Rio Grande Through the Rockies 4

Rio Grande Through the Rockies

“Through the Rockies, Not Around Them,” was one of the Denver & Rio Grande's immodest mottoes. It was suitable for a railroad that not only pierced the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Utah, and the crest of the Continental Divide, but also influenced the development of the great American West. Thanks in part to the vision and untiring efforts of early railroad builders like General William Palmer and David Moffat, the Rio Grande succeeded in bringing precious minerals out and travelers in to see the rugged, mountainous landscape of Colorado.

The scenic beauty and remoteness of the Rio Grande route did not wane as the railroad moved ahead into the Golden Years of Railroading. With passenger service notably provided by trains such as the Prospector, Royal Gorge, and — the premier domeliner — California Zephyr, the Rio Grande was recognized as the “Scenic Line of the World.” Open up the pages of this book, an you’ll find more than 100 stunning photos from the David P. Morgan Memorial Library of Kalmbach Publishing Co. They depict how both passenger and freight trains of the Rio Grande traversed its scenic routes in such impressive fashion.