The Rocky Mountaineer climbing the into the Rocky Mountains

 

The Rocky Mountaineer is a relatively new railroad experience. The trains run back and forth between Denver, Colorado and Moab, Utah. We rode from Denver to Moab with a stopover in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The views were spectacular and it was nice for a change to be a passenger rather than trying to navigate the mountain roads. The rail line has quite a story. Here is a summary from WikipediaL Denver and Salt Lake Railway. 

The Denver and Salt Lake Railway (D&SL) was a U.S. railroad company located in Colorado. Originally incorporated in 1902 as the Denver, Northwestern and Pacific (DN&P) Railway, it had as a goal a direct connection of Denver, Colorado, with Salt Lake City, Utah. It underwent numerous reorganizations throughout its financially troubled history and by the time the company was acquired in 1931 by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW or Rio Grande), it had advanced only as far as Craig, Colorado. After the acquisition the line was connected to the D&RGW main, and the eastern half of the line was used to give the D&RGW a more direct route to Denver. The portions of the railroad still in use today are known as the Moffat Tunnel Subdivision of Union Pacific Railroad's Central Corridor. Amtrak’s California Zephyr service from Denver to Glenwood Springs follows much of the old D&SL route.

The ride has spectacular views and riding on a train is quite an experience. The train travels slow enough that seeing the scenery is possible.