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"Railblazer" Overnight Delivery

Doug Harrop Photography • May 17, 1989

 

Starting in 1985, the Denver & Rio Grande Western offered overnight piggyback service between Denver and Salt Lake City, and vice versa. A 14-hour delivery was guaranteed for $299.

 

The 102/103 trains introduced the "Sprint" concept to the D&RGW with two man crews, cabooseless operation, and a single crew change between the capital cities (Grand Junction, Colorado).

 

Mr. Harrop captured the eastbound variant, train No. 102 meeting a coal train at Soldier Summit just before sundown. The Railblazer would disappear from the D&RGW lineup in the spring of 1990.

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Uploaded on February 11, 2026
Taken on May 17, 1989