‚” he says. “I guess a piece of wood is just a challenge to me. I’ve put some things in shows‚ even went out to Hollywood to an art show with Big Boy and won the grand prize. They’ve got it in the museum here now and just paid a lot of money for a case for it‚ so I guess they won’t give it back to me now.”
Despite the prizes and national acclaim‚ Craig remains quite humble about his skills.
“Like I said‚ I like the challenge. People don’t believe I never went to art school or anything. I just tell them that it’s a gift from God.”
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Antony Boshier
