NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad

The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (AAR reporting mark DRG and DRGW) generally referred to as the Rio Grande, became the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1920, and is today a fallen flag (a railroad that has been absorbed into a larger system -- Union Pacific -- as the result of a merger). The D&RGW served mainly as transcontinental bridge line between Denver, Colorado, and Salt Lake City, Utah, and a major origin of coal and mineral traffic with a motto of Through the Rockies, not around them. The Rio Grande was the epitome of mountain railroading, operating the highest mainline rail line in the United States over 10,240 ft (3121 m) Tennessee Pass in Colorado and the famed routes through the Moffat Tunnel and the Royal Gorge. At its height around 1890, the D&RG had the largest operating narrow gauge railroad network in North America. Known for its independence, the D&RGW operated the last private long haul passenger train in the United States, the Rio Grande Zephyr. Logo of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2154x1113, 667 KB) 1930 map of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and Western Pacific Railroad, pieced together from the two maps at [1]. Does not show up on [2], thus has passed into the public domain. ... The Western Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark WP) was a Class I railroad in the United States. ... Reporting marks on two CP Rail covered hoppers passing Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, June 20, 2004. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rail gauge is the distance between two rails of a railroad. ... A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... Nickname: The Mile-High City Location of Denver in Colorado, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Colorado City-County Denver (coextensive) Founded November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area - City 401. ... A World War II era print advertisement for the Association of American Railroads (AAR). ... Reporting marks on two CP Rail covered hoppers passing Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, June 20, 2004. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ... A fallen flag, in United States railroaders and railfans terminology, is a railroad company no longer in existence due to bankruptcy or merger. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ... Nickname: The Mile-High City Location of Denver in Colorado, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Colorado City-County Denver (coextensive) Founded November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area - City 401. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Crossroads of the West Location Location of Salt Lake City in Salt Lake County, Utah Coordinates , Government County Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson Geographical characteristics Area City 285. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ... A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ... The metre, or meter (US), is a measure of length. ... Summit of Tennessee Pass along U.S. Highway 24, showing the memorial to the 10th Mountain Division Tennessee Pass (elevation 10424 ft) is high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ... Moffat Tunnel is a railroad/water tunnel - named after Colorado railroad pioneer David Moffat. ... Royal Gorge (also Grand Canyon of the Arkansas) is a canyon on the Arkansas River near CaÃ±on City, Colorado. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... This article is about trains in rail transport. ... The Rio Grande Zephyr was a passenger train operated by Denver and Rio Grande Western between Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah in the Western United States. ...

History

The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG) was founded in 1870 by General William Jackson Palmer as a narrow gauge railway system with the intention of connecting Denver with Mexico City. Narrow gauge was chosen because construction costs -- and equally important, construction time -- are lower than standard gauge. The route was to pass over Raton Pass in what is now northern New Mexico. Feverish, competitive construction provoked the 1877-1880 war over right of way with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Both rivals hired gunslingers and bought politicians. In June 1879, the Santa Fe defended its roundhouse in Pueblo with Dodge City toughs led by Bat Masterson; on that occasion, D&RG treasurer R. F. Weitbrec paid the defenders to leave. In the end, the Santa Fe won the right to Raton Pass, while the D&RG paid $1.4 million for tracks through Arkansas River's Royal Gorge to the mining district of Leadville, Colorado. Subsequently, the D&RG focused on exploiting the lucrative mining service opportunities to the west. Denver & Rio Grande Railroad logo used 1908-1921 Image copied from Ghost Depot by slambo 15:21, 22 Sep 2004 (UTC) This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... William Jackson Palmer (1836-1909) civil engineer, soldier, builder of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and founder of Colorado Springs, Colorado William Jackson Palmer (September 17, 1836 - March 13, 1909) was a civil engineer, soldier, and industrialist. ... Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... Nickname: The Mile-High City Location of Denver in Colorado, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Colorado City-County Denver (coextensive) Founded November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area - City 401. ... (Spanish: Ciudad de MÃ©xico, MÃ©xico D.F. or simply MÃ©xico, pronounced IPA: ) is the capital city of the nation of Mexico. ... Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... Raton Pass (7834 feet) is a mountain pass along the Colorado-New Mexico border in the United States. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area Ranked 5th - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 kmÂ²) - Width 342 miles (550 km) - Length 370 miles (595 km) - % water 0. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AAR reporting mark ATSF), often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the largest railroads in the United States. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Pueblo is a city located in Pueblo County in southern Colorado. ... Dodge City is a city and county seat of Ford County, Kansas. ... Bat Masterson in 1879. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ... The headwaters of the Arkansas near Leadville, Colorado The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi which flows east and southeast through Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma territories and then into the state of Arkansas. ... Royal Gorge (also Grand Canyon of the Arkansas) is a canyon on the Arkansas River near CaÃ±on City, Colorado. ... View of Mount Massive looking west from Harrison Street in downtown Leadville Leadville is the county seat of Lake County, Colorado. ...

Royal Gorge Route

The D&RG built west from Pueblo reaching Canon City in 1874. The line through the Royal Gorge reached Salida on 20 May 1880 and was pushed to Leadville later that same year. From Salida, the D&RG pushed west over the Continental Divide at 10,845 ft (3305m) Marshall Pass and reached Gunnison on 6 August 1881. From Gunnison the line entered the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River passing the famous Curecanti Needle seen in their famous Scenic Line of the World Herald. The tracks left the ever increasingly difficult canyon at Cimmaron and passed over Cerro Summit reaching Montrose on 8 September 1882. From Montrose a line was laid north through Delta reaching Grand Junction in March 1883 and a rail connection with the Rio Grande Western Railroad for a narrow gauge transcontinental link to Salt Lake City, Utah. Ca on City is a city located in Fremont County, Colorado. ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Salida is a city located in Chaffee County, Colorado. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... A continental divide is a line of elevated terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that water falling on one side of the line eventually travels to one ocean or body of water, and water on the other side travels to another, generally on the opposite side of... Gunnison is a city located in Gunnison County, Colorado. ... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a United States National Park located in western Colorado. ... The Gunnison River, a tributary of the Colorado River, is shown highlighted on a map of the western United States The Gunnison River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 180 mi (290 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Cimarron is a small community in Montrose County, Colorado, on Cimarron Creek, just south of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. ... Montrose is a city located in Montrose County, Colorado. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... Delta is a city located in Delta County, Colorado, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,400. ... Mt. ... 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Flag Seal Nickname: Crossroads of the West Location Location of Salt Lake City in Salt Lake County, Utah Coordinates , Government County Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson Geographical characteristics Area City 285. ...

The line from Pueblo to Leadville was upgraded in 1887 to three rails to accommodate both narrow gauge and standard gauge operation. Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ...

Narrow Gauge branch lines were constructed to Crested Butte, Lake City, Ouray and Somerset. Mount Crested Butte Resort Often called the last great Colorado ski town, Crested Butte is a small resort town located in Gunnison County in the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Lake City is a town located in Hinsdale County, Colorado. ... Ouray, Colorado Ouray is a city located in Ouray County, Colorado. ...

San Luis Valley Route

The D&RG also pushed west from Walsenburg, Colorado over Veta Pass reaching Alamosa in 1878. From Alamosa a line was pushed south through Antonito eventually reaching Santa Fe, New Mexico and west as far as Creede, Colorado. A line containing one of the longest tangent tracks in US railroading (52.82 miles)also linked Alamosa with Salida to the North. From Antonito a line was built over 10,015 ft (3052m) Cumbres Pass along the Colorado-New Mexico boarder reaching Durango, Colorado in August 1881 and continuing north to the rich mining areas around Silverton in July 1882. A line was also constructed south from Durango to Farmington, New Mexico (See also Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad and Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad). Walsenburg is a city located in Huerfano County, Colorado. ... Alamosa is a city located in Alamosa County, Colorado. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Antonito is a town located in Conejos County, Colorado. ... Nickname: The City Different Location in the State of New Mexico Coordinates: Country United States State New Mexico County Santa Fe Founded 1607 Mayor David Coss Area - City 96. ... Creede is a town located in Mineral County, Colorado. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area Ranked 5th - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 kmÂ²) - Width 342 miles (550 km) - Length 370 miles (595 km) - % water 0. ... Durango (Navajo: KinÅ‚Ã¡nÃ) is a city in La Plata County, Colorado (USA). ... 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Silverton, Colorado Silverton is a town in San Juan County, Colorado (USA). ... 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... Farmington (Navajo: TÃ³tah) is a city in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. ... The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad (C&TS) is a narrow gauge heritage railway running between Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico. ... The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railway running between Durango and Silverton, both of which are in the U.S. state of Colorado. ...

Tennessee Pass

The D&RG built west from Leadville over 10,240 ft (3121m) Tennessee Pass in attempt to reach the mining areas around Aspen, Colorado before its rival railroad in the area, the Colorado Midland, could build a line reaching there. The D&RG built a line through Glenwood Canyon to Glenwood Springs reaching Aspen in October of 1887. The D&RG then joined with the Colorado Midland to build a line from Glenwood Springs connecting with D&RG at Grand Junction. Originally considered a secondary branch route to Grand Junction, the entire route from Leadville to Grand Junction was upgraded to standard gauge in 1890, and the original narrow gauge route via Marshall Pass became a secondary route. Summit of Tennessee Pass along U.S. Highway 24, showing the memorial to the 10th Mountain Division Tennessee Pass (elevation 10424 ft) is high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. ... View south along Galena Street in downtown Aspen. ... The Colorado Midland Railway, incorporated in 1883, was the first standard gauge railroad built over the Continental Divide in Colorado. ... View down Glenwood Canyon at Hanging Lake Rest Area. ... Glenwood Springs is a city located in Garfield County, Colorado. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ...

Denver and Rio Grande Western

The original Denver and Rio Grande Western Railway had built a narrow gauge line from Ogden, Utah to via Soldier Summit, Utah to Grand Junction, Colorado. The railroad became the Rio Grande Western Railway in 1889 as part of a finance plan to upgrade the line from narrow gauge to standard gauge, and built several branch lines in Utah to reach lucrative coal fields. In 1901 the Denver and Rio Grande merged with the Rio Grande Western consolidating in 1908. However, the railroad was weakened by speculators, who had used the Rio Grande's equity to finance Western Pacific Railroad construction. The United States Railway Administration (USRA) took over the D&RG during World War I. In 1918 the D&RG fell into receivership after the bankruptcy of the Western Pacific. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (D&RGW or DRGW) emerged as a new company in 1920. Image File history File links Abraham_Lincoln_Pullman_Car. ... Image File history File links Abraham_Lincoln_Pullman_Car. ... Restored passenger cars on display at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, WI. A passenger car is a piece of railroad rolling stock that is designed to carry passengers. ... In 1910 the Pullman Company suddenly changed from the 60 foot varnished wood railroad cars to the eighty foot, riveted-steel design. ... Ogden sign over Washington Boulevard at the Ogden River; toward downtown Overlooking Ogdens George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park Ogden is the county seat of Weber County,GR6 Utah, United States. ... Soldier Summit (elevation 7440 ft. ... Mt. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Western Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark WP) was a Class I railroad in the United States. ... Combatants Allied Powers: France Italy Russia Serbia United Kingdom United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul von Hindenburg Reinhard... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ...

The Moffat Road

In 1931, the D&RGW acquired the Denver and Salt Lake Western Railroad (a company in name only), a subsidiary of the Denver and Salt Lake Railroad (D&SL) which had acquired the rights to build a 40 mile (64km) connection between the two railroads. After years of negotiation the D&RGW gained trackage rights on the D&SL from Denver to the new cutoff. In 1932, the D&RGW began construction of the Dotsero Cutoff west of Glenwood Springs to near Bond on the Colorado River, at a location called Orestod (Dotsero spelled backward). Despite the common misconception that Dotsero is a shortening of "Dot Zero," the station name exists from the construction of the Standard Gauge line to Glenwood Springs in the 1890s. Construction completed in 1934 giving Denver a direct transcontinental link to the west. The D&RGW though slipped again into bankruptcy in 1935. Emerging in 1947 it merged with the D&SL on 3 March 1947 gaining control of the "Moffat Road" through the Moffat Tunnel and a branch line from Bond to Craig, Colorado. 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... The Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway was a U.S. railroad company incorporated on July 18, 1902 by David H. Moffat, Walter S. Cheesman, William G. Evans, Charles J. Hughes, Jr. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... Bond, Colorado is a very small town located 133 miles west of Denver. ... The Colorado River from the bottom of Marble Canyon, in the Upper Grand Canyon Colorado River in the Grand Canyon from Desert View The Colorado River is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately 1,450 mi (2,330 km) long, draining a part of the... The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkins aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Nickname: The Mile-High City Location of Denver in Colorado, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Colorado City-County Denver (coextensive) Founded November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area - City 401. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Moffat Tunnel is a railroad/water tunnel - named after Colorado railroad pioneer David Moffat. ... Craig is a city located in Moffat County, Colorado. ...

"Fast Freights" and the California Zephyr, 1950-1983

Finally free from financial problems, the D&RGW now possessed a direct route from Denver to Salt Lake City (the detour south through Pueblo and Tennessee Pass was no longer required for direct service), but a problem still remained: for transcontinental service, the Union Pacific's more northerly line was far less mountainous (and, as a result, several hours faster). The D&RGW's solution was its "fast freight" philosophy, which employed multiple diesel locomotives pulling short, frequent trains. This philosophy helps to explain why the D&RGW, despite its proximity to one of the nation's most productive coal mining regions, retired coal-fueled steam locomotives as quickly as new, replacement diesels could be purchased. By 1956, the D&RGW's standard-gauge locomotives had been retired and scrapped. The reason: Unlike steam locomotives, diesel locomotives can be easily combined, using the diesels' multiple unit (MU) capabilities, to equip each train with the optimum horsepower needed to meet the D&RGW's aggressive schedule. Rio Grande Industries (D&RGW railroad) logo used 1970-1997. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark UP) (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad network in the United States. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ... Scheme of steam locomotive. ... A classic Belgian multiple unit of type 74 A multiple unit (MU) is a passenger train whose carriages have their own motors, either diesel (DMUs) or electric (EMUs), and do not need to be hauled by a locomotive, and can be coupled with other similar units to operate together, in...

The D&RGW's sense of its unique geographical challenge found expression in what is arguably the world's most famous passenger train, the California Zephyr, which was jointly operated with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) from Chicago to Denver and the Western Pacific Railroad from Salt Lake City to Oakland, California (with ferry and bus connections to San Francisco). Unable to compete with the Union Pacific's faster, less mountainous route and 39-hour schedules, the California Zephyr offered a more leisurely journey – a "rail cruise" – with ample vistas of the Rockies. Although the California Zephyr ran at full capacity and turned a modest profit from its 1950 inception through the late 1950s, by the mid-1960s the train was profitable only during the late spring, summer, and fall. In 1970, Western Pacific, claiming multi-million dollar losses, dropped out. However, the D&RGW refused to join the national Amtrak system, and continued to operate its share of the Zephyr equipment as the Rio Grande Zephyr until 1983. The California Zephyr is a 2438-mile (3924 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. ... The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (AAR reporting mark CBQ) was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. ... The Western Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark WP) was a Class I railroad in the United States. ... Oakland, founded in 1852, is the eighth-largest city in California and the county seat of Alameda County. ... Nickname: The City by the Bay; Fog City Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: City-County San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Area - City 122 kmÂ² (47 sq mi) - Land 121. ... Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ... The Rio Grande Zephyr was a passenger train operated by Denver and Rio Grande Western between Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah in the Western United States. ...

Even as the D&RGW exploited the best new standard-gauge technology to compete with other transcontinental carriers, the railroad continued to operate the surviving steam-powered narrow gauge lines, including the famed narrow gauge line between Durango and Silverton, Colorado. Although most of the remaining narrow-gauge trackage was abandoned in the 1960s and 1970s, two of the most scenic routes, including the Durango-Silverton route, were sold to tourist railroad operators, and remain in operation today. Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... Durango (Navajo: KinÅ‚Ã¡nÃ) is a city in La Plata County, Colorado (USA). ... Silverton, Colorado Silverton is a town in San Juan County, Colorado (USA). ... The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railway running between Durango and Silverton, both of which are in the U.S. state of Colorado. ...

Merger with Southern Pacific

In 1988, Rio Grande Industries, the company that controlled the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, under the direction of Philip Anschutz, purchased the Southern Pacific Railroad. The combined company took the Southern Pacific (SP) name due to its name recognition among shippers. In time, the D&RGW's "fast freight" philosophy gave way to SP's long-established practice of running long, slow trains. A contributing factor was the rising cost of diesel fuel, a trend that set in after the 1973 oil crisis, which gradually undermined the D&RGW's fuel-consuming "fast freight" philosophy. By the early 1990s, the D&RGW had lost much of the competitive advantage that made it attractive to transcontinental shippers, and became largely dependent on hauling the high quality coal produced in the mine fields of Utah. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rio Grande Industries was the diversified parent company, headquartered in Denver, of the Rio Grande. ... Philip Anschutz Philip F. Anschutz (born 1939, also known as Philip F. AnschÃ¼tz) is an American billionaire who lives in Denver, Colorado. ... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark SP) was an American railroad. ... This article is about the fuel. ... At the height of the crisis in the United States, drivers of vehicles with odd numbered license plates were allowed to purchase gasoline only on odd-numbered days of the month, while drivers with even-numbers were limited to even-numbered days. ... See also 1990s, the band The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from the late 1980s and shortly after the year 2000. ...

Merger with the Union Pacific

On 11 September 1996 Anschutz sold the combined company to the Union Pacific Railroad, partly in a response to the earlier merger of the Burlington Northern and the Santa Fe which formed the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway. As the Union Pacific absorbed the D&RGW into its system, signs of the fabled mountain railroad's existence are slowly fading away. As of November 9, 2006 the DRGW 5371 is the last operating original D&RGW locomotive on the Union Pacific today. The DRGW 5371 runs helper service out of Helper, Utah. September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark UP) (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad network in the United States. ... Categories: Rail stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | California railroads | Colorado railroads | Idaho railroads | Illinois railroads | Iowa railroads | Kansas railroads | Kentucky railroads | Minnesota railroads | Missouri railroads | Montana railroads | Nebraska railroads | North Dakota railroads | Oregon railroads | South Dakota railroads | Washington railroads | Wisconsin railroads | Wyoming railroads ... The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AAR reporting mark ATSF), often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the largest railroads in the United States. ... The BNSF Railway (AAR reporting mark BNSF), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the largest railroad networks in North America (only its competitor, the Union Pacific Railroad, is comparable in size). ... The Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ... Helper is a city located in Carbon County, Utah. ...

Union Pacific recently unveiled UP 1989, an EMD SD70ACe painted in DRGW colors. Union Pacific 1989 is an EMD SD70ACe locomotive owned by Union Pacific Railroad (UP). ... Categories: Rail stubs | EMD locomotives ...

Passenger trains

This is a partial list of D&RGW passenger trains since 1947. Westbound trains had odd numbers, while eastbound trains had even numbers.

Today, the D&RGW's Ski Train serves the city of Winter Park, Colorado, out of Union Station in Denver. Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ... The California Zephyr is a 2438-mile (3924 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. ... The Prospector was a named passenger train operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Western railroad between Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah. ... The California Zephyr is a 2438-mile (3924 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. ... The Rio Grande Zephyr was a passenger train operated by Denver and Rio Grande Western between Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah in the Western United States. ... The Silverton Route is an amazing route. ... The Ski Train is a year round passenger railroad operated by the Ansco Investment Company which purchased the assets of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1988. ... The Ski Train is a year round passenger railroad operated by the Ansco Investment Company which purchased the assets of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1988. ... Winter Park is a town located in Grand County, Colorado. ... Union Station in downtown Denver Union Station is Denver, Colorado, USAs historic train station at 17th and Wynkoop in Denvers LoDo district. ...

The Silverton, which has been operating since 1881, provides scenic day trips from Durango. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railway running between Durango and Silverton, both of which are in the U.S. state of Colorado. ...

References

C.W. McCall is the pseudonym of William Dale Fries (born November 15, 1928) in Audubon, Iowa, USA. In 1972, while working for an Omaha, Nebraska advertising firm, Bozell Jacobs, Fries created a television campaign for the Metz Baking Company. ...

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