Article on CNN about Denver to Moab scenic 2-day train
https://www.cnn.com/travel/art...ed-states/index.html
Jan
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Thank you for posting !
Thank you for the news. In the second photograph, it looks like Union Pacific is providing the motive power.
Looks like a fun ride for sure. I understand only wanting it to travel in the daylight, but I wouldn't care to get off and go to a motel at night.
GVDobler - Having ridden on the Rocky Mountaineer in western Canada one of the nice perks I remember about going to and from the fancy 'hotels' (not motels) we stayed in was that RM staff already had your bags at your room when you arrived and all you did the next morning was leave your bags outside your hotel room a few minutes before leaving so that RM staff could pick them up and deposit them at the next hotel destination. It's a practice that we easily got used to and really appreciated on our 5 day train excursion.
Despite the horrid smoky light all summer the train is a fun thing to see. Below is some rough captures of it.
Near tunnel 24 east of Pinecliffe
Near tunnel 1 at Plainview
Near Burns video by my friend Chip Sherman. 
Near Blue Mountain
Attachments
Images (3)
Videos (1)
@GVDobler posted:Looks like a fun ride for sure. I understand only wanting it to travel in the daylight, but I wouldn't care to get off and go to a motel at night.
If I could afford Prestige service on VIA, I'd stay on the train. Of course, we're not talking about VIA here.
This new route on the Rocky Mountaineer has actually been in the works for quite a while. Great to hear that it has come to fruition. My wife and I have on our bucket list taking one of their Canadian Routes. There are many options. Everything we have seen and heard about the Rocky Mountaineer is that it is spectacular.
Pat
My wife and I and my cousin took the Rocky Mountaineer a few years ago. Having done a lot of traveling over the last 20 years; cruise ships, river boats, bus tours, etc; we rank the RM in the top 2. The experience was fantastic. The staff and service is far superior to any cruise or river boat tour staff.
As for staying in a hotel at night, as PH1975 stated, getting to and from the hotel was no hassle and having bags already in our room for the night and picked up the next morning was a piece of cake. The RM and hotel staff have this down to a science, with absolutely no inconveniences.
We are looking forward to our next RM trip in the coming year.
RAY
Looks nice....but it really needs a steam engine pulling it...I know, I know, not allowed, etc, etc, but it just isn't the same to me
@bigkid posted:Looks nice....but it really needs a steam engine pulling it...I know, I know, not allowed, etc, etc, but it just isn't the same to me
For what it's worth, the patrons of such a train are much more interested in the scenery and the luxury, and could care less what is pulling their train.
I'll be taking the Silver Service of this train next spring in Canada and then spending four days on the Canadian with Prestige Class. This is the first luxury train ride I've even done so seven days on the train through the Canadian Rockies has me very excited.
I hope this train does well because, unlike a sea cruise, a land cruise has so much more to offer in terms of things to see and do.
Frankly, staying in a hotel and not in a cramped train sleeper makes this much more appealing to me. I like the idea of it being a cruise but on land and other people handling your baggage. As for the motive power, as cool as steam as I think for many obvious reasons modern diesel is a better choice.
The route in US does Amtrak already run on this route? And I heard it misses a scenic part stopping just short of a rocky canyon that is nice. But Rocky does a great job and looks like an interesting route.
If you are thinking of doing a Canadian Rocky Mountaineer trip you might want to try to get on the west most trip before it is gone. There is some discussion that they might drop the trip on the very scenic BC Rail line. CN has stopped running freight trains on this most scenic part of the route and only Rocky Mountaineer runs once a week.
The scenic route to see is from Vancouver to Whistler then along several large lakes following along the bottom edge of steep mountains and then climbing from river level to 2000 feet hanging over the edge of the Fraser River before heading north to stops in Quesnel and finally in Jasper.
The other scenic route is on the CP line from Banff to Kamloops and Vancouver.
Have done these routes many years back and they are spectacular especially from the Gold Leaf Dome cars.
All of these are on my bucket list.
