Denver and Rio Grande Western, Royal Gorge

One of the most spectacular sections of the former DRGW system was the 12 mile (20 km) line through the Royal Gorge in the Rocky Mountains, and in the 1950s this publicity art promoted the train through it obviously enough named Royal Gorge.  This was one of the four Vista-Dome trains (the others being the California Zephyr, Spector and the Colorado Eagle) and ran daily from Denver - Colorado Springs - Pueblo - Glenwood Springs - Grand Junction - Salt Lake City to Ogden, Utah.

The DRGW identity disappeared after its parent company bought Southern Pacific in 1988, which in turn was subsequently bought by Union Pacific in 1996. The next year Union Pacific closed the Tennessee Pass line, which included the Royal Gorge. But in 1998, UP was persuaded to sell the 12 miles of track through the gorge for a heritage operation to preserve this scenic route. Two new corporations, the Canon City & Royal Gorge Railroad (CC&RG) and Rock & Rail, Inc. (R&R), joined together to form Royal Gorge Express, LLC (RGX) to purchase the line. A daily 1950s-era train on the new Royal Gorge Route Railroad began in May 1999.