Denver & Rio Grande Western

This page will finish up the mainline from the junction point of Dotsero to SaltLake City, Utah.  West of Glenwood Springs the counrty becomes more open desert with fewer towns and even fewer trees.
This page will begin at Dotsero and then the canyon east of Glenwood Springs.

Glenwood Springs is one of the more popular destinations in Colorado.  With a rich history, beautiful scenery and plenty of things to see and do, it is a tourist mecca.  The Rio Grande station serves as a magnificent gateway to the town.  Located along the river and right in the heart of town, the station serves as a focal point.  The Rio Grande kept the railfan busy with plenty of trains. 

Amtrak's California Zephyr stops here daily.  At times the trains can meet right here in the station.  In this photo, several of the Rio Grande company business cars tag along at the end of the train.  The Rio Grande did not join Amtrak in 1971 and continued to run its own passenger service, the Rio Grande Zephyr between Denver and Salt Lake City.  I will have a full page on my 1979 trip on the RGZ soon.

Empty coal train, number 798, arrives at Glenwood Springs on 9-13-1989.  Leading is SD50 5505 with veteran SD45 5518 as the second unit.  GP40 3088 is assigned to a work train this day.

Train 798 heads down the Aspen branch toward the Mid-Coninental Mine near Carbondale, CO.  Views above include the south side of Glenwood Springs, Cardiff and Coal Creek trestle.  At the mine the units run around the train and begin the flood loading process.  The depot at Carbondale was an American Legion post.  9-13-1989.

Following train number 187 with 5409 leading west of Glenwood Springs.      Passing through the town of Rifle, CO.  9-12-1989. 

Other trains seen on September 12, 1989 include train 144 eastbound with 3118 leading.  Passing through the town of Silt, CO.

Train 187 arrives at Grand Junction.  Grand Junction serves as a crew change point and has a fairly large classification yard.  It was busy at this time, but with the closure of the Tennessee Pass line to Pueblo and Union Pacific's limited use of the Rio Grande as a through route it is not as busy today.  SD9 5303 is on the hump.  Yes, I do have a photo of the RGZ while stoppoed here during my 1979 trip.  I will add it later.

I had a day during my cross-country trip back in 1979 to visit the Salt Lake City area.  These are all taken on May 8, 1979.  The main yard for the Rio Grande was Roper Yard. Here are several images from my visit.  The main interchange partner for the Rio Grande was the Western Pacific.  I will have a full page on this road soon.

The first photo is mine of the Rio Grande station in Salt Lake from 1979.  The Amtrak images are courtesy of my good friend Gary Madden who was traveling on number 6, the California Zephyr.  Pictured here is the arrival of the Desert Wind from Los Angeles.  This was August 2, 1988.  The little SW-1 switcher was asigned to switch out cars as the trains were combined and split apart here.  Missing was the Pioneer to Portland and Seattle.  It was discontinued prior to this date.

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