Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF's Deming Sub

I saw a post on another list, something about a new shortline (or maybe the Southwestern) taking over operation of BNSF's Deming (NM) Sub from Hurley to Deming to Rincon... any word?

rustedflange wrote:
>
> I saw a post on another list, something about a new shortline
> (or maybe the Southwestern) taking over operation of BNSF's
> Deming (NM) Sub from Hurley to Deming to Rincon... any word?

Southwestern has operated the lines around Whitewater, NM (to Santa
Rita and Fierro via Hurley, and Tyrone) for a little over a decade
now. The lines were connected to the outside world by a Santa Fe
branch from Deming to Whitewater. Santa Fe eventually sold
Southwestern the branch as far as Peruhill, the last siding north of
Deming (didn't want them to be able to interchange directly with
SP). From Deming, Santa Fe headed northeast through the desolation
to a junction with their Belen-El Paso "main line" at Rincon, NM.
Judging from a note on the Santa Fe list, it looks like the
Southwestern is now about to take over the Deming - Rincon bit too.

Wes Carr's <A HREF="http://www.trainweb.org/southwestshorts/swrr.html&quot;&gt;Southwest Shorts</A> site has some photos and information
on the Southwestern, not including this latest development.

I thought BNSF was keeping this line because it was bringing coal trains down from Belen to Rincon and then over to Deming. Or did they lose the business to UP?

At midnight on September 8, 2001, the BNSF Deming Subdivision (between Rincon and Deming) became the property of the Southwestern RR, which -- as Even mentioned -- already owns a line from Deming northwest to Hurley, with branches to copper mines west of Whitewater and north of Hurley.

Interchange between BNSF and SWRR will take place at Rincon, the Deming Sub's junction with the BNSF El Paso Sub and the location of a small yard underneath I-25 east of Hatch, and north of Dona Ana / Las Cruces.

Deming-Cochise (AZ) coal trains continue to run on BNSF, with coal mined at the Lee Ranch or McKinley mines in western New Mexico running on BNSF via Belen to Rincon. SWRR will handle the coal trains from Rincon to Deming for interchange to the UP. BNSF locomotives should continue to run through to the UP, as per the previous agreement.

The sale was somewhat of a surprise; September 6 was the first I had heard of it.

Here's a link to my web page on the Southwestern Railroad:
http://www.trainweb.org/southwestshorts/swrr.html

I was sorry to hear BNSF had sold this line (the Deming- and El Paso-based crews who worked the trains over this line are among the best bunch of guys I've ever worked with), but at the same time, I'm looking forward to getting a chance to shoot some of those GP30s climbing up the hill out of Hatch!

WSC

If I read the post RF mentioned right, there is some other really crunchy power coming to the SW as well, something about GP-35s with ALCo trucks.

It's still about 6 weeks away, but I have plans to be in New Mexico toward the end of October. I _WILL_ scout things out and post a report... hopefully with accompanying photos of GP30s and Alco-trucked GP35s and whatever other oddities lurk out there in the desert of southwestern New Mexico!

WSC