This beautiful cover photo shows the Prospector, the overnight Denver-Salt Lake train that operated as a heavyweight from 1949 to 1950 and as a lightweight from 1950 until its final run on May 28, 1967. This menu also happens to be dated 1967, which shows that Rio Grande was still running a classy train right up to the end. The menu doesn’t actually say it was used on the Prospector, but the cover photo and the fact that one of the meals is called the Prospector plate dinner pretty much gives it away.
Click image to download a 1.2-MB PDF of this menu.
The menu includes table d’hôte meals of trout, fried chicken, and pork chops for about $3.50 each (a little over $25 today). The Prospector plate dinner is a Salisbury steak with potatoes, salad, beverage, and dessert for $2.85 (about $21 today). A fairly complete a la carte side offers ham and eggs, fried chicken, omelette, hamburger, and several other sandwiches, appetizers, salads, desserts, and the usual beverages. Unusually, the menu adds, “if there is a particular dish which you desire, not listed, the Steward will gladly furnish, if available.”