Prospector (passenger train)

From Freepedia

The Prospector was a named passenger train operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Western railroad between Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah. The train was inaugurated on November 17 1941. The original equipment on this train were a pair of Budd Company-built diesel multiple unit trains numbered M-1 and M-2. These two trainsets were removed from service on July 5 1942, but the train name and the service between the two cities remained using lightweight cars built by Pullman-Standard.

For the inaugural trip in 1941, the railroad made stainless steel pass holders that was intended to be distributed to passengers aboard the first train. The pass holder was engraved with a line drawing of the train on the outside. On the inside were two cards - one with an embossed picture of a prospector and mule in gold, the other with a message that read

"DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD IS HONORED TO WELCOME _____ ON THE INAUGURAL TRIP OF THE PROSPECTOR. NEW, DIESEL POWER, STAINLESS STEEL STREAMLINED TRAIN DESIGNED FOR OVERNIGHT EVERY NIGHT SERVICE BETWEEN DENVER AND SALT LAKE CITY"

The special pass holders were not distributed to passengers,and are now highly prized by railroadiana collectors.

The Rio Grande Modeling and Historical Society, the official historical society for the former railroad, uses the name The Prospector for the title of the organization's quarterly journal in honor of this train.