Nostalgia & History > Eldon Lucy: Train time at Albuquerque, 1964

Eldon Lucy was in Albuquerque, NM one evening in early 1964 (the processing date on the slide mounts says March 1964) and spent some time on the three-year-old Lead Ave. overpass spanning the Santa Fe tracks just south of the depot.  Photos courtesy the Western Railway Museum Archives.

1) Looking timetable east and compass north, there's a lot to take in.  The white object in the left background is a Santa Fe billboard that advertised the railroad to eastbound motorists on Central Ave. into the late 1980's.  That headlight way down the tracks in the distance is probably westbound No.23, the Grand Canyon, and to the right of that, the distinctive red brick Southwest Brewery and Ice Co. building that has stood in the background of westbound train photos taken at the Albuquerque depot for 127 years.  Between tracks 1 and 2, the tall, oddly-shaped silver object among the baggage carts is the forklift-mounted washing rig that cleaned the windows during passenger train service stops. 

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,5667799

On track 3, the four car consist of train No.13, the "westbound" El Pasoan, receives its loads of mail and express in a 1929-30 vintage heavyweight Pullman baggage and mail combine from the ATSF 2105-2125 group and a 1955 AC&F smooth-side baggage from the ATSF 3660-3684 group.  A heavyweight business car is at the end of the platform on track 4.  Over on the sixth track from the station at the far right we have a... uh... yeah... not sure just what that nearly windowless car with the silver roof and dark green sides is, and the small lettering on it is illegible.  Anyone know what that car might be?

2) If Lucy took a photo of the Grand Canyon arriving, I couldn't find it.  It looks as though the train came in on track 2 and the power and head-end business cut away to remove and add cars, leaving the passenger portion at the platforms.  Meanwhile, westbound train No.17, the combined Super Chief / El Capitan, has caught up and is now arriving on track 1 behind an ABBAA set of F-units lead by 42L.  Interesting to note that all three cab units in the set appear to have Nathan/Airchime M5 airhorns, which weren't nearly as common on Santa Fe passenger power as the Leslie S-5T.  The train was due into Albuquerque at 4:30 p.m. and out just ten minutes later at 4:40 p.m., with No.23 scheduled to follow twenty minutes later at 5:00 p.m.

The building closest to the camera on the left is the Western Union Telegraph office, which is the only original building still standing among those that can be seen down the left edge of the photo.  The express building beyond the Western Union sign and the Alvarado Hotel beyond the depot were torn down in 1970, and the depot with its domed tower was destroyed by fire in January 1993.  Buildings resembling the depot and the Alvarado have since been reconstructed on their respective sites.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/z14ThrnouFtekQTa7

Lucy's photo angle is similar to a much-published FSA/OWI photo that Jack Delano took at Albuquerque 1943, but since the Lead Ave. overpass was still decades in the future, Delano took his photo from the Coal Ave. overpass a block further to the south:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1479664

3) Down at platform level, E8m 84L has backed onto the El Pasoan to await its 6:00 p.m. departure, which in March would have been right around sunset.  In 15 months, this conventional trainset will be replaced by Santa Fe's pair of RDC's.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/26 22:19 by Evan_Werkema.

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Great scenes, Evan.   Thanks!

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

I am dumbfounded by all the head end traffic. I know this is all normal for back then but think of the all the employees that used to load & service those cars. And look at the size of some of those packages!

I have a photo of that billboard from about 1970 and the advertising artwork IS different from the graphics in 1964.  Apparently ATSF, Advertising & Passenger Div. valued the location and frequently renewed the artwork.  Interesting to see how this all jars my memories.  On the platform in front of the Alvarado there are telephone booths.  Remember rushing off the train with change in the pocket jingling loudly hoping to beat out others to make a call ahead to family.  And this is the first time I have seen Train 23 passenger consist so clearly. Looks like 3 coaches, LC diner, lounge & a 6-6-4 sleeper.

Evan thank you for the post!

 

Dang, really cool shots Evan!!  Muchas gracias for those amigo!
Bryan

The dark silver roofed car could be military.

A great way to travel, and ship parcels quickly.  You'd think AMTRAK and the USPS would work together to provide at least some semblance of this once great service....at least they did until a few years ago....

Fantastic photos. From my recollection riding through there on Amtrak, appears much has changed!
Regards, Jim Evans

Thanks for posting these.  I remember the Santa Fe was different than other railroads due to almost every town having  freight cars in it.  That indicated lots of traffic for small towns in Texas and N,M.

Evan:  Any guesses as to which Santa Fe office car we are seeing in those shots?

Hou74-76 Wrote:
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> I am dumbfounded by all the head end traffic. I
> know this is all normal for back then but think of
> the all the employees that used to load & service
> those cars. And look at the size of some of those
> packages!
>

This was before UPS went nationwide and FedEx was still a doodle on an airport bar napkin.

The windowless car looks like a 1040's vintage Army Hospital Car.

Historic gems!
Bob

army car, the problem with rail express in old times is all the labor to get it done, today if you have to move it via  truck on each end

What runs through the hoses situated between the rails and the platform?

They wouldn't be that careless with fuel hoses, would they?
Must be water.

water hose for each car, also do fueling at the end of the platforms

there are also steam hoses hooked up to the 4 car train to keep it warm till an engine hooks up, it is winter

also some eltrical power too for lights,you can see a cord or 2



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/26 12:45 by dan.

Topfuel Wrote:

> Evan:  Any guesses as to which Santa Fe office car we are seeing in those shots?

The best match to the details we can see is business car 20, built by Pullman in 1927 as private car Henry Stanley and acquired by Santa Fe for use as a business car in 1944.

phthithu Wrote:

> What runs through the hoses situated between the rails and the platform?

Water hoses for replenishing the water supply on the cars.  The fuel and steam generator water hoses were way down at the far end of the platform between tracks 2 and 3 beyond that red-colored shed - note the dark stain on both sides of track 2 there.  Those hoses were kept in covered troughs until needed - the second photo in this old thread shows the arrangements:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,5773006

Thanks for the explantion. That was a great picture of dwatry's at the linked thread. 

Really enjoy these pics, there's so much going on.  A few years ago, New Mexico Magazine featured a great HO model of the station complex.  I wish I had kept that issue.
Thanks, Evan, for this post.