Nostalgia & History > MoPac Monday

1.  Clovis, New Mexico.  Photo by John Pouch. December 1975.

2. & 3.  Rolling through Pine Bluff, Arkansas.  April 1, 1977.

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What were MP units doing in Clovis NM? Was there a run through with ATSF for a time?

ATSF / MP run through power.  The Mop and Santa Fe used to run power and caboose between Fort Worth to Clovis / Belen. To facilitate run through a connection between the MP and Santa Fe was built east Sweetwater.  Connection is still in use today by BNSF for trains exercising trackage rights over UP from Fort Worth. 

Prior to the UP Merger, Mop had arrangements with both SP and Santa Fe from Fort Worth. It was not uncommon to see six axel SP and Santa Fe power running into Fort Worth on the Mop. I can recall seeing Santa Fe  F45, FP45, SD 45, etc   This was unusual power as typically Santa Fe power in Forth Worth was 4 axel varieties. 

In 1982, typical operation was for East bound to arrive early in morning and power to lay over until west bound was called for 10pm to 12 am. It was not usually for Mop to use Santa Fe power on the Fort Worth to Dallas turn.