Let me see if I have the consist right — behind the power is a baggage car, two coaches, a diner, two St. Louis lightweight sleepers and the Wichita heavyweight sleeper.

I have an October 31, 1943 timetable that shows this consist, but also with a grill coach, presumably heavyweight and located ahead of the diner, two 6-6-4 lightweight sleepers, the 8-1-3 heavyweight Pullman from Wichita and, interestingly, another 8-1-3 from St. Louis, which is noted as “Operates every other day”. I assume these were the three Tower cars, Shrine Tower, Temple Tower and Beacon Tower, which later became Thrift-T-Sleepers.

At this time there were still trains 23-24, the Royal Gorge, which operated St. Louis-Pueblo and connected with the Rio Grande train through the mountains, but, with an eight hour or so layover in Pueblo, would also get you to Denver. Presumably this train carried the RPO during this period.

Ron Merrick