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The "Yampa Valley": D&RGW's Service To Craig, CO

Last revised: September 15, 2024

By: Adam Burns

The Rio Grande's Yampa Valley Mail, later just the Yampa Valley, was an essential service connecting Denver and Craig, Colorado. Originally launched to facilitate mail delivery, the train was a crucial link for communities like Steamboat Springs.

The line's roots trace back to the Denver & Salt Lake Railway (D&SL), which aimed to connect Denver with Salt Lake City. Though D&SL only succeeded in extending the line to Craig, its construction of the Moffat Tunnel in 1928 provided a direct westward route. This tunnel offered a significant shortcut compared to D&RGW's southern path through Pueblo and the Royal Gorge.

In a bid for competitive advantage, D&RGW acquired D&SL in 1947 and earlier completed the Dotsero Cutoff in 1934 to integrate the two lines. What was by then the Yampa Valley ceased operations in 1968, ending a historic chapter in Colorado's rail transport history.

Rio Grande PA-1 #6001 has arrived in Craig, Colorado with the afternoon's train #9, the "Yampa Valley," circa 1966. American-Rails.com collection.

The Rio Grande's Yampa Valley, a then-two-car local passenger train with a storied history, made its final journey on April 7, 1968. This service, which began its route in Denver and terminated in the northwestern Colorado town of Craig, was a vital lifeline for communities including Steamboat Springs.

Originally dubbed the Yampa Valley Mail, the train was rebranded as the Yampa Valley in 1963 following the termination of its mail contract by the Post Office.

The origins of this train are intertwined with the ambitions of the Denver & Salt Lake Railway, which sought to link Denver and Salt Lake City. By 1931, the D&SL had only reached Craig before it was acquired by the D&RGW.

However, D&SL's completion of the Moffat Tunnel in 1928 provided a direct westbound route, contrasting with D&RGW's southern detour via Pueblo, the Royal Gorge, and Tennessee Pass before extending to Salt Lake City.

Recognizing the shorter, more efficient corridor provided by the D&SL, the D&RGW pursued and ultimately acquired the D&SL in 1947 after extensive negotiations.

The completion of the Dotsero Cutoff on June 15, 1934 further improved the D&RGW's Salt Lake mainline.  The project cut 175 miles off this critical corridor by bypassing Pueblo and using the direct Moffat Tunnel/D&SL line instead.

The origins of the Yampa Valley Mail can be traced back to D&SL's local day and overnight trains servicing Craig, Colorado. In 1951, the daytime locals, and the tri-weekly overnight mixed train - which included a coach-sleeper - were discontinued.

They were replaced by an overnight service as part of trains #19 and #20—the Mountaineer—operating between Denver and Bond, Colorado. At Bond, the line to Craig diverged and continued as a separate train.

This shift to night service left many residents of northwestern Colorado towns dissatisfied, as they relied on daytime trains for their travel needs to Denver. However, in September 1954, just three years later, the nighttime sleeping car service was also dropped. 

Trains #9 and #10 were reintroduced as daytime runs, now under the name Yampa Valley Mail. This new name quickly garnered affection and nostalgia among the communities it served, becoming an enduring memory for many in northwestern Colorado.

Consist (July, 1952)

Timetable (July, 1952)

Consist (October, 1965)

Timetable (October, 1965)

The 1960s marked a poignant era for the railroad industry, as numerous lines, including those in Colorado, sought to discontinue passenger train services nationwide.

The rise of interstate highways and the growing preference for air travel, coupled with the Post Office halting the mail-on-rails practice, signaled the impending demise of iconic trains like the 20th Century Limited, as well as smaller ones such as the Yampa Valley.

During this decade, few travelers opted to ride the train from Craig and Steamboat Springs to Denver. The journey was a long endeavor, lasting at least six-and-a-half hours and frequently extending longer due to delays.

In comparison, a Continental Trailways bus made the trip in four hours, and a car could complete it in just three. Improved highways, particularly over Rabbit Ears Pass, rendered the lengthy train ride in a single coach—with its 30 scheduled and 20 possible flag stops along the nearly 200-mile route—unappealing.

When the Colorado railroad commission eventually sanctioned the termination of the train's service, residents of the Yampa Valley recognized the economic inevitability. Nevertheless, many lamented the loss of a historic treasure that had once been an integral part of their community.

Rio Grande F7A #5574 is stopped at Craig, Colorado with the "Yampa Valley" on November 19, 1967. Ed Fulcomer photo. American-Rails.com collection.

During the train's late era it wasn't uncommon to see venerable Alco PAs leading the train, such as the photo featured at the top of this article.  By then, it was a coach-only service.

In November 1963, D&RGW's timetables officially rebranded the Yampa Valley Mail to simply the Yampa Valley. This renaming coincided with the growing trend of discontinuing iconic Colorado passenger trains.

The pace quickened as notable services like the Missouri Pacific's Colorado Eagle, connecting Denver to St. Louis, ended in May, 1966. That same month, the Prospector terminated its longstanding route between Denver and Salt Lake City.

By July 1967, the Royal Gorge, which had already shortened its journey to Salida, Colorado, was also discontinued. The era drew to a close on April 7, 1968, when the Yampa Valley made its final run, marking the end of passenger train service to northwestern Colorado.