Artifact Goes on Display at Union Station Sept. 6

By Lisa McIntyre

After a century of collecting dust, a giant silver cup honoring one of Colorado’s most important transportation figures will be given its just rewards. The colossal Moffat Cup, honoring David H. Moffat, will soon be on permanent display at Denver’s Union Station, a fitting addition to the transportation hub’s 2010 revitalization.

If it weren’t for Moffat’s vision to build a railroad across – or through – the Continental Divide, Denver may have been left behind as an important economic engine of the West. And of course, the Winter Park Express Ski Train would have never had a chance.

The striking 230-pound, solid-silver cup with a marble base was presented to Moffat in 1904 by the citizens of Denver for his devotion to the early rail system in Colorado. However, it was tucked away in a warehouse and forgotten about for most of the last century.

At the turn of the 19th century, as railroads continued to push across the U.S., Denver was not considered a great option for rail lines or the up-and-coming automobile because the Continental Divide stood in the way of progress. Plans at that time were to skirt the high terrain by going around the highest mountains via Cheyenne or Pueblo. But Moffat’s foresight and funds made it possible for Denver to become an intercontinental transportation hub, first with the Moffat Road, which connected Denver with present-day Winter Park and beyond. The road was eventually used for a rail line to get over Rollins Pass until the Moffat Tunnel was punched through.

After Moffat’s death, the six-mile Moffat Tunnel was completed and opened in 1928. It reduced times and improved safety through the rugged terrain. The tunnel, which was named after the railroad visionary, replaced the most challenging elevation changes that were originally part of the Moffat Road.

After Moffat’s death in 1911, the Moffat Cup was tucked away in a warehouse and kept track of by Colorado’s history agency, now known as History Colorado.

In recent years, ColoRail, a local rail advocate group, and the Amtrak conductor of the Winter Park Express Ski Train, Brad Swartzwelter, teamed up to bring the cup out of storage and make it available for the public to see.

An unveiling ceremony is planned from 4-5 p.m. on Sept. 6 at Denver Union Station’s Great Hall near the Amtrak counter. The event is free and open to the public.