Beginning in 1985, the D&RGW offered overnight piggyback trailer service between Denver and Salt Lake City for $299. Named the 'Railblazers', the priority trains crossed Rio Grande's entire 570 mile mainline in about 14 hours time (6 p.m. - 8:00 a.m.) with a two man crew and with two crew districts (Denver to Grand Junction and Grand Junction to Roper). Photographed soon after sunrise in the south end of the Salt Lake Valley, train #103 glides north (timetable west) some 10 miles from journey's end with 10 trailers for the piggyback ramp at Roper Yard. As an aside, you wouldn't recognize this location today with 26 years of commercial development including two additional tracks and a commuter rail station to the right of the 'Blazer.'
