Category Archives: Rio Grande

California Zephyr refurbished

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Gary Garth McCann

In the late 1950s through the first half of 1960 the three railroads that ran the pre-Amtrak California Zephyr refurbished the train’s cars that had been functioning since the late 1940s. Above is the refurbished cocktail lounge beneath the dome … Continue reading →

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California Zephyr in the Colorado Rockies

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Gary Garth McCann

The back cover of brochure issued in March 1961 after refurbishing of the Burlington-Rio Grande-Western Pacific train.

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Rio Grande streamliner Royal Gorge in the Royal Gorge: two more photos of different trains sets from different views

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

  The photo above is reproduced here from a Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad post card. The caption reads: “America’s Best-Loved Travel Wonder–the Royal Gorge–is the scenic highlight of one of Rio Grande’s two routes through the heart of … Continue reading →

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Royal Gorge along the Arkansas River between Pueblo and Tennessee pass

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

Reproduced here from a Vanishing Vistas post card, attributed there to the D&RGW RR archives courtesy of the State Historical Society of Colorado.  

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The California Zephyr at Grand Junction, Colorado: quintessential summer railroading from the late 1940s until now

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

Twice a year, Christmastime and summertime, I ride across country by train. I savor the full day on board between Chicago or New Orleans and the West Coast. Whether I’m going over Raton Pass, New Mexico or looking out the … Continue reading →

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Rio Grande Royal Gorge in the Royal Gorge, Colorado

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

  This photo of the streamlined (more or less) Royal Gorge is from the Rio Grande promotional booklet, the cover of which is shown below.   The black-and-white photo below is reproduced from the booklet “Railroads at Work,” published for children by the Association … Continue reading →

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Rio Grande Royal Gorge: postcard photo, c. 1960

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

The caption of this Rio Grande-logoed post card–postmarked Salt Lake City (1960, I believe, though the date is hard to read) and with a 2-cent stamp on it–reads: “Colorado’s highest peak and second highest in the nation is Mt. Elbert–14,231 … Continue reading →

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Rio Grande Prospector, Royal Gorge, Colorado Eagle, and Zephyr: folding brochure

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

This four-leaf folder was designed to highlight the fact that Rio Grande had domes. The domes protrude from the top of the folder. Note that the Colorado Eagle was in Missouri Pacific color scheme, being an MP train for most … Continue reading →

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Rio Grande Prospector

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

This brochure is from my collection. I met a man at a dinner party who rode the Prospector on business frequently. He told me that the diner-lounges on it were unusual in that the kitchen was in the center of … Continue reading →

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