Re: What if the D&RGW had joined Amtrak?

Les Jarrett Wrote:
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> When Amtrak was formed in 1971, railroads with
> passenger service had the option of joining or
> not. Those that joined were relieved of any
> public service obligations for passenger service.
> Amtrak chose what routes to keep and what to drop.
> The Rock Island, Southern, Georgia RR, and the
> D&RGW chose to remain out of Amtrak

Also Reading and the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend.

> and were
> required to keep their passenger services for it
> seems I recall, five years.

Mostly correct. They had another opportunity to join NRPC after 3 years and after 5 could either join or go through the ICC process to abandon.

> Santa Fe came within
> a hairs breath of not joining but at the last
> minute did.

Same for SCL. Both were on record that if they had been allowed to cut back to the level Amtrak kept on their lines, they would not have joined.

> What if D&RGW joined? The Silverton Branch
> trains, as far as I understand, were still
> regulated passenger trains, albeit seasonal. The
> D&RGW also had the Rio Grande Zephyr between
> Denver & Salt Lake.
Of Fond Memory.

Actually, D&RGW did join Amtrak (April 1983) but the Silverton had been sold by then.

> But what if D&RGW had joined
> Amtrak? One can bet instead of the "San Francisco
> Zephyr" going on the UP through Wyoming, the
> Amtrak Zephyr would have run on the D&RGW.

Original Railpax schedules were indeed set up that way. D&&RGW said no at the last minute. Reason given was that were unsure of Amtrak and feared it would mess up their precisely scheduled freight service, especially on the Moffat. Back in those days when you rode the Zephyr (orig CZ or RGS) West out of Denver it seemed like every siding had a long coal train or fast manifest (which would be already rolling before #17 reached the West switch). It was a fascinating dance to watch from the dome.

> (Today's California Zephyr service on the ex-D&RGW
> started well after the Amtrak takeover).
>
> But what about the Silverton branch? By all logic
> Amtrak would have dropped the service.

Debatable. But I expect there would have been some sort of work-around reached. Maybe it would have been included in the C&TS the next Fall?

Hank