Steam & Excursion > George RR Martin purchases New Mexico Spur, 2926 opportunity?

It has been reported that George RR Martin and investors have purchased the 18 miles between Santa Fe and Lamy NM, plus rolling stock to create a railroad. Wondering what they got, and if it might be feasible for the 2926 to run overthere or not.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/20 20:47 by unseenthings.

The bridges look a little smallish for a 2900. Fans of the series Breaking Bad saw one of them in the train robbery episode.

Posted from Android

unseenthings Wrote:
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> It has been reported that George RR Martin and
> investors have purchased the 18 miles between
> Santa Fe and Lamy NM, plus rolling stock to create
> a railroad. Wondering what they got, and if it
> might be feasible for the 2926 to run overthere or
> not.
>
> Posted from Android

There's been a few other threads about this. They brought the Santa Fe Southern.
Even the Santa Fe wouldn't think of running a big engine like that on the light rail Santa Fe branch.

The AT&SF managed to get dead-and-drained 2-10-4 #5030 into Santa Fe, NM on its own wheels for placement in what is now Salvador Perez Park, but the branch was definitely not built to handle one of the longest, heaviest 4-8-4's ever built on a regular basis.  There's also no place to turn the engine in Santa Fe, NM proper, unless someone buys back the land where the wye used to be: https://goo.gl/maps/5dSoNt78AnFEwWzSA 

Worn out and used main line welded rail does not have much value left in it.  The labor to replace yard tracks with the main line rail is nearly move expensive than it is worth.  With that reasoning, maybe the new owner of the 18 mile branch could convince the BNSF that they could dump the old rail along their branch and they would give them the empty railtrain back to reload.  Much new welded rail was in the Kansas and eastern Colorado line of the Southwest Chief program for replacement, even where jointed.  This might be the cheapest way that BNSF could dispose of the old rail.  Then the branch would have heavy enough rail to handle the 2926.  What is the maximum degree of curvature the locomotive was designed for?  A turntable could be built for it cheaper than a wye.  The wye a Lamy need a complete rebuild.

if they replace the rail they will need Tie plates as well as spikes in addition to the rail. The old tie plates will most likely be too small for the heavier rail. 

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
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> The AT&SF managed to get dead-and-drained 2-10-4
> #5030 into Santa Fe, NM on its own wheels for
> placement in what is now Salvador Perez Park, but
> the branch was definitely not built to handle one
> of the longest, heaviest 4-8-4's ever built on a
> regular basis.  There's also no place to turn the
> engine in Santa Fe, NM proper, unless someone buys
> back the land where the wye used to be:
> https://goo.gl/maps/5dSoNt78AnFEwWzSA 

How many gallons does that boiler hold? At eight pounds to the gallon for water, that's gotta be a lot of weight!
Which may be why Santa Fe was able to move it on that light rail. The locomotive was a shadow of it's former self.

In a word, no. Though steam would enhance the operation, there are and will be much lighter locomotives for sale
though the wye issue would need be resolved. Access to downtown Santa Fe is on RailRunner trackage, nut sure
where any rights lay on that issue and the remaining bits of the one wye as welll. Looking at the level of local investment,
good idea, that's a tight community, politics matter. 

Out 

PlyWoody Wrote:
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> Worn out and used main line welded rail does not
> have much value left in it.  The labor to replace
> yard tracks with the main line rail is nearly move
> expensive than it is worth.  With that reasoning,
> maybe the new owner of the 18 mile branch could
> convince the BNSF that they could dump the old
> rail along their branch and they would give them
> the empty railtrain back to reload.  Much new
> welded rail was in the Kansas and eastern Colorado
> line of the Southwest Chief program for
> replacement, even where jointed.  This might be
> the cheapest way that BNSF could dispose of the
> old rail.  Then the branch would have heavy
> enough rail to handle the 2926.  What is the
> maximum degree of curvature the locomotive was
> designed for?  A turntable could be built for it
> cheaper than a wye.  The wye a Lamy need a
> complete rebuild.

Please tell me what medication you are on so I can take a trip to your fantasy land.  What makes you think that old mainline rail doesnt have value, or that its too expensive to relay in yards?  Any hard figures?  Or mere conjecture?  Also what in hell makes you think that BNSF or any other for profit railroad or venture is so charitable as to hand over a fully loaded rail train to another for-profit business for thier own disposal?  

Currently the railroads are on a scorched earth path to maximum profitability, hell bent on screwing over every customer, employee, partner, commnuity, whatever so long as it adds to the bottom line.  I cant even begin to go into details of the craziness ive witnessed over the last few years as these new policies unfold and show themselves.  I cant even get track warrants or hard copy paperwork on my train anymore because my outfit wants to save a few bucks and a few trees.  Get it electronically they say.  Oh, and dont forget that ipad at home, and dont dare come to work without it fully charged, or you might be getting an investigation letter in your mailbox.  If they can find some paper to print it on.

Suffice it to say, even 100 yr old completely worn out rail has value.  Scrap value.  And ive personally seen 100yr old + rail in Class 1 yards, so rest assured they will get all the use out of any rail they believe has life left in it.  Mainline CWR will continue to get relayed elsewhere, because that makes sense.  Good business and operating sense.

There's a balance between you and you're both right, scrap rail has value but it's so low right now you almost have to pay to
have it hauled away.

Out 

All the above, plus you have to have pretty good ties to spike it all down to, and a whole lot of ballast underneath to hold it all up.

Posted from Android

And you don't like dirt and desert sand?

Out 

LocoPilot750 Wrote:
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> All the above, plus you have to have pretty good
> ties to spike it all down to, and a whole lot of
> ballast underneath to hold it all up.
>
> Posted from Android

In addition the larger rail will come with the need for larger tie plates so you will have to adze and retreat all of the ties to accommodate the larger plates. Get a quote from A & K if you think old rail doesn't have value...!

Dick Samuels
O P R

BOO A&K

He's going to need 3-4 mil to get the line up to Class 2 to make the FRA and the insurance guys happy. It doesn't look to have
had much TLC for some time.

Out 

And about those bridges?

they ran a train for  aaprco guests for the convention ? didn't they?   railrunner to santa fe, then to lamy? and reverse, maybe just the road runner trip occured?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/20 17:52 by dan.

I don't remember that, did it go all the way into Santa Fe or just Lamy. I stopped and looked at the track last year and
spots are barely Class 1.

Out