Rio Grande Zephyr

When the original California Zephyr ceased operations in March 1970, Amtrak endeavored to take over its operations. The original CZ route, which included the D&RGW-owned Moffat Tunnel Route, was unavailable due to a contract dispute between Amtrak and D&RGW. Thus, for the MTR leg, The Rio Grande Zephyr commenced operation, using the D&RGW cars from the California Zephyr. The Rio Grande Zephyr ran from Denver to Salt Lake City. The route was then extended to Ogden to accommodate California bound passengers connecting to the San Francisco Zephyr. Equipment and staff were sourced from the original California Zephyr and as it provided daytime service, nighttime service cars were either converted or sold off. Our models represent the Rio Grande Zephyr as it serviced the Denver and Grand Junction route until she was discontinued on April 24, 1980.