Holiday Cheer

Between 1978 and the train's 1983 demise I made at least one trip a year to ride the Rio Grande Zephyr (or RGZ for short). In December of 1981, though, I had the opportunity to actually chase the train for much of it's route through the Rockies with good friend Jon Pullman Porter. On the evening of December 30th of that year we set off for Denver Union Station to grab a couple of time exposures. The photographs that resulted from that session remain some of my favorites of the Zephyr to this day. 

The photo above is of dome-lounge observation car Silver Sky, shot after Train 18 (the eastbound Zephyr) had emptied out but before a Rio Grande switcher had arrived to wye the trainset. All of the elements of a good Winter photograph are there: Steam hissing from the rear of Silver Sky, the holly wreath hanging inside car, and of course, a smattering of snow on the ground, capped off by the bright red signal light near the roof. 

The black and white photo is by Jon Pullman Porter of the same train. Note the second "unit" back is a steam generator car built from a retired PB1 unit. Another reason why people came from all over the country to shoot and ride this living piece of history. And indeed, in less than two years this train would quite literally become history when discontinued to allow Amtrak's California Zephyr to acquire the use of the Scenic Route Through The Rockies. 

- Ken Rattenne