Western Railroad Discussion > Short vacation on Amtrak to New Mexico via Raton Pass

A week ago Monday a couple of friends and I rode Amtrak #3 from La Junta Colorado to Albuquerque New Mexico.
Our train was not on time, shocking, so we took our time driving to the station. Along the way we found the
UP 1982 "Missouri Pacific" Heritage Unit tied down at Manzanola CO.
We saw the 1989 heritage unit north of Pueblo but it was trailing so no photos.
The rear car of the train was full of Boy Scouts that were headed to the Boy Scout Ranch west of Springer NM. I made my way past them to the rear window to
photograph the Santa Fe Colorado New Mexico state line marker at the east portal of Raton Pass Tunnel.
Since the Raton station stop is a smoke stop I headed up to the head end for a quick shot of the 66 in heritage paint.

Nathan Z
Colorado Springs, CO

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Shot 4 Since both trains were late we met train #4 at Ojita south of Las Vegas. They went in the hole for us.
On time meets happen at Glorieta normally.

Shot 5 Shows the spider bridge at Canoncito NM in Apache Canyon.

Shot 6 Is a meet with a north bound Railrunner Train at Domingo NM "Kewa Station"

Nathan Z
Colorado Springs, CO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/14 16:52 by Grande-Fan.

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On Tuesday morning we drove to Belen and on out to the east end of Abo Canyon. We had to wait about an hour for the fleet to show up.
Shot 7 Is an east bound on the original single track main line at Scholle while shot 8 is an east bound on the new second mainline.

Shot 9 was taken in Mountainair NM of a west bound stack train with a large thunder head building behind it.

Nathan Z
Colorado Springs, CO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/14 16:57 by Grande-Fan.

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Once the clouds set in at Mountainair and a flat tire repair we headed back to Belen.
We followed the tracks north to Los Lunas were we would wait for pair of Railrunner trains.
I use to live in Los Lunas "moved out in 1995" I had not been there since 1999 and about didn't recognize it.
Shot 10 is of a north bound that had just left the station and shot 11 is a south bound which overnights in Belen for
a very early AM departure for Santa Fe. The rain cleared out but left a nice puddle along the tracks.

Shot 12 was taken on Wednesday of a north bound climbing La Bajada Hill from Madrid to Santa Fe with the Sandia Mountains in the back ground.

Nathan Z
Colorado Springs, CO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/14 17:06 by Grande-Fan.

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After lunch in Albuquerque we stopped in to see the ATSF 2926 4-8-4 Northern which is being rebuilt for service.

Shot 14 Shows a meet with a sound bound from the cab car of a north bound Railrunner at the siding south of I-25
near the top of La Bajada Hill.

Shot 15 was taken at the Montano Station of a north bound while it was making it's station stop, Sandia Peak in the back ground.

Nathan Z
Colorado Springs, CO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/14 17:12 by Grande-Fan.

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Last shot in Albuquerque shows the Herzog "Railrunner" service tracks with 3 trains there and a fourth train at the station on the far left.

It was nice to ride this line and see parts of New Mexico I hadn't been to in 15+ years.

Nathan Z.
Colorado Springs, CO

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Son you just have too much fun.

Great series of shots! Thanks for posting them...

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

I REALLY like Pics 7, 8, and 12!!

Well done! Especially like the RailRunner reflection shots.

Great pics man!

Great bunch Nathan, sure appreciate the "glass" loan.
JB

What a great selection of super photos! Thanks for adding to this site. Tough to select a favorite; they all are. I had not previously heard of a spider bridge and if anyone has more shots of it please post.

Rich

Nathan you have an astonishing eye behind the camera lens. There was once an artist in the Taos artist's colony named Maynard Dixon, and a couple of your images remind me of his his work. The Boy Scout Ranch you speak of is Philmont, a gift to the Boy Scouts of America by Waite Phillips, of Phillips 66 Oil Company fame and fortune. Three generations of my family have been there as scouts, beginning with my Father in 1944, continuing with me in 1973, and thereafter with my sons in more recent years.

I am seldom moved to to point of speaking in superlatives, but must say that you have a rare gift and vision, and whatever may be your regular job, I hope and trust you will give rein and latitude to your photographic talent, which is so visibly evident. And much rarer than might be commonly acknowledged. Supposing there is (or hopefully will be at some point) a "significant other" in your life, I hope for domestic tolerance and patience with that talent. Being now past the meridian of a blessed lifetime, I have come to the conclusion that the key to greatest success in that endeavor is a passionate interest in anything, at least so long as legal and not medically harmful...

I speak from the depths of a well of another passion, having with assistance from Jon Clark of California moved to Austin last year for restoration, in progress, of three former CB&Q Denver Zephyr/Texas Zephyr cars, and in recent weeks having purchased for the same purpose a couple of cars from the 1950 trainsets built by Budd for the Southern Pacific's Sunset Limited. The website of the Austin Steam Train Association, in the "car types" section, has pictures of my first project, also made possible by Mr. Clark, restoration of ATSF 1371 "Nambe" bar lounge car, for commercial service. And the first roots of the passion are at www.texassantafehistory.com

Passions, of one sort or another, are what makes life memorable, as the readers and contributors to this board will well understand.

- William Osborn Austin, Texas (See Google Earth Satellite or Google Street View of 9120 or 9300 Highway 290 West Austin Tx for work in progress...)

Grande-Fan Wrote:
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> Shot 4 Since both trains were late we met train #4
> at Ojita south of Las Vegas. They went in the hole
> for us.
> On time meets happen at Glorieta normally.


Nice series! I noticed the meet at Ojita. It seems #4 pulled into the siding just to clear. Were they going to back out of the siding? Why wouldn't they pull down to the other end of the siding?

Thanks!

Jon

What a great & well composed series of photos. Thank you Nathan for sharing your trip.
John

Congrats on your IOTD. Your "show chicken" took top prize!

Posted from Android

Nice pics....In #3 at Raton, the tracks to the far right of the the Chief looks like it is used.. .what else polishes the rails here besides Amtrak?

Steve

Thank you all for the kind words. It is sad that the only regular trains over the Raton Pass line are train #3 and #4.
It is nice when the line sees test sets from EMD and GE, this set was operating in May and now a different set is slugging
it out on the hill.

Thanks again!
Nathan Z
Colorado Springs, CO

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1982-perfect light! beautiful.

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.