D&RGW West Of Grand Junction

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This page was last updated on July 31, 2017.

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Overview

Mile post numbers: As an overall statement, all mile posts on Rio Grande are numbered from Denver. But the route from Denver to Ogden has changed. When first constructed, Denver to Ogden was 774.6 miles by way of the narrow gauge route over Marshall Pass in Colorado. In 1890 the standard gauge route over Tennessee Pass was completed, and the distance from Denver to Ogden changed from 774.6 miles to 782.0 miles.

In 1927 D&RGW began operating over the Denver & Salt Lake Railway's route from Denver straight west through the newly completed Moffat Tunnel. According to the January 1972 System Timetable No. 1, the Moffat line connected with D&RGW's Tennessee Pass line at Dotsero. The junction switch at Dotsero carried Mile Post 166.8 for the Moffat line, and Mile Post 341.9 for the Tennessee Pass line. All mile post numbers remained the same after SP took over the operation of D&RGW in 1988, and after UP took control of D&RGW in 1996.

Although minor variations exist in the mile post numbers over time, they have generally remained the same, i.e., distance from Denver via the Tennessee Pass line. Since mile post numbers are taken from the center of the depot, or from the center of a station's siding, variations in station mile post numbers are mainly due to sidings being lengthened, and the center of the siding moving to reflect the new length. Other variations exist due to the line being re-surveyed. As a general basis, the mile post numbers given below are from the 1961 Utah Division employee timetable.

Mile-By-Mile

D&RGW Stations West from Grand Junction to Ogden

Grand Junction (MP 449.6)

425.2 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Durham (MP 450.0)

Racey (MP 454.5)

Rhone (MP 456.9)

shown as Roan in April 1884 narrow gauge timetable, 432.6 miles from Denver

Fruita (MP 460.5)

439.6 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Loma (MP 465.6)

Mack (MP 468.9)

Established east of Crevasse siding in 1903 as a connection with Uintah Railway.

Crevasse (MP 470.5)

Point of connection for 1890 Crevasse to White House standard gauge line
Point of legal separation between Denver & Rio Grande and Rio Grande Western
446.6 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Ruby (MP 473.1)

Shale (MP 478.0)

Utaline (MP 483.4)

Colorado/Utah line
Utaline to Crevasse constructed by RGW subsidiary State Line & Denver Railway (LeMassena, p. 255)

Westwater (MP 488.4)

Cottonwood (MP 493.2)

Agate (MP 498.9)

Cisco (MP 504.4)

White House (MP 512.0)

Point of connection for 1890 Crevasse to White House standard gauge line
498.8 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Elba (MP 515.9)

Sagers (MP 520.1)

506.7 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Vista (MP 525.3)

Thompson (MP 528.1)

515.0 miles from Denver via narrow gauge
Connection with Ballard & Thompson Branch
Wye track
(see also: Ballard & Thompson Railroad)

Brendel (MP 534.2)

Connection with Cane Creek Branch in 1962
(see also: Cane Creek Branch)

Floy (MP 540.9)

abandoned spur to the south, about 300 feet in length (D&RGW ICC valuation map, Utah State Archives)

Solitude (MP 546.9)

536.3 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Riverside

shown in 1884 engineer's report

Daly (MP 551.4)

Green River (MP 555.2)

544.9 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Sphinx (MP 561.3)

551.4 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Desert (MP 568.0)

shown as Desert Switch in April 1884 narrow gauge timetable
557.9 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Cliff (MP 574.7)

shown as Cliff Siding in April 1884 narrow gauge timetable
564.4 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Woodside (MP 580.6)

shown as Lower Crossing on the April 1884 narrow gauge
570.3 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Grassy (MP 596.9)

Cedar (MP 593.5)

Verde (MP 599.4)

Mounds (MP 603.2)

shown as Sunnyside on the April 1884 narrow gauge timetable
590.6 miles from Denver via narrow gauge
Connection with Sunnyside Branch
Wye track

Farnham (MP 608.7)

599.7 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Wellington (MP 613.5)

Price (MP 619.1)

610.3 miles from Denver via narrow gauge
shown as Castle Valley in 1884 engineer's report

CV Spur

C.V. Spur coal loading for Savage

Maxwell (MP 621.8)

Spring Glen

Connection with Kenilworth & Helper Railway

Helper (MP 626.5)

West Helper, wye track connection with Spring Canyon Branch
West Helper, connection with Kenilworth Branch

Utah Ry. Jct. (MP 628.8)

Castle Gate (MP 630.3)

623.5 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Royal (MP 631.6)

Nolan (MP 635.1)

Kyune (MP 639.3)

632.2 miles from Denver via narrow gauge
Original name was Jennings Junction
Wye track at West Kyune
Second wye track at mid Kyune siding for turning helper locomotives
Connection with Jenning's Spur, to the Jenning's Quarry and Potte'rs Quarry
- Built in 1892 to Jenning's Quarry, 3 miles
- Extended in 1900 to Potter's Quarry
- Removed in 1917

Colton (MP 644.5)

shown as P. V. Junction in April 1884 timetable
636.9 miles from Denver via narrow gauge
Wye track, removed by 1960
Connection with Pleasant Valley Branch

Soldier Summit (MP 651.4)

644.1 miles from Denver via narrow gauge
Wye track

New line constructed in 1913 to make an easier grade, to accommodate Utah Railway coal trains.

Scenic (MP 656.5)

Gilluly (MP 661.0)

Detour (MP 665.8)

Point of connection for 1913 Soldier to Detour standard gauge line

Narrows (MP 672.5)

shown as Red Narrows in April 1884 timetable
662.7 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Mill Fork (MP ??)

658.3 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Rio (MP 676.7)

Known briefly as "New Rio" during construction of Thistle line relocation, June-July 1983

Castilla (MP 684.7)

Known briefly as "New Thistle" during construction of Thistle line relocation, June-July 1983

Moark (MP 688.6)

Mapleton (MP 691.3) (later known as Sutro)

S.L.&U. Crossing (MP 695.0)

Springville (MP 695.8)

684.1 miles from Denver via narrow gauge
Connection with Tintic Branch.

U.P. Crossing (MP 698.9)

Grundy (MP 700.0)

Provo (MP 701.2)

689.4 miles from Denver via narrow gauge
Wye track, along east side of Provo Yard, stub ended at Provo City Cemetery
Connection with Provo Canyon Branch (no wye track)

Dern (MP 702.5)

Lakota (MP 704.8)

U.P. Crossing (MP 705.7)

Geneva (MP 710.0)

American Fork (MP 713.7)

702.2 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Lehi (MP 717.0)

MP 705.5 from Denver in 1885, by original narrow gauge
MP 65.2 from Ogden in 1891, 1894, 1898, 1900

The following comes from Mike Mclaughlin:

I really don’t think this was an actual tower, rather probably a local CTC panel in the depot operated by a “towerman” to differentiate him from the DS in Salt Lake. The Grande was a great believer in local CTC and had a whole bunch’a installations at various points system wide, operated under instructions from the dispatcher. Gradually these were consolidated in Denver, Grand Jct and Salt Lake, then all moved to Denver. The local panels I’m aware of were at Denver, Sulpher Spgs, Tennessee Pass, Dotsero, Funston, Grand Jct, Green River, Helper, Kyune, Soldier Summit, Thistle, Lehi, and Salt Lake. (Mike Mclaughlin, email to Don Strack, dated December 22, 2011)

(Halsted)

MP 64.9 from Ogden in 1894

Mesa (MP 720.2)

not shown in 1894 timetable
MP 61.7 from Ogden in 1898
MP 61.6 from Ogden in 1900

(Gravel Pit No. 3)

MP 61.5 from Ogden in 1894
not shown in 1898

(Gravel Pit No. 2)

MP 61.0 from Ogden in 1894, 1898

(Gravel Pit)

MP 60.3 from Ogden in 1891

(County Line)

MP 60.0 from Ogden in 1900

Nash (MP 722.8)

approximately 59.2 miles from Ogden

(Jordan Narrows)

MP 712.4 from Denver in 1885, by original narrow gauge
MP 58.8 from Ogden in 1891, 1894, 1898
county line, Salt Lake County - Utah County
not shown in June 1900 list

(Lamson's)

MP 58.0 from Ogden in 1898

(Gravel Pit No. 1)

MP 57.0 from Ogden in 1894
not shown in 1898

Olivers (MP 725.5)

MP 57.0 from Ogden in 1898, shown as Oliver's
MP 56.8 from Ogden in 1900, shown as Oliver's

(Draper)

MP 53.6 from Ogden in 1894
approximately 728.5 miles from Denver

Riverton (MP 728.6)

MP 53.6 from Ogden in 1898
MP 53.5 from Ogden in 1900

Endot (MP 734.0)

Midvale (MP 734.5) (MP 724.1 in 1885 by origianl narrow gauge)

Bingham Junction in 1884 (narrow gauge)
Bingham Junction in 1894, 1898, 1900 (standard gauge) (MP 47.6 from Ogden)
Wye track, connection with Bingham Branch
- In street along 7800 South
- Moved in 1960s during construction of I-15 to allow overpass over 7800 South
- (Kirk Rogers)

Murray (MP 738.4)

East Roper (MP 740.7)

Roper (MP 742.5)

Yard
Connection with Park City Branch
Locomotive servicing facility

U.P. Crossing (MP 744.2)

Salt Lake City (MP 745.1)

734.9 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

U.P. Crossing (MP 745.6)

Site of a D&RGW 17-lever manual interlocking to protect D&RGW crossing at 700 West of OSL at South Temple, and WP's crossing of D&RGW at 100 South.

Replaced in 1948 by Grant Tower automatic interlocking.

North Salt Lake (MP 750.9)

Woods Cross (MP 753.6)

743.5 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Farmington (MP 760.6)

750.2 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Kaysville (MP 764.4)

754.1 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Layton (MP 767.2)

756.9 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

U.P. Crossing (MP 771.2)

D&RGW crossing of OSL Syracuse Branch, which was built in 1889, after D&RGW was completed to Ogden in 1883.

Roy (MP 775.1)

Transfer (MP 781.1)

Ogden (MP 782.0)

774.2 miles from Denver via narrow gauge

Sources

D&RGW April 1884 passenger timetable, showing distances from Denver via the original narrow gauge

D&RGW Salt Lake Division timetable 117, December 4, 1938 (from Scott Meier's web site)

D&RGW Grand Junction Division timetable 119, June 2, 1940 (from Scott Meier's web site)

maps in LeMassena's Rio Grande to the Pacific

D&RGW 1934 Condensed Profiles

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