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Prospector (passenger train)
Encyclopedia
The Prospector was a passenger train operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Western railroad between Denver
, Colorado
and Salt Lake City
, Utah
. There were two incarnations of the train: a streamlined, diesel multiple unit
train that operated briefly from 1941 to 1942; and a locomotive
-hauled train of conventional passenger equipment that operated from 1945 until 1967.
-built diesel multiple unit
trains numbered M-1 and M-2. The trainsets, however, had significant reliability problems exacerbated by the difficult terrain through which the railway ran; consequently, the train was discontinued July 5, 1942. The trainsets were returned to Budd and ultimately scrapped.
For the inaugural trip in 1941, the railroad made stainless steel pass holders that were intended to be distributed to passengers. The holder was engraved with a line drawing of the train on the outside. On the inside were two cards - one with an embossed picture of a prospector and mule in gold, the other with a message reading:
However, the holders were not distributed as intended to passengers.
Anticipating increases in overnight Denver-Salt Lake City rail passenger traffic after the end of World War II, the Rio Grande restored the Prospector on October 1, 1945 using conventional heavyweight equipment. The railroad also began planning the acquisition of new equipment for the train. Soon, the Rio Grande purchased 28 new, lightweight passenger cars built by Pullman-Standard
— equipment that had been ordered by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
, but never used by them. The streamlined cars began service on the Prospector in 1950.
For most of the Prospector's existence, the train also carried cars belonging to the railroad's Royal Gorge passenger train between Grand Junction, Colorado
and Salt Lake City. Between 1950 and 1953 the train's western terminus was extended from Salt Lake City to Ogden
.
The Prospector made its final runs on May 28, 1967.
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. There were two incarnations of the train: a streamlined, diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
train that operated briefly from 1941 to 1942; and a locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
-hauled train of conventional passenger equipment that operated from 1945 until 1967.
The 1941-1942 Prospector
The train was inaugurated November 17, 1941. The original equipment was a pair of Budd CompanyBudd Company
The Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....
-built diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
trains numbered M-1 and M-2. The trainsets, however, had significant reliability problems exacerbated by the difficult terrain through which the railway ran; consequently, the train was discontinued July 5, 1942. The trainsets were returned to Budd and ultimately scrapped.
For the inaugural trip in 1941, the railroad made stainless steel pass holders that were intended to be distributed to passengers. The holder was engraved with a line drawing of the train on the outside. On the inside were two cards - one with an embossed picture of a prospector and mule in gold, the other with a message reading:
- "DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD IS HONORED TO WELCOME _____ ON THE INAUGURAL TRIP OF THE PROSPECTOR. NEW, DIESEL POWER, STAINLESS STEEL STREAMLINED TRAIN DESIGNED FOR OVERNIGHT EVERY NIGHT SERVICE BETWEEN DENVER AND SALT LAKE CITY"
However, the holders were not distributed as intended to passengers.
The Postwar Prospector
{|Anticipating increases in overnight Denver-Salt Lake City rail passenger traffic after the end of World War II, the Rio Grande restored the Prospector on October 1, 1945 using conventional heavyweight equipment. The railroad also began planning the acquisition of new equipment for the train. Soon, the Rio Grande purchased 28 new, lightweight passenger cars built by Pullman-Standard
Pullman Company
The Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
— equipment that had been ordered by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
, but never used by them. The streamlined cars began service on the Prospector in 1950.
For most of the Prospector's existence, the train also carried cars belonging to the railroad's Royal Gorge passenger train between Grand Junction, Colorado
Grand Junction, Colorado
The City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
and Salt Lake City. Between 1950 and 1953 the train's western terminus was extended from Salt Lake City to Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
.
The Prospector made its final runs on May 28, 1967.