Western Railroad Discussion > Semiphores on Raton

Just wondering if someone has compiled a list recently of Semaphores Between Santa Fe and Wagon Mound that still have flags or wood pieces..??? Some have caps too from what I understand.

Anything left between Santa Fe and Albq, or those in the form of Searchlights?

CSXCOPHOTOGRAPHERS

Think Springer to Wagon Mound, Ojita to Chapelle the only ones left. Watrous was changed out last year, forget if they changed the intermediates in Shoemaker Canyon.

Shoemaker Canyon got changed as well. As I recall, twelve heads total removed - 6 from Watrous, 6 from intermediates Watrous-Shoemaker.

As of last year, there were I think 3 single semaphore signal locations west of Lamy, around Los Cerrilos and Waldo, and don't forget a short side trip down Highway 14 to Madrid, where Santa Fe 2-8-0 769 rests downtown. === === = === JLH

A pile of then behind fencing just west of Las Vegas depot.

cutboy1958 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A pile of then behind fencing just west of
> Las Vegas depot.


Should ensure some spares if needed. There were 4 semaphores still between Lamy and Waldo, all of them single account the ABS west of Lamy was the pre-APB system so couldn't be side by side. The NMRX signal gang was working at Waldo last year replacing the ABS signals from Madrid toward Lamy, so I don't know how much progress they have made, but the process was more involved than replacement in kind because the non-APB system with 3 mile long blocks was being changed to side by side ABS with 2 mile long blocks. BSB

In the form of searchlights, last I remember, from South of CP Hahn (not including), near Griego Rd, to CP Abajo, a double aspect searchlight. There is one, single track cantilever (ATSF) just south of the Amtrak depot, with a searchlight.

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South of what station? Santa Fe or Albq?? Just wondering as I thought most of those were replaced with Railrunner upgrades.

Any chance of buying semaphores from BNSF ?

Rick Somers
Redding, CA

What do they do with them? They should donate or sell them. Amazing they lasted so long. Unbelievable. I hope this line sees freight again someday. Shameful what has happened to it since the 1990s. Why are the signals being upgraded when only Amtrak uses the line? Does BNSF still own it north of Lamy into Trinidad? Amazing line through beautiful country. Shameful a shortline or BNSF could not develop business along the line. Are BNSF section and signal dept. employees still staffing Raton and Las Vegas or who maintains the line BNSF owns but doesn't use?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/18 13:37 by OldHeadRailroader.

Is this an accurate list of the remaining semaphores?

Los Cerrilos
Waldo
Springer
Wagon Mound
Ojita
Chapelle

I may get the opportunity to drive through there next week and would like to grab some photos. Can anyone tell me the Amtrak schedule? Roughly...?

Jason Rose
Spring, TX
Rio Grande Explorations

I too am interested in the remaining locations. I will be driving through there in late June, overnighting in Trinidad before continuing west. I'd like to know what locations remain, and also what's reasonable to expect when chasing #3.

#3 is out of Raton at 10:56 and Las Vegas at 12:38, #4 is out of Las Vegas at 15:03 and Raton at 16:50.

Off memory, here's a decent list of semaphores:

• 3 intermediates (I believe) between Springer an Colmor, 2 of the 3 are real easy access
• Colmor is 100% semaphore controlled (and is next on my to-do list)
• The south switch at Levy is semaphore, north switch is regular tri-light signal
• Wagon Mound has semaphores at the famous intermediate and the north switch of the siding
• 1 intermediate just south of Las Vegas
• Ojita siding, near Romeroville, is 100% semaphores
• There's an intermediate or 2 between Ojita and Chapelle, but the roads are old washes and clearance may be needed
• Chapelle siding is 100% semaphores
• Blanchard has an intermediate

That's the furthest south I've chased, so I'm no help for any more on the line (I know there are!). If you search all my posts of this train on this line, you'll find plenty of pictures that I've posted here. Highgreengraphics and FrontRangeTrains are two others who have a decent amount of photos from here.
~wko