Ruby Canyon is one of the western-most canyons the Rio Grande Railroad passes through in the Colorado Rockies. After leaving the canyon, the railroad will cross the plains through Grand Junction before entering Utah and another chain of mountains. The … Continue reading
Here is an unusual version of one of Rio Grande’s glued-on menu series. Instead of putting the name of the meal on the top of the front cover, this one has the name of the train, the Prospector. The cover … Continue reading
Before the Moffat Tunnel opened in 1928, the Denver & Salt Lake Railway crossed the Rockies over Rollins Pass, which was more than 11,600 feet in elevation. Ascending and descending the pass required numerous tunnels, trestles, 180-degree curves, and at … Continue reading
Here is yet another view of Sopris Peak and the Crystal River, this one on one of Rio Grande’s wraparound photo menus. I’ve been to Colorado many times, but had never heard of the Crystal River until a Streamliner Memories … Continue reading
Here’s a view of the Crystal River and Mount Sopris (which the menu calls Sopris Peak) in Rio Grande’s front-cover photo series. “The sparkling Crystal River is but one of a number of streams in the area known to trout … Continue reading
We’ve previously seen a 1951 menu of this style featuring a train in the Royal Gorge, but that menu showed a heavyweight train pulled by Diesels in Rio Grande’s black with yellow stripes color scheme. Today’s menus from 1953 and … Continue reading
This menu cover features Mount Sopris behind the Crystal River, a 40-mile-long stream that feeds into the Roaring Fork River at Carbondale, which in turn feeds into the Colorado at Glenwood Springs. “In the romantic Rocky Mountains,” the back cover … Continue reading
As noted on the back of this menu, Colorado aspens, more properly known as quaking aspens, are known both for turning gold in the fall and for their leaves that tremble in the gentlest breeze. The menu doesn’t say so, … Continue reading
Glenwood Springs is featured on the cover of this 1947 menu. The back cover explains that spring waters emerge from the ground at 127 degrees and have to be cooled with “clear, cold mountain water” to 84 degrees for use … Continue reading
Before it purchased dome cars for the California Zephyr and other streamlined trains, the Rio Grande made a narrow-gauge dome car, of sorts, for its scenic line between Durango and Silverton. The car had a glass roof with open sides … Continue reading
