RIDE THE OLD RIO GRANDE

Ride DRGW Zephyr Passenger Trains and A Rio Grande "Branch Line Freight"
Ride on an old branch line of the Denver & Rio Grande Western built in the 1880s to serve the Colorado Fuel & Iron limestone quarry at Monarch, Colorado. Originally part of the D&RGW's 3 foot narrow-gauge system, the 15 mile line connected with the rest of the narrow-gauge network at Poncha Junction, on the Marshall Pass line. The upper part of the Branch was on a 4.5% grade and included both an "S" curve and a double switchback to reach an elevation of over 10,000 ft. The line was converted to standard-gauge in 1956 after the narrow-gauge mainline from Salida to Gunnison was closed in the early 1950s. From that time forward, the line operated as a standard-gauge branch of the D&RGW until the early 1980s when Colorado Fuel & Iron closed its blast furnaces at Pueblo, Colorado. Operations on the Monarch Branch subsequently ceased and the rails were pulled up a short time later.
Here are some all time images of Rio Grande GP-30s shot from the Caboose on a local! These are all visions you can no longer see today! At 5 minutes we take a ride on the Rio Grande Zephyr Passenger Train thru Glenwood Canyon!