Grand Junction Depot

: postcard maybe printed in the '10s

This is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; the depot at Grand Junction.


According to Denver & Rio Grande Western Depots Volume 1 by Clive Carter, the original Grand Junction depot was retired in 1906, replaced by this two-story brick structure same year[1].

The narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Railroad route via Marshall Pass and Gunnison reached Grand Junction in 1882, and was converted to standard gauge in 1906[2].
Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway from Salt Lake City, UT reached Grand Junction in 1883, and was standard-gauged in 1890[3].
The standard gauge Rio Grande Junction Railway, jointly owned by Denver & Rio Grande Railroad and Colorado Midland Railway, reached Grand Junction from Rifle, CO in 1890[4].
Accordingly, the structure was built as the Union Depot.


The depot structure was registered as National Register of Historic Places in 1992[5]. Unfortunately, however, Amtrak moved out of the structure same year[6]. The structure seems under restoration today[7].

BNSF leases the platform track to lay over their locomotives for the local train: BNSF office is in the nearby former D&RGW freight depot building.

All photos are taken on Sep. 11, 2017

[1] Carter, Clive (2013) Denver & Rio Grande Western Depots Vol. 1
[2] Holmes, Nathan D., (2008) D&RG/D&RGW West Gunnison Main History, DRGW.Net;
[3] Holmes, Nathan D., (2011) Utah Desert Main History, DRGW.Net;
[4] Holmes, Nathan D., (2011) The Colorado Midland Railway, DRGW.Net;
[5] National Register of Historic Places Registration Form;
[6] The Great American Stations web page;
[7] GJ Union Station Facebook page;




旧D&RGW沿線に今も遺るRio Grandeの遺物を紹介している。

この組積造二階建ての建物は、元Rio GrandeのGrand Junction駅舎である。1906年の竣工当初は、いくつかの鉄道が共用するユニオン・ステーションであった。長く空屋になっていたが、現在はレストア中のようだ。

Amtrak・California Zephyrの停車駅だが、駅窓口は1992年西に隣接する平屋の建物に移転している。その横では、Zephyr沿線唯一を謳う駅売店「Dave's Depot」も営業中。プラットホーム２番線に該当する線路はBNSFに貸し出されており、ローカル列車に用いる機関車が駐泊している。