Shavano (passenger train)
Encyclopedia
The Shavano was a named passenger train operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad between Salida
and Gunnison
, Colorado
. The train, named for nearby Mount Shavano
, operated over the railroad's historic narrow gauge route over Marshall Pass
. The Shavano operated as Train #315 westbound (to Gunnison), and #316 eastbound (to Salida).
south to Pueblo
, and then turned west through the Royal Gorge
to Salida. The route then continued over Marshall Pass to Gunnison, Montrose
, and Grand Junction
, before entering Utah
and proceeding to Salt Lake City
and Ogden
. This existed as a through route only until 1890, when the main line was standard-gauged. The standard gauge route headed north from Salida via Tennessee Pass
, rejoining the original narrow-gauge route at Grand Junction. This left the old narrow-gauge line over Marshall Pass as a local route. Narrow-gauge trains operated between Salida and Grand Junction until the Montrose-Grand Junction tracks were standard-gauged in 1906, truncating the narrow-gauge line to a Salida-Montrose route.
Narrow-gauge trains 315 and 316, carrying coaches and a parlor car, operated between Salida and Montrose until August 1936, when the Gunnison-Montrose portion of the route was discontinued. That autumn, however, the Rio Grande decided to upgrade its remaining narrow-gauge passenger trains, and renovated 38 passenger cars for use on its Salida-Montrose and Alamosa
-Durango
routes. The refurbishment included the addition of enclosed vestibules, the installation of electric lights and steam heating, and new interior seats and fixtures. The finished cars were perhaps the most comfortable and well-appointed narrow-gauge equipment in the United States.
The equipment renovation project was completed by the spring of 1937, and the new train entered service between Salida and Montrose on April 9. Dubbed the Shavano, the train included baggage and mail cars, coaches, and a parlor car. The Shavano operated westbound from Salida to Gunnison in the morning, returning in the evening; the schedule allowed through passengers to connect in Salida with an overnight standard-gauge train to Denver.
Despite the improvements made to the train, however, patronage was not sufficient to retain the service, particularly in light of the region's improving roads and increased automobile traffic. The Rio Grande discontinued the Shavano on November 24, 1940, ending rail passenger service to Gunnison and leaving the San Juan Express
as the railroad's last daily narrow-gauge passenger train. The train's old route over Marshall Pass was completely abandoned by the railroad in 1955; most of the route is now an automobile road.
Salida, Colorado
The City of Salida is a Statutory City that is the county seat and most populous city of Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,504 at the U.S. Census 2000.-History:800px|thumb|left| Panoramic View of Salida, 1910...
and Gunnison
Gunnison, Colorado
The historic City of Gunnison, a Home Rule Municipality, is the county seat and the most populous city of Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,854. It was named in honor of John W...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The train, named for nearby Mount Shavano
Mount Shavano
Mount Shavano, with an altitude of 14,229 feet , is one of the fourteeners of the U.S. State of Colorado. It is the 17th highest peak in Colorado and a near-neighbor to Tabeguache Peak. It lies just east of the Continental Divide and just west of the Arkansas River rising 7,000 feet above the...
, operated over the railroad's historic narrow gauge route over Marshall Pass
Marshall Pass
Marshall Pass is between Salida and Gunnison at the Continental Divide. Marshall Pass was discovered by, and named for, Lt. William L. Marshall of the Wheeler Survey in 1873...
. The Shavano operated as Train #315 westbound (to Gunnison), and #316 eastbound (to Salida).
History
The original east-west main line of the Denver & Rio Grande, constructed in the 1870s and 1880s, was built as a narrow-gauge railroad, with the rails spaced three feet apart. The line ran from DenverDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
south to Pueblo
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, and then turned west through the Royal Gorge
Royal Gorge
The Royal Gorge is a canyon on the Arkansas River near Cañon City, Colorado. With a width of at its base and a few hundred feet at its top, and a depth of in places, the 10-mile-long canyon is a narrow, steep gorge through the granite of Fremont Peak...
to Salida. The route then continued over Marshall Pass to Gunnison, Montrose
Montrose, Colorado
The City of Montrose is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 15,479 in 2005. The main road that leads in and out of Montrose is U.S...
, and Grand Junction
Grand Junction, Colorado
The City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
, before entering Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and proceeding to Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
and Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
. This existed as a through route only until 1890, when the main line was standard-gauged. The standard gauge route headed north from Salida via Tennessee Pass
Tennessee Pass (Colorado)
Tennessee Pass elevation is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States.The pass traverses the continental divide north of Leadville in a gap between the northern end of the Sawatch Range to the west and the northern end of the Mosquito Range to the east...
, rejoining the original narrow-gauge route at Grand Junction. This left the old narrow-gauge line over Marshall Pass as a local route. Narrow-gauge trains operated between Salida and Grand Junction until the Montrose-Grand Junction tracks were standard-gauged in 1906, truncating the narrow-gauge line to a Salida-Montrose route.
Narrow-gauge trains 315 and 316, carrying coaches and a parlor car, operated between Salida and Montrose until August 1936, when the Gunnison-Montrose portion of the route was discontinued. That autumn, however, the Rio Grande decided to upgrade its remaining narrow-gauge passenger trains, and renovated 38 passenger cars for use on its Salida-Montrose and Alamosa
Alamosa, Colorado
The city of Alamosa is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 8,682 in 2005...
-Durango
Durango, Colorado
The City of Durango is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau said that the city population was 16,887 in 2010 census.-History:...
routes. The refurbishment included the addition of enclosed vestibules, the installation of electric lights and steam heating, and new interior seats and fixtures. The finished cars were perhaps the most comfortable and well-appointed narrow-gauge equipment in the United States.
The equipment renovation project was completed by the spring of 1937, and the new train entered service between Salida and Montrose on April 9. Dubbed the Shavano, the train included baggage and mail cars, coaches, and a parlor car. The Shavano operated westbound from Salida to Gunnison in the morning, returning in the evening; the schedule allowed through passengers to connect in Salida with an overnight standard-gauge train to Denver.
Despite the improvements made to the train, however, patronage was not sufficient to retain the service, particularly in light of the region's improving roads and increased automobile traffic. The Rio Grande discontinued the Shavano on November 24, 1940, ending rail passenger service to Gunnison and leaving the San Juan Express
San Juan Express
The San Juan Express was a narrow gauge train that ran on the 3ft Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad route from Durango, Colorado via Chama, NM, Cumbres Pass and Antonito, CO to Pueblo, Colorado. The Express ran until the early 1950s and most of the narrow gauge trackage has since been abandoned...
as the railroad's last daily narrow-gauge passenger train. The train's old route over Marshall Pass was completely abandoned by the railroad in 1955; most of the route is now an automobile road.