The Royal Gorge Route Railroad : US best rail experience ?
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- čas přidán 3. 07. 2024
- Howdy folks,
Today we are travelling onboard a very unique railroad, the Royal Gorge Railroad in Cañon City, CO. What a trip!
Enjoy :)
- TRIP INFORMATION -
RECORDED IN NOVEMBER 2020
Railroad company: Royal Gorge Route Railroad
Train type : F7 unit and diverses coaches
From : Cañon City, CO to Cañon City, CO
Time : Around 2 hours
Price : 74$ - 62€
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00:00 : Santa Fe Depot
3:57 : Boarding the train
6:08 : F7 unit
7:12 : Food onboard the train
8:37 : Entering the Royal Gorge
10:10 : Walk through of the train
15:26 : Return trip on the open-air car
19:41 : Royal Gorge Bridge and Hanging Bridge
24:57 : Conclusion
4:52 "And now I do my happy dance."
The car you rode is a old VIA Rail Tempo cars.
They started as express service on the Windsor-Quebec corridor, then were sold to the Rio Grande in order to operate the Ski Train.
From there, some were bought by the Agawa Canyon Tour Train in Ontario, and Royal Gorge bought some for its tour train.
Thank you Lucas for these infos!
Dare I offer that all the coaches were built for Canadian National in the 1950s by Canadian Car & Foundry. None of these cars appear to be former CN Tempo fleet cars, which were built in 1968 by Hawker Siddeley. Those were the cars that went to the Rio Grande ski train and later the Algoma Central. They have rib sided aluminum car bodies, unlike CN's cars from the 1950s. The open deck cars may have been converted from former CN cars.
@@centredoorplugsthornton4112 I think you are 100% right on this one, the car mentioned is NOT a Tempo car..
I've could of added that to my top 10 place every us railfan should visit
and book a ticket with the engineer like bruh its only 200 bucks
@@the_idiot_destroyer ok?? But what does that have to feal with my comment
Took this back in 2011. I don't even remember what the inside of the cars looked like because I spent all of my time on the open ones. It's an amazing little trip
This video brought back some great memories. In June/July 2010 I went on a tour that took me from New York to San Francisco mostly by train. At Denver we left Amtrak went on the Silverton to Durango line, then the Cumbres Toltec line, now that’s one you should try! We eventually went along this line. It was spectacular and it was summer. We saw loads of kayakers and white water rafters. I wish our tour took us up to the bridge. The “Hanging Bridge” was an engineering masterpiece.
I didn't love the 'piped in' music. But a beautiful trip. Thanks for showing us this!
I'd pay a little extra to AVOID that piped-in music, tbh.
And really crappy music too. Typically American, there must always be background noise!🥴
A true favorite. My ALL-TIME FAVORITE is the Durango And Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
I was on that train yesterday
This one brought me real nostalgia tears. In the mid 70's to mid '80's My family took many of thes types of trips on rail. Even cross country...AZ to PA and back. Even Mexico Rail sleepers! Old Pullman cars!!!!
On 5:15 waitress say: "Good morning !". Her voice is very beautiful 😍 !
She is very kind person 😊 !
Great memories.
Amooooo trens
If you like US Scenic Railroads, come to eastern West Virginia. We got five different trains working foR WV Mountain Rail
When you go back to Colorado you need to ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway. Outstanding train experience!
That 1949 locomotive is really iconic in its shape.
That's some spectacular scenery too !
I live vicariously through these videos. What a trip! How lucky you were to have seen all that in person.
Absolutely awesome!
Great video as always. The only thing I don't get are the prices. It's so expensive and have no real difference between club and coach classes. But the nature, my god, what a delight!
I just checked out the Royal Gorge site; the difference is $15, at least for the date I checked. I do not know if the coach seats are more comfortable, but it _looks_ like they are. The other difference it that Club is restricted to passengers 12 and over. So if you want to guarantee you will not be sitting near any "difficult" children, then Club would be worth it. LOL.
Tickets are so expensive for these type of train lines as the costs to operate are enormous. A number of these specialized operations have "gone under" in the past couple decades - not because of lack of passengers - but due to huge increases in overhead such as insurance and compliance with Federal regulations.
When we rode some years ago the price was quite reasonable, and I have my beer glass! Inflation strikes again
It's a railfan's paradise😍😍😍😍
We found this one of our best train trips, along with the Durango and Silverton or the Glacier Express in Switzerland. I hope you cover them all; such memories
Awesome video!
LOL It's Cañon city, but the sign at the station is "Canon" XDDD I mean, it's pretty hard to miss.
Anyways, as always, fantastic video.
This was SUPER cool
Finally a US train. The people and trains of Europe are all just sub par
Epic journey - thank you. No mention of disabled access but I presume they offer it in some form. As to the prices - understandable for such a high quality heritage line. With all those bends the bogies must suffer from wear and tear!
Just beautiful! Colorado is one of my favorite states too. Wow and glasses to remember the trip. ❤️
This is super cool, many thanks! 👍
I was lucky enough to be on a business trip to Denver. At the weekend a colleague and I went to the gorge and drove our 4x4 over the bridge. It's a single track laid with planks of wood with gaps between them. The view was amazing and I wish I'd known that the railway was operating below as I'd definitely have taken a trip. Thanks for the great video and the memories.
I love watching you explore the US! I wish that you had more time here to explore more of these quirky little things. It's also nice to see my home state. Those herds of bighorn sheep are breathtaking, aren't they? During mating season, the rams butt heads so hard that the sound echoes like gunshots!
Now that you are back in Europe, are there scenic railways like this you can share with us?
WOW !!
I am watching a second time and just Happy Crying.... that when I was 7 to18 years old (now 55!) I went on many of these type of trips with my family! Train lovers all!!!!
Excellent I’ll be riding that train soon, thank you
Breathtaking landscape ☺👏👏. Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹
Spectacular!! Both naturally and engineering wise. The older trains always seem to have a more solid vibe to them. For me at least. The outside decks look amazing. Great presentation as usual!!.
Epic trip, Thibault, thank you so much for filming this!
Beautiful! I do miss that type of amazing scenery here on the US east coast!
That soundtrack was so 90’s 😊😊😊
Definitely on my bucket list. Thanks for showing the beauty.
Thank you very enjoyable with beautiful views.
You should do the 1880 train from Hill city SD to Keystone
I love trains as well and this will go on my bucket list of things to do. There is also a train from Williams, AZ to the Grand Canyon that should not be overlooked.
And I think a really interesting trip to make, although I don't know how much train travel would be involved, would be following the route Lewis and Clark took!
We thoroughly enjoyed the Grand Canyon train, If in budget go first class in the dome and, definitely stay overnight at the canyon at el Tovar, Kachina or Thunderbird
Its not all that long a drive south of Williams upon your return to Clarkdale (3-4 mi from Sedona) and catch the Verde Canyon train excursion… They do a great job as well
I lived in Flagstaff for 3 years and used to drive through Williams on a regular basis to Kingman to visit family.
I've only gone to the Grand Canyon once, drove up there on a weekend in October. Unfortunately it was a cold, overcast day which also turned into a rainy day. I worked weekends at the time so I had to take vacation time in order to go that particular weekend. If I had had any indication the weather would turn out that way, I would have canceled the vacation time, gone to work, and waited for a different day.
As it was, it was very windy at the Canyon that day, and I have a fear of heights, so I took a cursory peek at the gorge and then backed off to safer ground.
However, the scenery is magnificent and is unlike any other. The drive up there takes you through the largest ponderosa pine forest in the U.S., which surrounds a huge forest of birch. So as long as we were under the canopy of bright yellow leaves you couldn't even tell that it was a rainy, cloudy day. It was totally awesome until you re-enter the pine forest. Then you are again aware of the actual weather.
oh my!! great video of an amazing train ride. Wonderful. Good work as usual.
Our rail lines are so under utilized in the US. This was a lovely ride through Royal Gorge, and seeing that bridge I've so often said I would never cross makes me infinitely more confirmed in that! Thanx for taking us along. P.S. I notice when you walk the aisles on these trains that we Americans tend not to keep our feet in the aisle, and if we do, we move them for someone passing through. Not so on your European trips; they expect you to step over them. ...And they call us rude, lol!
Great video !!
What an amazing trip. I visited the park at the bridge, rode the funicular down to the river, and saw a freight train pass by many years ago. I think there was also a period in the 1980s when Amtrak used this route between Denver and Salt Lake City while the Moffat tunnel route was being repaired or upgraded. It was after they stopped running via Cheyenne WY.
impressionnant; merci pour ce beau reportage !!
I rode this back in April in the exact same car as you. Unfortunately though we didn’t get the F units. But the trip did make me realize this is my favorite heritage line in United States
Great video, I crossed the gorge back when I was a little kid on the bridge and remember seeing the train below! Always wanted to ride it, hopefully will make it down there at some point!
Amazeing rail trip.
Exquisite scenery! The food, service and seating on the train were excellent, as were the open air cars. I agree that club car status didn’t add much to the experience. One annoying thing I noticed during your trip was the constant overhead music that played inside the cars whenever the historical narration paused. I prefer no music. I hate being subjected to background music when I can’t control the choice of tunes or the volume.
I totally agree!
Thank you Thibault!! Awesome review!! Unforgettable scenery!!👍👍😄😄💚💚
Great journey.
BREATHTAKING!👍👏👍
Vídeo maravilhoso!
I agree with you Thibault. I prefer the coach seats to those in the club carriage. It's an amazing journey.
This video took me back many decades to when I was 9 and my family visited The Royal Gorge. Instead of taking the train through the Gorge, we took a miniature train at the top of the Gorge. It was very exciting and I don't know if that miniature train still runs. Again, thanks for this video.
I didn't even know this existed. Thank you for all of your trip reports. I watch them all, and dream of one day taking them all too. Stay Safe.
Fantastic scenery in a State full of fantastic scenery! Colorado is so beautiful! Great vdo!
I rode this train A few years ago! Sat in the dome car. Got some great pictures.
Amazing scenery and must be a unique experience going through the valley in the open cars and being able to order a beer!
Great video - the dining car could have a more suitable soundtrack to the scene than Supergrass and the Offspring though! (I know that's what they're playing, it's just too modern : D )
Also EMD F7 double appreciation!
Greeting from New Hampshire, USA. I love all the wood interiors. Gives a warm, comfortable feel. Thanks for the tour.
what a beautiful route! reminds me of the rocky mountaineer route from vancouver-banff in canada!
Great video! I really felt like I was there. And, of course, the toilets time at the end was the perfect capper, or should I say, crapper.😀👍
600th viewer! Also, what an awesome sight to see this railroad. Hope to visit it one day.
Looks like the Glacier Express along the Rine River in switzerland
The Royal Gorge is beautiful but I don't think it can compare to the Durango and Silverton railroad that uses some equipment that makes those 1950's pieces of rolling stock look very young plus scenery that will take your breath away as the train hugs the side of a mountain for a good portion of the trip.
I did a cab ride in 2007, loved it! Riding in the F7 and the scenery was the best part.
Later in the day, I took a helicopter ride thru the canyon for a different perspective, highly recommended 👌
Thanks for sharing your ride👍👍
It seems to me that the difference between club and coach class is that in coach class you have no table and have to put your lunch on your lap. And your knees̩ bump against another person’s knees. No thanks.
Another great Colorado train ride is the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge train ride.
The goal is very simple ..... attracting tourists and developing the area
I'm actually gonna be in Colorado myself in less than 2 weeks from now with my aunt and uncle to visit Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, won't be visiting this tourist line but I do hope to visit this place someday myself since that scenery is just breathtaking.
This line was once part of Tennessee Pass, the highest mainline in United States
For us, the best in Colorado will always be the Durango-Silverton ride through the San Juans!
Agreed. Some of that scenery can be seen in the Jimmy Stewart-Audie Murphy film, Night Passage... Jimmy riding his Hollywood horse Pie, and Audie riding his horse Dovie...
Similar to this route is the Verde Canyon Railroad that starts in Clarkdale-Cottonwood and you loop to head back via the abandoned town of Perkinsville (pretty sure that was the name I forgot haven’t done the trip in years). It’s pretty cool and the seats are great
My wife and I rode in the dome a few years ago and found the dome seats very cramped and hardly worth the view since you can get a good view from the open-air cars. The club seats were in my opinion more comfortable than coach, and there were fewer people there (this was when the train was running close to full in pre-pandemic times). If I go back, I'm likely to ride in Club class.
You are right. Any visit to a railroad Depot requires a visit to the gift shop.
My story.....my parents took my 2 great aunts (sisters) to the Oakland,CA depot for their return home to Portland and Seattle after a 2 week visit. 1965 and I was 7 years old.
I spotted a little Union Pacific Vinyl bag I wanted. But my parents wouldn't buy it. Once both my great Aunts were seated inside the train. They looked at each other.... then pulled out both their purses. Grabbing money. Aunt Mabel flew back off the train.... into the gift shop , grabbed the little bag off the shelf. Tossed more than enough money to pay for it.....then handed it to me saying ....REMEMBER US BOTH.....And she barely got back on the train as it was leaving. They both are gone but I still have that little bag.
What a great memory, the aunts sound like wonderful people 😊
Colorado is an amazing state! Many midwesterners migrated there after WW2, now it is displaced Californians that are moving in...
wow a beer is cheaper than a hot dog!
Loved the video. Not sure if anyone mentioned this but, those are Bighorn Sheep. Rams are the males. Good spotting!!!
This reminds me so much of the Grand Canyon Railway - the rolling stock, presentation, and even the miniature North Pole. I think the biggest difference is that here, the view during the ride is much more impressive, although with the Grand Canyon Railway, you get to see the Grand Canyon at the end.
If you ever get the chance, you should check out the Verde Canyon railroad tour. It's a short one but has outdoor cars to enjoy the vista's of an old mining railroad line. It's in Clarkdale Arizona. I would love to take the Royal Gorge trip someday!
I wish you had shown the old inline car that went straight up through a crevice just west of the tall bridge. I remember riding it, scared, as a small child, and was disappointed when I went there a few years ago to see it had burned in a brush fire. I think they are rebuilding. I watched this train go under when I was on that bridge!
Damn. The USA is a beautiful country
best ❤️❤️❤️
2:27 “Noooooooo… I wanna go pee by myself!” I feel ya bud 😂😭
I rode this train back in 2006. I purchased the ticket to ride in the cab with the engineer. I remember I was quite shocked when he told me train movements along the line were controlled by a dispatcher in Omaha Nebraska (infrastructure belongs to UP) .
Trem em primeiro lugar mais seguros no mundo
Another great review! I just started reading a newly released book titled "From the River to the Sea: The Untold Story of the Railroad War That Made the West" by John Sedgwick. This very line features prominently in the book's recount of the battle between the Denver & Rio Grande and the Santa Fe. Amazing history. Breathtaking scenery. My bucket list just grew one line longer!
Amazing trip. Looks like there was a crack in the Vista Dome. Hope that was fixed.
Great trip if a little pricey. Interesting music choices onboard. Wouldn't expect Supergrass & Del Amitri on a US tourist train..
Is the background music really necessary?
Can I suggest to add this trip in an organisered travel ? ( USA by train, discovery of the beautiful wild country) It is fantastic ! I am very sorry for my bad english..
Boa viagem ai simply lindo tren show bom dia ai lindo lugar mesmo
Years ago, as a little boy living in SE Wisconsin, I could see Chicago and Northwestern trains operating on the tracks about 1/2 mile away from our house. Makes me wonder if I ever saw that engine going by. Did you know, Chicago and Northwestern operated it trains on the left hand side, on dual track mainlines? One of very few in the USA to do so.
Really pretty scenery, just think the foodservice honestly ruins the experience the only time I didn't see anyone eating a burger during the whole trip was the open cars
Interesting that tyey seem to have kept the old signals in service, I guess they’re probably hooked up to rockslide detectors. What a spectacular route, I must get down to Colorado and ride some of their heritage railways.
the cab ride was a blast as i got to be the engineer for 15 minutes
If memory serves me right, the train used to stop under the bridge so people could take a cable car up to the bridge to walk across and then back down to the train. Did you see the cable car or remenants of it?
Yoo need to ride the cape cod central railroad it has amazing food on the dinner train
Terrific catches and trip! I hear a lot of background music being play on the train in the background.
Love your videos. Keep it up. We took this train trip in 2020, we encountered kayakers also, but they took that opportunity to “Moon” us. If that happened to you, it was wise not to include that in this video.😀
Definitely a cool looking train. I wonder why they added what look like AC units to the top of all the dome cars, though - they already had AC! Unless they serve some other purpose. I've ridden on a bunch of domes back in the day but specifically I rode Amtrak's last Great Dome that looks like it was probably from the same production run as the second dome in your consist, and it definitely did not have those units on the roof even under Amtrak. So I wonder what they are and why they're there.
I think the kitchen is in the bottom of the dome car and its pretty hot area so they probably need extra cooling for the kitchen and the other parts.
I am fresher starting my IT career from India, I got selected into a project and the client is "BNSF", how cool is that I like trains and my first ever project is related to a Railway Company.