Rio Grande Zephyr
Encyclopedia
The Rio Grande Zephyr was a passenger train operated by Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
(D&RGW or Rio Grande) between Denver, Colorado
and Ogden, Utah
in the West
ern United States
. It operated from 1970 until 1983. In operation after Amtrak
began taking over most passenger rail, the Rio Grande Zephyr was the last privately operated intercity passenger train in the United States.
, which was jointly operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
, Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
and Western Pacific Railroad
. This iteration of the Zephyr ended operations on March 22, 1970, when the Western Pacific discontinued its portion. Amtrak
planned to take over service of the original California Zephyr on May 1, 1971. However the Rio Grande and Amtrak could not come to terms over a contract agreement, and just four days before Amtrak began operation, Union Pacific's Overland Route
was substituted for the Rio Grande's Moffat Tunnel Route. The Amtrak service was initially named the San Francisco Zephyr
, as the route combined portions of the routes of the former California Zephyr and the City of San Francisco
trains.
The Rio Grande Zephyr commenced operation using the D&RGW's portion of the California Zephyr route from Denver, Colorado
to Salt Lake City, Utah
. The route was extended to Ogden, Utah
to allow for California bound passengers to connect to the City of San Francisco
and later the San Francisco Zephyr, which did not serve Salt Lake. The Rio Grande Zephyr used mostly the same equipment and staff as was formerly used for the California Zephyr. Since the train was no longer an overnight affair, sleeping cars and a full baggage car were not required. The D&RGW sold their sleepers to the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México
, while their one baggage car was sold to the Algoma Central Railway
in Canada. For twelve years the Rio Grande Zephyr operated three days a week in each direction. It never operated on Wednesday.
In 1983 the D&RGW reversed its earlier opposition and elected to join Amtrak, citing increasing losses in passenger operations. Amtrak re-routed the San Francisco Zephyr over the D&RGW's main line between Denver and Salt Lake City, Utah
, which was its original preference in 1971. The change was initially scheduled for April 25, but a mudslide at Thistle, Utah
closed the D&RGW's main line and delayed the change until July 16. The Rio Grande Zephyr continued to operate on a truncated route between Denver and Grand Junction, Colorado
until the train was discontinued on April 24, 1983. After the D&RG tracks were re-opened, Amtrak brought back the California Zephyr
name.
The modern California Zephyr uses the route of the Rio Grande Zephyr from Denver to Salt Lake; service to Ogden was discontinued. Service from Salt Lake to Ogden was still available via the Desert Wind
and Pioneer
passenger trains, until they were discontinued in 1997. Passenger rail service between Ogden and Salt Lake City was restored in April 2008 with the startup of FrontRunner
commuter trains.
The combine, dome coach(es), dome-lounge or diner, and dome-lounge-observation were always in the consist, size and configuration of the train varied from day to day based on the number of tickets sold. All cars carried the prefix Silver in their name, a hold over from their days in California Zephyr service. Silver Aspen and Silver Pine were rebuilt in 1962–1963 from 16-section sleeping car
s.
After the train was discontinued, several "Silver" cars were transferred to Amtrak, as other railroads had done at Amtrak's inception. However, by this time Amtrak was moving to retire its older, inherited railcars. These cars are referred to as Heritage Fleet. As a result, the ex-Rio Grande Zephyr cars were never used in regular revenue service for Amtrak. The cars sent to Amtrak were dome coaches Silver Colt, Silver Mustang and Silver Pony, flat-top coaches Silver Aspen and Silver Pine, and dining car Silver Banquet. Unfortunately, due to a center sill crack in Silver Banquet's frame, the car was soon scrapped.
In 1987, dome-buffet-dorm Silver Shop and dome-observation Silver Sky were traded to Via Rail Canada as part of a deal to re-equip the Rio Grande Ski Train
with ex-Via Tempo cars.
Dome-coach Silver Bronco was retained by the D&RGW, subsequently becoming the property of the railroad's parent company Ansco. In 2006, the Silver Bronco was sold by Ansco, thus becoming the last car built for the California Zephyr to pass into private ownership after spending all of its 58 years with the Rio Grande.
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
(D&RGW or Rio Grande) between Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
in the West
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
ern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It operated from 1970 until 1983. In operation after Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
began taking over most passenger rail, the Rio Grande Zephyr was the last privately operated intercity passenger train in the United States.
History
The train was a remnant of the original California ZephyrCalifornia Zephyr
The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California...
, which was jointly operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
, Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
and Western Pacific Railroad
Western Pacific Railroad
The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California...
. This iteration of the Zephyr ended operations on March 22, 1970, when the Western Pacific discontinued its portion. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
planned to take over service of the original California Zephyr on May 1, 1971. However the Rio Grande and Amtrak could not come to terms over a contract agreement, and just four days before Amtrak began operation, Union Pacific's Overland Route
Overland Route (Union Pacific Railroad)
The Overland Route was a train route operated jointly by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad / Southern Pacific Railroad, between Council Bluffs, Iowa / Omaha, Nebraska, and San Francisco, California over the grade of the First Transcontinental Railroad which had been...
was substituted for the Rio Grande's Moffat Tunnel Route. The Amtrak service was initially named the San Francisco Zephyr
San Francisco Zephyr
The San Francisco Zephyr was the name adopted in June 1972 for the Amtrak passenger train between Chicago, Illinois and the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Previously Amtrak had called it the City of San Francisco on the tri-weekly run west of Denver and Denver Zephyr on the daily run between...
, as the route combined portions of the routes of the former California Zephyr and the City of San Francisco
City of San Francisco
The City of San Francisco was a streamlined passenger train operated jointly by the Chicago and North Western Railway, the Southern Pacific Railroad, and the Union Pacific Railroad...
trains.
The Rio Grande Zephyr commenced operation using the D&RGW's portion of the California Zephyr route from Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
to Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. The route was extended to Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
to allow for California bound passengers to connect to the City of San Francisco
City of San Francisco
The City of San Francisco was a streamlined passenger train operated jointly by the Chicago and North Western Railway, the Southern Pacific Railroad, and the Union Pacific Railroad...
and later the San Francisco Zephyr, which did not serve Salt Lake. The Rio Grande Zephyr used mostly the same equipment and staff as was formerly used for the California Zephyr. Since the train was no longer an overnight affair, sleeping cars and a full baggage car were not required. The D&RGW sold their sleepers to the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México, was Mexico's state owned railroad company from 1938 to 1998, and prior to 1938 a major railroad controlled by the government that linked Mexico City to the major cities of Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Juárez on the U.S. border...
, while their one baggage car was sold to the Algoma Central Railway
Algoma Central Railway
The Algoma Central Railway is a railway in Northern Ontario that operates between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst, with a branch line to Michipicoten. The area served by the railway is sparsely populated, with few roads...
in Canada. For twelve years the Rio Grande Zephyr operated three days a week in each direction. It never operated on Wednesday.
In 1983 the D&RGW reversed its earlier opposition and elected to join Amtrak, citing increasing losses in passenger operations. Amtrak re-routed the San Francisco Zephyr over the D&RGW's main line between Denver and Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, which was its original preference in 1971. The change was initially scheduled for April 25, but a mudslide at Thistle, Utah
Thistle, Utah
Thistle is a ghost town in Utah County, Utah, United States, about southeast of Salt Lake City. During the era of steam locomotives, the town's primary industry was servicing trains for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad...
closed the D&RGW's main line and delayed the change until July 16. The Rio Grande Zephyr continued to operate on a truncated route between Denver and Grand Junction, Colorado
Grand Junction, Colorado
The City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
until the train was discontinued on April 24, 1983. After the D&RG tracks were re-opened, Amtrak brought back the California Zephyr
California Zephyr
The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California...
name.
The modern California Zephyr uses the route of the Rio Grande Zephyr from Denver to Salt Lake; service to Ogden was discontinued. Service from Salt Lake to Ogden was still available via the Desert Wind
Desert Wind
Desert Wind was a passenger train route operated by Amtrak from 1979 to 1997. When it first entered service, it ran from Los Angeles, California to Ogden, Utah passing through Salt Lake City and Las Vegas...
and Pioneer
Pioneer (Amtrak)
The Pioneer was a passenger train run by Amtrak from Seattle, Washington to Chicago, Illinois via Portland, Oregon, Boise, Idaho, Salt Lake City, Utah, Denver, Colorado and other intermediate points.- History :...
passenger trains, until they were discontinued in 1997. Passenger rail service between Ogden and Salt Lake City was restored in April 2008 with the startup of FrontRunner
FrontRunner
FrontRunner is a commuter rail system operated by the Utah Transit Authority , serving the northern portion of the Wasatch Front from Salt Lake Central Station to Ogden Union Station. The system opened 26 April 2008...
commuter trains.
Equipment used
The equipment used when the Rio Grande Zephyr began service was as follows:- EMD F9 locomotivesEMD F9The EMD F9 was a Diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1953 and May 1960 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors and General Motors Diesel . It succeeded the F7 model in GM-EMD's F-unit sequence. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant. The F9 was also...
(A-B or A-B-B) - Steam generator car rebuilt from an ALCo PB1ALCO PAALCO PA refers to a family of A1A-A1A diesel locomotives built to haul passenger trains that were built in Schenectady, New York in the United States by a partnership of the American Locomotive Company and General Electric between June, 1946 and December, 1953...
- Combine 1230 or 1231Combine carA combine car in North American parlance, most often referred to simply as a combine, is a type of railroad car which combines sections for both passengers and freight....
- Coach - Silver Aspen
- Coach - Silver Pine
- Vista-DomeDome carA dome car is a type of railway passenger car that has a glass dome on the top of the car where passengers can ride and see in all directions around the train. It also can include features of a coach, lounge car, dining car or observation...
Coach - Silver Bronco - Vista-Dome chair car - Silver Pony
- Vista-Dome chair car - Silver Colt
- Vista-Dome chair car - Silver Mustang
- Vista-Dome dormitory-buffet-lounge carLounge carA lounge car is a type of passenger car on a train, where riders can purchase food and drinks. The car may feature large windows and comfortable seating to create a relaxing diversion from standard coach or dining options...
- Silver Shop - DinerDining carA dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
(48 seats) - Silver Banquet - Vista-Dome buffet-lounge-observationObservation carAn observation car/carriage/coach is a type of railroad passenger car, generally operated in a passenger train as the last carriage, with windows on the rear of the car for passengers' viewing pleasure...
- Silver Sky
The combine, dome coach(es), dome-lounge or diner, and dome-lounge-observation were always in the consist, size and configuration of the train varied from day to day based on the number of tickets sold. All cars carried the prefix Silver in their name, a hold over from their days in California Zephyr service. Silver Aspen and Silver Pine were rebuilt in 1962–1963 from 16-section sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
s.
After the train was discontinued, several "Silver" cars were transferred to Amtrak, as other railroads had done at Amtrak's inception. However, by this time Amtrak was moving to retire its older, inherited railcars. These cars are referred to as Heritage Fleet. As a result, the ex-Rio Grande Zephyr cars were never used in regular revenue service for Amtrak. The cars sent to Amtrak were dome coaches Silver Colt, Silver Mustang and Silver Pony, flat-top coaches Silver Aspen and Silver Pine, and dining car Silver Banquet. Unfortunately, due to a center sill crack in Silver Banquet's frame, the car was soon scrapped.
In 1987, dome-buffet-dorm Silver Shop and dome-observation Silver Sky were traded to Via Rail Canada as part of a deal to re-equip the Rio Grande Ski Train
Ski Train
The Ski Train was a seasonal passenger railroad operated by Rio Grande Scenic Railroad in the period 1940-2009. Starting in 1988, the train was operated by the Ansco Investment Company, which had in turn purchased the Ski Train franchise from the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in that...
with ex-Via Tempo cars.
Dome-coach Silver Bronco was retained by the D&RGW, subsequently becoming the property of the railroad's parent company Ansco. In 2006, the Silver Bronco was sold by Ansco, thus becoming the last car built for the California Zephyr to pass into private ownership after spending all of its 58 years with the Rio Grande.
Communities served
From east to west, the communities with regular station stops on this train were:- Denver, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
- Granby, ColoradoGranby, ColoradoThe Town of Granby is a Statutory Town that is the most populous town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. Granby is situated along U.S. Highway 40 in Middle Park about west of Denver, Colorado, southwest of Rocky Mountain National Park...
- Bond, ColoradoBond, ColoradoBond is an unincorporated town and U.S. Post Office in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The Bond Post Office has the ZIP Code 80423.-Geography:...
- Glenwood Springs, ColoradoGlenwood Springs, ColoradoThe City of Glenwood Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimated that the city population was 8,564 in 2005...
- Rifle, ColoradoRifle, ColoradoThe City of Rifle is a Home Rule Municipality in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 6,769 at the 2000 census. Rifle is a regional center of the cattle ranching industry located along Interstate 70 and the Colorado River just east of the Roan Cliffs, which dominate the...
- Grand Junction, ColoradoGrand Junction, ColoradoThe City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
- Thompson Springs, UtahThompson Springs, UtahThompson Springs, also known as Thompson, is a small census-designated place in central Grand County, Utah, United States. The population was 39 at the 2010 census. The town is just north of the east-west highway route shared by Interstate 70, U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 50, between Crescent...
- Green River, UtahGreen River, UtahGreen River is a city in Emery County, Utah, United States. The population was 973 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Green River is located at , on the banks of the Green River, after which the city is named. The San Rafael Swell region is to the west of Green River, while Canyonlands National Park...
- Price, UtahPrice, UtahPrice is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The city is home to the USU-College of Eastern Utah, as well as the large USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum affiliated with the college. Price is located within short distances from both Nine Mile Canyon and the Manti-La Sal National Forest...
- Helper, UtahHelper, UtahHelper is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States about 120 miles southeast of Salt Lake City and northwest of the city of Price. It is also known as the "Hub of Carbon County". The population was 2,025 at the 2000 census....
- Provo, UtahProvo, UtahProvo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
- Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
- Ogden, UtahOgden, UtahOgden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
(A bus service eventually replaced the Salt Lake City-Ogden portion)