Moffat Tunnel Route
| Reporting mark | D&SL |
|---|---|
| Locale | Colorado |
| Dates of operation | 1902–1947 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Headquarters | Denver |
The Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway was a U.S. railroad company in Colorado. The company had numerous reorganizations throughout its financially troubled history, and later had the official names of the Denver and Salt Lake Railroad, and finally the Denver and Salt Lake Railway(reporting mark D&SL). By the time the company was acquired by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad it was colloquially known as the Moffat Tunnel Route. The portions still in use today are known as the Moffat Tunnel Subdivision of Union Pacific Railroad's Central Corridor.
Prior to the line's construction there was no direct line west of Denver, with rail traffic having to detour south to Pueblo or north to Cheyenne. The Denver business community wanted an "Air Line" west of the city, and the Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway was going to be that "Air Line", originating in Denver, and was planned to terminate in Salt Lake City, Utah. Although the line was never completed as a separate route to Salt Lake City, the finished portion was eventually connected with the D&RGW's main near Dotsero and used to shorten their route between Salt Lake City and Denver. The line initially featured an arduous grade over Rollins Pass, until the pass was bypassed by the Moffat Tunnel.
The Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway was first incorporated on July 18, 1902, by David H. Moffat, Walter S. Cheesman, William Gray Evans, Charles J. Hughes, Jr., George E. Ross-Lewin, S.M. Perry and Frank P. Gibson.
The incorporation was after Denver was bypassed by the Union Pacific Railroad line, which passed through Cheyenne, Wyoming, and by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW), which was routed through Pueblo, Colorado, and ran west through Royal Gorge.
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