Century-old Carriage Joins Cheyenne-Area Historian’s Collection

A more than a century-old brougham-style horse-drawn carriage has joined a Cheyenne-area historian’s collection of historic railcars and transportation stock, Cowboy State Daily reported on November 9, 2026.

Michael Pannell purchased the vehicle in Windsor, Colorado. He operates High Plains Railroad Preservation, a nonprofit workshop housed in an old Atlas missile silo near Carpenter, Wyoming.

“I just saw it and thought it was really nice. I’d not restored a carriage before, so I thought I ought to try it,” Pannell said. “The lady was really nice that sold it and she gave me a really good deal, so I thought, well, let’s see what we can do with it.”

The carriage features original rubber-spoked tires and a hand brake on the right-hand side of the driver’s seat. However, the vehicle lacks brake shoes on the rear wheels and the hand brake is missing its linkages.

Pannell plans to handle the woodwork himself. He noted that the bodywork requires attention, including a rotten lower door section and a frozen door hinge.

“It needs bodywork. It’s got some lower part of one of the doors that is rotten,” Pannell said. “There’s a hinge that is frozen on one of the doors, so we’re going to have to try and get that to work.”

The interior suffered damage from mice and features a curtain in the front window with a metal handle for the door latch. Because of the plush interior and curtain, Pannell believes the vehicle was built for a woman in the 1890s.

The original maker and exact production date remain unknown. Pannell noted that the carriage was bought at a 2021 auction in Denver, but a man who knew its history has since died.

The carriage shares workshop space with a 113-year-old Union Pacific boxcar featuring worker signatures and a rare 1949 GMC Union Pacific passenger bus. Pannell has previously restored vintage train cars for Arvada, Colorado, and Union Station in Ogden, Utah.

Pannell has not decided whether the restored carriage will roll in parades or remain a static display. He stated it may appear at occasional shows.

“I kind of envisage maybe taking it to a show here and there or something if people want to see it,” Pannell said. “Other than that, it’ll just stay here for the time being until we decide how far we want to go with it.”