D&RGW Passenger Cars and Trains
Index For This Page
This page was last updated on February 25, 2025.
Rio Grande Passenger Notes
Rio Grande Passenger Notes -- Brief notes about selected D&RGW passenger cars, includes a timeline of the Rio Grande Zephyr.
Rio Grande Passenger cars
Rio Grande Passenger Car Roster, 1887-1909
Rio Grande Passenger Car Roster, 1909-1916
Rio Grande Passenger Car Roster, 1916-1924
Rio Grande Passenger Car Roster, 1924-1987
Rio Grande Passenger Cars, By Type
Rio Grande Passenger Cars, Chronology
Rio Grande Passenger Trains
Royal Gorge and Prospector
Rio Grande Royal Gorge and Prospector Passenger Trains -- A brief page about D&RGW's The Prospector and The Royal Gorge passenger trains.
RG Zephyr
Rio Grande Zephyr Passenger Train -- A brief page about D&RGW's Rio Grande Zephyr passenger train.
Exposition Flyer
Exposition Flyer was operated by Burlington (CB&Q), D&RGW and Wwetsren Pacific between Chicago and Oakland, initally to bring visitors to the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay in 1939 and 1940.
(Read about the Flying Rio Grande logo, first used in 1939 on head rests for the Exposition Flyer)
1939
"A
new passenger train, the "Exposition' Flyer," was inaugurated between Chicago and Oakland via CB&Q, D&SL,
D&RGW and WP lines. Despite its longer journey, this train
equalled the schedule of comparable trains on the CP-UP-Chicago & North Western route." (LeMessena, Rio Grande To The Pacific, page 271)
"With the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco and the New York World's Fair, the time was right. The three railroads agreed to start a new train, to be called the Exposition Flyer, on the Chicago to San Francisco (really Oakland Mole) route. The train would have a conglomeration of mostly heavyweight equipment from each road and the Pullman Company. Each railroad contributed cars in proportion to their route mileage. For the Rio Grande, this was three coach cars, a diner and three lounge-observation cars for the through regular consist." (Colorado Rail Annual No. 33, Rio Grande Standard Gauge Passenger Trains & Cars, page 125)
June 10, 1939
Exposition Flyer
service started.
1946
"Transcontinental sleeping-car service between New York City and
Oakland, California, was inaugurated on the "Exposition
Flyer" via Chicago, Illinois, on the WP-D&RGW-CB&Q and
NYC/PRR." (LeMessena, Rio Grande To The Pacific, page 161)
(Exposition Flyer operated from 1939 to 1949, when it was replaced by the California Zephyr, operated by the same three railroads between Chicago and Oakland.)
1949
"A new deluxe train, the "California Zephyr" running
between Chicago, Illinois, aad Oakland, California, over
the CB&O, D&RGW and WP railroads, replaced the "Exposition Flyer." (LeMessena, Rio Grande To The Pacific, page 170)
March 21, 1949
California Zephyr service started.
(Read the Wikipedia article about the Exposition Flyer)
Rio Grande Passenger Car Rosters By RGM&HS
D&RGW Passenger Cars at the current RGM&HS (rgmhs.org) web site
The following links are for the passenger car rosters of the former RGM&HS (D&RGW.org) website at Archive.org, captured in 2008.
Rio Grande Heavyweight Passenger Cars
Pullman Cars Assigned to D&RG/D&RGW
Rio Grande Lightweight Passenger Cars (Prospector, Royal Gorge, and others)
Rio Grande Lightweight Passenger Cars (California Zephyr)
Rio Grande Ski Train Passenger Cars
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