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)

Durham (MP 450.0)

Racey (MP 454.5)

Rhone (MP 456.9)

Fruita (MP 460.5)

Loma (MP 465.6)

Mack (MP 468.9)

Crevasse (MP 470.5)

Ruby (MP 473.1)

Shale (MP 478.0)

Utaline (MP 483.4)

Westwater (MP 488.4)

Cottonwood (MP 493.2)

Agate (MP 498.9)

Cisco (MP 504.4)

White House (MP 512.0)

Elba (MP 515.9)

Sagers (MP 520.1)

Vista (MP 525.3)

Thompson (MP 528.1)

Brendel (MP 534.2)

Floy (MP 540.9)

Solitude (MP 546.9)

Riverside

Daly (MP 551.4)

Green River (MP 555.2)

Sphinx (MP 561.3)

Desert (MP 568.0)

Cliff (MP 574.7)

Woodside (MP 580.6)

Grassy (MP 596.9)

Cedar (MP 593.5)

Verde (MP 599.4)

Mounds (MP 603.2)

Farnham (MP 608.7)

Wellington (MP 613.5)

Price (MP 619.1)

CV Spur

Maxwell (MP 621.8)

Spring Glen

Helper (MP 626.5)

Utah Ry. Jct. (MP 628.8)

Castle Gate (MP 630.3)

Royal (MP 631.6)

Nolan (MP 635.1)

Kyune (MP 639.3)

Colton (MP 644.5)

Soldier Summit (MP 651.4)

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)

Narrows (MP 672.5)

Mill Fork  (MP ??)

Rio (MP 676.7)

Castilla (MP 684.7)

Moark (MP 688.6)

Mapleton (MP 691.3) (later known as Sutro)

S.L.&U. Crossing  (MP 695.0)

Springville (MP 695.8)

U.P. Crossing (MP 698.9)

Grundy (MP 700.0)

Provo (MP 701.2)

Dern (MP 702.5)

Lakota (MP 704.8)

U.P. Crossing (MP 705.7)

Geneva (MP 710.0)

American Fork (MP 713.7)

Lehi (MP 717.0)

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)

Mesa (MP 720.2)

(Gravel Pit No. 3)

(Gravel Pit No. 2)

(Gravel Pit)

(County Line)

Nash (MP 722.8)

(Jordan Narrows)

(Lamson's)

(Gravel Pit No. 1)

Olivers (MP 725.5)

(Draper)

Riverton (MP 728.6)

Endot (MP 734.0)

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

Murray (MP 738.4)

East Roper (MP 740.7)

Roper (MP 742.5)

U.P. Crossing (MP 744.2)

Salt Lake City (MP 745.1)

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)

Farmington (MP 760.6)

Kaysville (MP 764.4)

Layton (MP 767.2)

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)

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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