Yampa Mail

The Yampa Valley Mail

Trains 9 & 10

Last Update: 1-1-2008

Background:

The train that was known as the Yampa Valley Mail went through several variations and schedules - and official names.

The train route was a left over from the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad which had been merged into the D&RGW in 1949. At that point, there were actually two trains, one a daily local and the other a tri-weekly overnight mixed train. The overnight train had the distinction of carrying one of the very few non-Pullman operated sleepers, in the form of coach sleepers WINTER PARK and DAVID MOFFAT (which had been converted from Pullman Parlor cars). After the merger, both trains were dropped in favor of one daily overnight train providing an air conditioned coach and a Pullman operated 12-1. This train was run from Denver to Bond as part of the Denver-Grand Junction train, the Mountaineer (trains 19 & 20), and from Bond to Craig as a separate train.

The area though really wanted and needed a day time train and on September 5, 1954 the train was converted to a daytime run. The train also gained the first official name - the Yampa Valley Mail. When the mail contract was lost, the train gained a new name, the Yampa Valley (in the November 1963 timetable). The end of the line for the train came in 1968 when it ceased operation.

Equipment Notes:

As with any passenger train, modeling the Prospector must be determined by the year and season that you plan on modeling. This is especially true of trains 9 & 10, given the variety of operations.

Car Type	Years	Number / Name	Description and Notes	Modeling Notes (in HO)
As D&SL trains 9 & 10, the daily local from Denver to Craig, the typical train would be one of the D&SL's Mail-Baggage-Express cars, possibly the Baggage-Express car and generally one though sometimes two coaches.
Mail - Baggage	1913 - 1949	560	71' Steel Mail-Baggage	Not available
Mail - Baggage	1929 - 1949	561	72' Steel Mail-Baggage	Not Available
Baggage - Express	1929 - 1949	600	70' Steel Baggage-Express	Walthers ACF Baggage with ACF Arched roof
Coach	1913 - 1949	900 - 902	65' Steel Coach	Not available
Coach - Dinette	1939 - 1949	901 - 902	Converted from straight D&SL coaches by the D&RGW in 1939	Not available
.
As D&RGW trains 9 & 10, the daily local from Denver to Craig, the typical train didn't change much, the only real difference being an expanded pool of cars for the train due to the merger.
Mail-Baggage	1946 - 1964	620 - 629	70' RPO	Not Available
Mail-Baggage	1946 - 1964	630 - 631	71' RPO	Not Available
Mail-Baggage	1949 - 1964	632	71' RPO - ex D&SL 560	Not Available
Mail-Baggage	1949 - 1964	633	72' RPO - ex D&SL 561	Not Available
Baggage	1946 - 1967	700 - 739	61' Steel Baggage	Not Available
Baggage	1946 - 1967	740 - 744	70' Steel Baggage Rebuilt from 1910 baggage-buffet cars	Not Available
Baggage	1946 - 1967	745	70' Steel Baggage - ex D&SL 600	Walthers ACF Baggage with ACF Arched roof
Chair	1949 - 1967	900 - 950	70' Steel rebuilt 1910 coaches - Note that there were other cars in the 960 -970; 971 - 975; 976 - 979; 980 - 985 series that were occasionally assigned as well (all 1910 rebuilds)	Not Available
Chair	1949 - 1967	1000 - 1004		Not Available
Chair	1949 - 1967	1005 - 1010		Not Available
.
As D&RGW trains 9 & 10, the Yampa Valley Mail, the local to Craig gained more variety due to an increasing pool of available cars (with the purchase of the Pullman-Standard lightweight cars in 1950).
Mail-Baggage	1949 - 1963	620 - 629	70' RPO	Not Available
Mail-Baggage	1949 - 1963	630 - 631	71' RPO	Not Available
Mail-Baggage	1949 - 1963	632	71' RPO - ex D&SL 560	Not Available
Mail-Baggage	1949 - 1963	633	72' RPO - ex D&SL 561	Not Available
Mail-Baggage	1950 - 1963	1200 - 1202	Streamlined baggage-express-mail	Palace Car (brass), NKP Car, Union Station Products
Baggage	1949 - 1963	700 - 739	61' Steel Baggage	Not Available
Baggage	1949 - 1963	740 - 744	70' Steel Baggage Rebuilt from 1910 baggage-buffet cars	Not Available
Baggage	1949 - 1963	745	70' Steel Baggage - ex D&SL 600	Walthers ACF Baggage with ACF Arched roof
Baggage	1950 - 1963	1210 - 1212	Streamlined full baggage	Palace Car (brass), NKP Car, Union Station Products
Coach - Dorm- Baggage	1950 - 1963	1230 - 1232	Streamlined coach-baggage with dormitory compartment added by railroad	Palace Car (brass), NKP Car, Union Station Products
Chair	1949 - 1963	900 - 950	70' Steel rebuilt 1910 coaches - Note that there were other cars in the 960 -970; 971 - 975; 976 - 979; 980 - 985 series that were occasionally assigned as well (all 1910 rebuilds)	Not Available
Chair	1949 - 1963	1000 - 1004		Not Available
Chair	1949 - 1963	1005 - 1010		Not Available
Coach	1950 - 1963	1240 -1247	Streamlined coach. 1240 modified to business car 1951	Palace Car (brass), NKP Car, Union Station Products
.
As D&RGW trains 9 & 10, the Yampa Valley, the equipment variety was curtailed (due to the loss of the mail contract), but the train gained instant status by virtue of being an occasional domeliner! Cars 1248 - 1250 (ex C&O domes, purchased in 1949) made their appearance on the train as other routes were cut back or removed, notably the shortening of the Royal Gorge's route that now ended at Salida.
Baggage	1949 - 1967	700 - 739	61' Steel Baggage	Not Available
Baggage	1949 - 1967	740 - 744	70' Steel Baggage Rebuilt from 1910 baggage-buffet cars	Not Available
Baggage	1949 - 1963	745	70' Steel Baggage - ex D&SL 600	Walthers ACF Baggage with ACF Arched roof
Baggage	1963 - 1967	1210 - 1212	Streamlined full baggage	Palace Car (brass), NKP Car, Union Station Products
Baggage - Mail	1963 - 1967	1200 - 1202	Streamlined baggage-express-mail	Palace Car (brass), NKP Car, Union Station Products
Coach - Dorm- Baggage	1963 - 1967	1230 - 1232	Streamlined coach-baggage with dormitory compartment added by railroad	Palace Car (brass), NKP Car, Union Station Products
Chair	1949 - 1967	900 - 950	70' Steel rebuilt 1910 coaches - Note that there were other cars in the 960 -970; 971 - 975; 976 - 979; 980 - 985 series that were occasionally assigned as well (all 1910 rebuilds)	Not Available
Chair	1949 - 1967	1000 - 1004		Not Available
Chair	1949 - 1967	1005 - 1010		Not Available
Coach	1963 - 1967	1240 -1247	Streamlined coach. 1240 modified to business car 1951	Palace Car (brass), NKP Car, Union Station Products
Coach - Dome	1963 - 1967	1248 - 1250	Dome-coach-observations built for the C&O, modified to mid-train use at Burnham	Palace Car (brass)
Note: This page is still under construction and will likely be continually updated as models and more information come forward.