Nostalgia & History > THE Action Road was all that and more

I was fortunate to make an early acquaintance with the Rio Grande courtesy of the US Air Force. I was in the tech school at Lowry AFB in Denver for almost five months. When we were not confined to base for some real or imaginary infraction, I spent weekends railfanning the Denver area. I literally could walk out of the city north on the C&S [Burlington] and back into town on the UP main. The Rio Grande was a love at first sight thing for me. My initial visit to North yard got me tossed out immediatey. Being again young and fearless, I marched into the control tower on a second visit, and happened to run into the yardmaster. I played the serviceman angle, and it worked. He let me roam around the service facility at will with an admonition not to climb on any equipment. That's how it began. Over the years I got on to every part of the Grande except Tennessee Pass. Just never worked out to my everlasting shame!! Today just a few crumbs of what was a fantastically run railroad.

top...train off the SP connection in Ogden, between there and Salt Lake City

middle...westbound RGZ west of Helper Utah

bottom...westbound at east portal. Not a good day, as I had three westounds and not one dramtic eastbound shot coming out of the tunnel. Had to take care of that on a future visit.

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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top...eastbound going up the big loop at Gillully

control tower at North Yard Denver

bottom...eastbound on lower end of Gillully loop

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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top...near Tabernash Colo. Midtrain helper moving east toward Winter Park, and the west portal of Moffat tunnel. Image was on a trip in early 90s, and the beginning of the end of the Action Road

middle...eastbound just out of Roper yard Salt Lake City

bottom...outside of Burnham shop complex in Denver

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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Bill,

Thanks for posting these.  I can never get enough of the classic Rio Grande.  These made my morning a lot nicer!

Cheers,
Jim

bottom...eastbound on lower end of Gillully loop:  this shot is a stunner!

Bill - thanks for another fine selection of shots.  You did well in your limited time on the Rio Grande.  Living in the northeast in the 70's and 80's, I heard eastern railfans refer to the Western Maryland as the "Rio Grande of the east".  I got to see a bit of the Rio Grande in the early 1980's, and saw there were indeed some similarities.  Both companies were smaller carriers going up against much larger competitors, and both were "bridge" carriers heavily dependent on connections.  Both companies really hustled for their traffic and provided dependable, reliable freight service well before anyone ever heard of "Precision Scheduled Railroading".  Had railroad magnate George Gould been successful in putting together his transcontinental system, the Rio Grande and the WM would have been part of it (along with WP, MP, Wabash, W&LE, and P&WV).  Just think, if Gould had been successful, the California Zephyr might have started its transcontinental journey at Hillen Station in Baltimore!  But forgive my creative imagination.  

Again, thanks for some great memories of the Action Road.  

Steve Salamon
Valley City, OIH







 

During my 9 months in Utah during 1981, the Grande provided plenty of freight action plus the Zephyr!

TJY

These are super. Most of my DRGW experience was in the late '80s as the merger was working its wheels, but I always enjoyed seeing their motive power in Kansas and Missouri.

Had a few trips as a kid along Tennessee Pass and saw some action, albeit without a camera. Quite a railroad!

Thanks for a very enjoyable look at the Action Road!!

Larry

In the early 1980's coal became a big factor on north south railroading in Ft Worth.  I was driving in south east Ft Worth along side the SP line when I ran into a southbound coal train headed by guess what?  Four Rio Grande tunnel motors so clean you could have eaten dinner off them.  I had to stop and continue staring at them.  Just imagine I said, Rio Grande in Ft Worth Tx.  Then the aspen and silver CLEAN caboose came by.  Stupid me I did not take a picture.
 

OMG! A clean silver and aspen caboose. Looks freshly painted.

I really, really wish I could go back in time and ride the RGZ.  A "pocket streamliner", with a diner, rear observation, domes, coach and sleeper.  Such a missed opportunity.  And don't forget the scenery!!

No sleepers on the RGZ

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sky had rooms in it for a few years at the begining of the RGZ