Denver and Rio Grande Western’s Royal Gorge, c1965-1967

Fred Klein, 2010, 2016

The Royal Gorge train traversed glorious Rocky Mountain scenery from Denver to Grand Junction Colorado via Pueblo and the Royal Gorge of the Arkansas River. The Royal Gorge tracks were completed in 1880, including the famous hanging bridge at which trains stopped so tourists could inspect the narrow and steep sided canyon. The train started under The Royal Gorge name in the 1940s, reached its peak in the 1950s, was glorified in the 1960 DRGW timetable, but declined to a short, unprofitable train as it eased toward its cancellation in 1967. In 1964, service west of Salida Colorado to Grand Junction was discontinued, leaving a shorter route with shorter trains. This was DRGW’s premier train (it was numbered #1 and #2) and in the late 60s, is a shadow of its former self. This short train made it an ideal candidate for Model Railroader’s “pike-sized” passenger trains of 5 cars or less that could be modeled on a small layout.

 

The Royal Gorge of the Arkansas River, from the DRGW 1960 passenger timetable. Note the length of the Royal Gorge train compared to 5 and 7 years later. From the information page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver_and_Rio_Grande_Western_Railroad.

 

The Royal Gorge in 1965. Note the extra power (an F7B), lightweight baggage car, divided coach, and heavyweight coach.

 

The Royal Gorge at Pueblo Colorado on April 8, 1967. A late style single-stripe paint scheme is on the PA1. Note the heavyweight instead of a lightweight baggage car, the divided coach is in a single-stripe paint scheme, and there is no heavyweight coach.  Photo from the March 2006 issue of Model Railroader, page 60.

 

Two versions of the Royal Gorge are published by Model Railroader as pike-sized trains: a 2 locomotive + 3 car version from 1965, and a 1 locomotive + 2 car version from 1967. This shows its gradual decline in size. The train modeled below has 1 locomotive (a PA like the first photo) and three cars like the first photo.

 

 

The whole train

 

The whole 1965 train of locomotive and three cars can be exactly modeled with off-the-shelf factory decorated cars from Kato, Walthers, Centralia Car Shops/Intermountain for the divided coach, and Rivarossi for the heavyweight coach.

 

 

REFERENCES

Hediger, Jim. 8 pike-sized passenger trains, Model Railroader, March 2006, page 60.

 

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