West from Denver

Denver to Hot Sulphur Springs

The Denver and Salt Lake Railway was incorporated as the Denver, Northwestern and Pacific (DN&P) Railway in 1902 under the presidency of railroad tycoon David Moffat with the goal of building a railroad west from Denver to Salt Lake City. 

Well aware of the challenges of threading a railroad through the Rocky Mountains, Moffat envisaged a tunnel under the Continental Divide but was unable to attract sufficient investment. Construction of an alternative route over Rollins Pass got quickly underway. The troublesome alignment was cursed with operational difficulties however and trains could even become stranded in the pass during heavy snow falls.

A year after Moffat’s death in 1911, the railroad was placed in receivership. In 1913 it was reformed as the Denver and Salt Lake Railroad though it would never reach Salt Lake City. Attempts to fulfil Moffat's vision suffered various setbacks over the following decade but were finally overcome and in 1922 construction of the 6.2 mile (10km) tunnel commenced. The first train passed through the tunnel in February 1928. The holdings were acquired by the Denver and Rio Grande Western in 1931 which completed a connection with Salt Lake City via the Dotsero Cutoff in 1934.