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5/22/2024
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Viewing Album:  Rio Grande Zephyr
 
By:Tom Beckett
Dates:8/22/1982 - 8/22/1982
Album Info:In August 1982, a friend moved from Long Island to Phoenix. I went along for a road trip, as he wanted someone to share the driving. He dropped me at Flagstaff, where I picked up Amtrak to head back to New York. I rode to Barstow on the Southwest, then to Salt Lake on the Desert Wind. Salt Lake to Denver was on the DRGW. The date-Aug 22 1982-is correct. Some of the locations may be off, as I was not taking notes. Please feel free to advise of any incorrect locations. Ironically, I did get the mileage over the UP in 1984. By then, the Rio Grande had quit and Amtrak took over the route, but was detouring via Wyoming due to the Thistle mudslide.
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Heater car
Title:  Heater car
Description:  The Rio Grande used this PB1 as a steam generator car for train hotel power. Sadly, by the time I saw it, the Alco tri mount trucks had been replaced by a set of Blombergs, rendering this ungainly appearance.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 3/24/2013 4:19:41 AM
Location:  Salt Lake City, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,Station,Passenger
Locomotives:  DRGW 253(Power Car)
Views:  696   Comments: 2
Lead unit
Title:  Lead unit
Description:  For some reason I do not now recall, DRGW 5771 was not on the train this day. Instead we had a GP40-2. Ah well...
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 3/24/2013 4:26:54 AM
Location:  Salt Lake City, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,Station,Passenger
Locomotives:  DRGW 3116(GP40-2)
Views:  279   Comments: 0
B unit
Title:  B unit
Description:  The less prominent unit in the RGZ power consist is the F9B, seen here in a broadside at Salt Lake
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 3/24/2013 4:22:36 AM
Location:  Salt Lake City, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,Station,Passenger
Locomotives:  DRGW 5762(F9B)
Views:  379   Comments: 1
Baggage car
Title:  Baggage car
Description:  The baggage car on the RGZ is otherwise unremarked, but still an attractive part of the train.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 5/26/2014 4:27:47 AM
Location:  Salt Lake City, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Station,Passenger
Locomotives: 
Views:  437   Comments: 0
Diner
Title:  Diner
Description:  The RGZ diner, appropriately named Silver Banquet. It was a treat to eat on it. Breakfast was marvelous-I had French toast-and dinner was Rocky Mountain brook trout, also superb.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 5/26/2014 4:29:26 AM
Location:  Salt Lake City, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Station,Passenger
Locomotives: 
Views:  80   Comments: 0
Glenwood Canyon
Title:  Glenwood Canyon
Description:  We round a curve in the canyon.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:18:55 PM
Location:  Rifle, CO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Scenic,RollingStock,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  DRGW 3116(GP40-2) DRGW 5763(F9B)
Views:  452   Comments: 0
Silver Sky
Title:  Silver Sky
Description:  Dome obs Silver Sky brought up the markers on this trip.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:13:52 PM
Location:  Salt Lake City, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Station,Passenger
Locomotives: 
Views:  506   Comments: 0
Power on the RGZ
Title:  Power on the RGZ
Description:  This was the head end of the RGZ the day I rode. Didnt get 5771, which was out of service for reasons long forgotten. We did have the F9B and the Alco PB power car.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:05:22 PM
Location:  Salt Lake City, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Station,Passenger
Locomotives:  DRGW 3116(GP40-2) DRGW 5763(F9B)
Views:  597   Comments: 2
Rio Grande Zephry dining car window
Title:  Rio Grande Zephry dining car window
Description:  The end doors on the RGZ diner had this etched in the glass.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:01:45 PM
Location:  Salt Lake City, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Passenger
Locomotives: 
Views:  121   Comments: 0
Head end from the dutch door
Title:  Head end from the dutch door
Description:  One of the things I miss most about riding trains from the era up to about the mid 80s was riding the dutch door. Now the practically wont let you in the vestibules to cross between cars. This is a view of the front of the train as we rode through the Utah desert.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:11:50 PM
Location:  Thompson, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  DRGW 3116(GP40-2) DRGW 5763(F9B)
Views:  467   Comments: 0
Across the Utah desert
Title:  Across the Utah desert
Description:  Th Uinta moutains loom as the train heads across the scrub in western Utah
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:15:46 PM
Location:  Helper, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Passenger,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  119   Comments: 0
We enter a tunnel
Title:  We enter a tunnel
Description:  There are 29 tunnels between the big one-Moffatt-and Denver. Here the train enters one of them.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:21:31 PM
Location:  Bond, CO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Scenic,RollingStock,Tunnel,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  DRGW 3116(GP40-2) DRGW 5763(F9B)
Views:  346   Comments: 0
Into Glenwood Canyon
Title:  Into Glenwood Canyon
Description:  For a good stretch, the line follows the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:18:02 PM
Location:  Rifle, CO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Scenic,RollingStock,Passenger,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  112   Comments: 0
Domes galore
Title:  Domes galore
Description:  The train as I recall had an 8 car consist, 5 of which were domes. Heres a view as we rolled through the Utah desert. Locations on this trip are mostly a guess. If anyone can advise on correct location, please feel free to comment.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:08:25 PM
Location:  Thompson, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Passenger,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  82   Comments: 0
A view to a dome
Title:  A view to a dome
Description:  When we were on tangent track, this was the view from one dome to another.
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:09:37 PM
Location:  Thompson, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Passenger,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  85   Comments: 0
Meet with a westbound
Title:  Meet with a westbound
Description:  If I recall, we met three westbounds that day. This was one of them, seen from a dome
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:12:56 PM
Location:  Helper, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Action
Locomotives:  DRGW 3125(GP40-2)
Views:  352   Comments: 0
Last stop
Title:  Last stop
Description:  The end of the trip is at Denver Union Station, seen here the day after arrival
Photo Date:  8/23/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:22:48 PM
Location:  Denver, CO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Station,Passenger
Locomotives: 
Views:  99   Comments: 0
Schedule board for the RGZ
Title:  Schedule board for the RGZ
Description:  Schedule board for the Rio Grande Zephyr at Denver Union Station
Photo Date:  8/23/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:03:38 PM
Location:  Denver, CO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Station,Passenger
Locomotives: 
Views:  124   Comments: 0
Ticket, timetable and seat check
Title:  Ticket, timetable and seat check
Description:  As with most fans, I throw nothing away. Here are the ticket, issued at the Amtrak city ticket office in New York, the timetable that was on the train, and my seat check from the trip.
Photo Date:  8/23/1982  Upload Date: 8/21/2011 8:24:29 PM
Location:  Denver, CO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Passenger
Locomotives: 
Views:  154   Comments: 1

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