Rocky Mountaineer

The Rocky Mountaineer is a Canadian rail-tour company based in Vancouver that operates luxury scenic trains on four rail routes in British Columbia, Alberta, Colorado, and Utah.
The Rocky Mountaineer concept was created by Harry Holmes, a railroad engineer, and Pat Crowley, a tourism entrepreneur, both of Jasper, Alberta. Together they developed a business plan which they presented to Via Rail prior to Expo 86. It was designed as an all-sightseeing train pulled by the retired steam locomotive CNR 6060, a Bullet Nose Betty-class locomotive in the Canadian Rockies. Originally, it began as a once-weekly Via Rail Canada daytime service between Vancouver, Calgary, and Jasper. The first departure was on May 22, 1988, with a special train for the travel industry. Soon, another one was made for the traveling public on June 9, 1988, called the Canadian Rockies by Daylight. To maximize scenic views, this service operated only during the day, with an overnight stop in Kamloops. These were express services, with no intermediate stops.
On June 4, 1989, Via began its second season of the service, renaming the service the Rocky Mountaineer. The final summer Rocky Mountaineer (under Via Rail branding) departed Calgary and Jasper was on October 12, 1989, and arrived in Vancouver on the 13th. Rocky Mountaineer was removed from schedules and marketing in May 1990. After two financially unsuccessful seasons, there was to be a change in approach. The Federal Government decided to see if the private sector could do a better job. The then Minister of Transport and Minister of Finance Michael Wilson decided to sell off the route, equipment, branding and book of business in the fall of 1989. In early November, advertisements were taken out in a number of newspapers soliciting interest in the Rocky Mountaineer.
The federal government curtailed the subsidies to Via Rail in 1989, dramatically reducing services (especially the transcontinental service). Rocky Mountaineer was a tourist service, and as such the government felt the funds could be better spent on other bigger priorities. They asked (at the time) Via Rail and CN Rail CEO Ron Lawless to organize the sale of the route, equipment and book of business to the private sector. The marketing of the Rocky Mountaineer sale started November 12, 1989 and sale processes were run by recently retired CN Executive Charles Armstrong. Submissions of interest demonstrating financial and operational capabilities were required by January 15, 1990. Initially there were 20 interested parties but after phase one of the bidding process, that group was reduced to three parties left to make a decision. One bidder was Westours Holland America, subsidiary of Carnival Cruise Line. The other two were a group of Via Rail executives and a Western Canadian entrepreneur.
In March 1990, following the bidding process, the route's equipment, book of business, 12 coaches, two baggage cars, along with various equipment and branding, were sold to Vancouver businessman Peter R.B. Armstrong's Armstrong Hospitality Group Ltd. The inaugural train journey took place on May 27, 1990.
Rocky Mountaineer has been awarded the "World's Leading Travel Experience by Train" at the World Travel Awards seven times for its GoldLeaf service, as well as the "World's Leading Luxury Train" award 3 times. It was recognized by National Geographic Magazine as one of the "World's Best Journeys" in 2007. The Society of American Travel Writers, the world's largest organization of professional travel journalists and photographers, rated the Rocky Mountaineer as the world's top train ride in 2009.
The Rocky Mountaineer's fleet includes:
Previous equipment included GE B36-7 locomotives leased from Santa Fe.
Rocky Mountaineer currently operates train journeys on four routes, with three in western Canada and one in the southwestern United States. Two additional routes (one in Canada and one international) are no longer operated.
Operating on all routes except the Rockies to the Red Rocks, Rocky Mountaineer's GoldLeaf service is a custom-designed, bi-level, glass-domed coach with full-length windows and reclining seats that can be rotated to accommodate groups of four. Guests are offered hot meals prepared on board the train, served to them in the lower level dining car.
GoldLeaf service is not offered on the Rockies to the Red Rocks route because the coaches exceed the loading gauge; this mainly has to do with the coaches being taller than the Amtrak Superliners and double-stack container trains that frequent the route.
Operating on the same routes as GoldLeaf (and being the only service offered on the Rockies to the Red Rocks route), Rocky Mountaineer's SilverLeaf service is a custom-designed, single-level glass domed coach with oversized windows and reclining seats. Guests are offered breakfast and lunch served at their seat.
This service option is only offered on Rocky Mountaineer's Rockies to the Red Rocks route (Denver to Moab). SilverLeaf Plus includes all the benefits of their SilverLeaf Service, plus exclusive access to their newly renovated lounge car. Featuring signature cocktails, the lounge car offers additional space indoors as well as a small outdoor viewing area. This service level offers an elevated dining experience and premium alcoholic beverages.
Rocky Mountaineer trains only operate in the tourist season of April to October. They operate exclusively during the day and sleeper services are not offered. All trips include overnight stops at which passengers disembark and stay in hotels.
As Rocky Mountaineer is primarily a rail-tour service, all journeys are end-to-end. Between their origin and destination, trains only stop for overnight layovers and no passengers may begin or end their journeys at these stations. The one exception to these provisions is First Passage to the West, which has an intermediate stop at Lake Louise where westbound passengers may board and eastbound passengers may disembark. No tickets are sold solely for the Banff–Lake Louise portion of the trip.
Rocky Mountaineer train journeys often include bus connections between stations and hotels. Packages may also include bus connections to nearby cities (such as from Banff to Calgary).