Western Railroad Discussion > Rails to the Rockies May 2022

Well I eventually returned safely to the UK from my railway holiday in the USA, having had a wonderful time.  I’m grateful to the Trainorders members who gave me advice about the Utah FrontRunners and about distance charts.

Family members, friends and internet contacts have asked me for feedback on how it went, so here is an initial summary.  In the next few days I will do a fuller account, with more and larger pictures, as a PDF.  Please send me a PM with your email address if you would like to receive a copy when it is ready.

My flight from Heathrow to Denver was on Sunday afternoon 1 May.  The flight was fine and because of the seven hour time difference I reached Denver at nightfall.  A modern commuter train took me straight from the airport to my base for the next three days: Denver Union Station.

The next morning I headed by Lyft (like Uber) to the Forney Museum of Transportation to see one of the largest steam engines in the world, the Union Pacific ‘Big Boy’ No X4005.
https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/1633000/WIMG_5097_627ff7c6a71fd.jpg

In the afternoon I explored Denver city centre using the free bus service along 16th Street, the Mall Ride, which has the State Capitol at the other end.

The plan for Tuesday was to fly to Salt Lake City, to be in place for the start of my Rocky Mountaineer package next day.  On arrival I had time to explore the FrontRunner commuter service which runs north to Ogden at the foot of the Wasatch Front mountains.
https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/1633000/WIMG_5165_627ff824aa7ec.jpg

Wednesday morning was a minicoach ride with other ‘rockies’, south through Provo then east through the mountains over Soldier Summit and on through the Utah desert to Moab, a little town nestling among the awesome Red Rocks of Utah and a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds. 

Next day we were due to board the Rocky Mountaineer just outside town, but it was not to be.  The train was caught by track works many miles away in the desert, so our huge coach, driven by a huge character known as Coach, would have to take us along a narrow winding road through the Red Rock mountains to our train, marooned at a place called Cisco.  But the scenery on this route was a huge plus.  Eventually we spotted our train in the distance … the full story of our Drama in the Desert will be told in the PDF!
https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/1633000/WIMG_5179_627ff896ca0ef.jpg

Once we were on board, the highly professional crew gave us an warm welcome and we were royally fed, watered and entertained as our train headed east past Grand Junction and into the Rockies, where we overnighted in Glenwood Springs. 

In the morning our journey resumed and we had another 10 hours of magnificent scenery, excellent story telling and continuing refreshment before reaching Denver around 7 pm.
On my final morning I had time to take the light rail line out to Boulder and another Lyft to the Colorado Railroad Museum.
 
On Saturday afternoon 7 May I took the airport train to start my journey home, at the end of a marvellous holiday. And then began another saga which extended my return journey for 22 hours. The details of this will be in the PDF, if you decide to ask for it.

Thank you for reading this far!

Peter

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I think that your highway trip north from Moab to Cisco is one of the very most scenic drives in the US.  
This almost makes me wonder if the Rocky agenda could/should change to do this regularly.
Note to anyone else going to Moab: don't miss this drive.  It is about 25 miles but don't be in a hurry.

Glad you enjoyed your trip. Looking forward to seeing the full report!

I agree, the Moab to Cisco drive on Highway 128 was absolutely spectacular.  The formations resulting from the eroded red rock were stunning.  

But I am sure the Rocky Mountaineer people would not wish to make a regular feature of the emergency situation they faced at Cisco - see full details in the PDF in a few days!

Thanks fooshie, and also for your earlier advice on the Frontrunners in Utah.

Send me your email address min a private message n here, andI will send you the full report as a PDF some time soon

Thank you to those who requested my fuller account of my recent American travels.

This is now available - see the picture.  Seven A4 pages and 32 photos.

I have just sent copies to those Trainorders members who gave me their emails by private message.  Happy to send to any others who do the same.

Best wishes from Manchester UK

Peter

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