During this week in 1949 the first California Zephyr train made its inaugural stop in Grand County. This highly anticipated train was marketed as a scenic cruise through the Rockies, and with its sleek design and fast speeds the steel train became a modern marvel on the railways.
The first California Zephyr passenger train began operations March 20, 1949. The eastbound train left from Oakland, California, while the westbound train left from Chicago, Illinois. Both trains would travel through Granby for the first time the next day, March 21, 1949, according to Amtrak which now operates the train.
The last run of the original California Zephyr departed just 20 years later March 20, 1969. March 21 marks the anniversary of both the first and final stop in Grand County of the original California Zephyr, according to Bob Johnston, a correspondent at Trains Magazine...