Passenger Trains > How about some Albuquerque Rail Runner pix -

Stopped by the Saondoval Road station in Bernalillo (burn-uh-lee-yo) Monday afternoon, just as a Runner was about to go.

They sure did a super job jazzing things up here, giving commuter rail a cool and new modern look. Makes the Californians look boring in comparison. It is a real eye-catcher, having seen it in person I must say it is as attention-getting and original as the Santa Fe Warbonnet scheme.

They went whole-hog - or should that be whole javelina - on the stations too. The look and feel was a bit Disneyland-esque, but if it helps to grab attention and makes people remember their train riding experience, it is worth it.

Note to LA Metrolink - get a new paint scheme! Something that imparts LA and SoCal, not some poor guys delivery truck.

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I'm not much one to admire the MP36...it is just too new to me I guess...but the paint job applied to these works well. Good locally-inspred name, superb animal tie-in logo, and it looks like it is moving even when standing still. Dig how they layed the crown feathers of the birds head over the air intake, a triumph of form over function.

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A priceless picture would be to be out there in the desert and photograph an actual wild coyote chasing this thing.

And I agree. The Metrolink color scheme is PATHETIC. The original inauguration color scheme on the engine was ok. But the plain white with the single purple stripe is among the blandest I've ever seen. Look at all of the other commuter lines that have nice color schemes: RailRunner, Coaster, ACE, Utah Rail, West Coast Express. All of those are very nice and attractive. Why can't Metrolink do something like that?

Did you catch the Rail Runner passing the semaphores south of Bernalillo, NM? NMRX MP36PH-3C 105 (built at Boise, Idaho) was passing the former ATSF semaphore April 23, 2008. I agree with you regarding the paint scheme and station designs. Snazzy!

Four miles south of Bernalillo are semaphores passed daily by the Rail Runners along Highway 313. The semaphore north of town at MP 880.1 was being replaced in April 2008 with a bi-directional tri-light signal. BNSF or State of New Mexico doing the work?

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PumpkinHogger Wrote:
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> Stopped by the Saondoval Road station in
> Bernalillo (burn-uh-lee-yo) Monday afternoon, just
> as a Runner was about to go.
>
> They sure did a super job jazzing things up here,
> giving commuter rail a cool and new modern look.
> Makes the Californians look boring in comparison.
> It is a real eye-catcher, having seen it is person
> I must say it is as attention-getting and original
> as the Santa Fe Warbonnet scheme.
>
> They went whole-hog - or should that be whole
> javelina - on the stations too. The look and feel
> was a bit Disneyland-esque, but if it helps to
> grab attention and makes people remember their
> train riding experience, it is worth it.
>
> Note to LA Metrolink - get a new paint scheme!
> Something that imparts LA and SoCal, not some poor
> guys delivery truck.

I agree with PH here. Metrolink sure could use a new and stylish paint scheme. But what would say southern California/LA metro area??? How about a freeway with billboards and a gas station!
Seriously, stylized palm trees could work if some complimentary colors were chosen, instead of that faded periwinkle and dirty white! We have to have one of the most mundane commuter rail paint schemes around!

KC - but they might also consider Lakers purple/gold or Dodger Blue

Walking thru the engine room, to get to the HEP compartment, I've compared it to walking thru a submarine just because the engine is so long.

cozephyr Wrote:
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> Four miles south of Bernalillo are semaphores
> passed daily by the Rail Runners along Highway
> 313. The semaphore north of town at MP 880.1 was
> being replaced in April 2008 with a bi-directional
> tri-light signal. BNSF or State of New Mexico
> doing the work?


Herzog Transit is doing the signal upgrades. All the semaphores north of Bernalillo to the new junction at Waldo Canyon (MP 858.2) are also being upgraded and the semaphores will be coming down in the next few months. This segment of the line is being upgraded to CTC. The dispatching will also be taken over from BNSF for the line in the third quarter of this year.

Rail Runner Map found at their stations. Line north of Bernalillo will open in late 2008 or early 2009.


Regarding the Santa Fe Southern - Can the Santa Fe Southern run more passenger trains? No, as a result of the sale of the line to the NMDOT the Santa Fe Southern is limited to excursion trains only and is not entitled to run passenger service that would compete with Rail Runner trains.

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Still hope BNSF is smart to utilize their trackage rights as a back up if something bad happens on the Belen cutoff, and they still run that local to Lamy to interchange with Santa Fe Southern?

I wonder if Rail Runner local dispatching will happen in a "few months". I read where a control building needs to be built in Abq. So far, there is no sign this is happening.

Also, NMDOT/MRCOG Commuter Rail Status Report, 8 Jan 07, states...
"After the third and final closing ((refers to the segmented sale to NMDOT of the former BNSF line, this 170-mile portion, Lamy-to-Colorado state line, for $5 million, is set for December 2008)), New Mexico may take over dispatch of the corridor. Prior to dispatch takeover, New Mexico pays BNSF a flat fee for dispatch services."
That's now handled by DS 18 et al in Fort Worth.

Phase I Ridership, Belen-Bernalillo, 49-miles, is growing, the service is well-run.
Construction of Phase II to Santa Fe, another 50 miles, is moving along, set to open in December.

BTW, the trains' doors-closing signal is, what else...."beep-beep, beep-beep".

Abqfoamer Wrote:
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> I wonder if Rail Runner local dispatching will
> happen in a "few months". I read where a control
> building needs to be built in Abq. So far, there
> is no sign this is happening.


Not true, ever been down to the ITS in the MRCOG building in ABQ? There is a workstation there for the dispatcher. The software and dispatch equipment have been purchased and will be installed in the next couple of months. BNSF wants to move on letting NMDOT do the dispatching as quickly as possible.

By the way, it is 182 miles of the Glorieta and Raton subs that will be acquired in December.

Yes, I've been to RR Hqs, last year. Got a tour of their security cam desk, but saw no dispatching setup. Thanks for the update. Understand why BNSF wants to be free ASAP of the line they sold. Should be a safer setup for RR, too.

The Rail Runner Project Overview, p.43, mentions the length of the Lamy-CO line rails as "...approximately 170 miles of mainline track and 30 miles of spur track in this segment."
A summary of distances in my BNSF Glorieta/Raton Sub Timetable indeed shows 182.3 miles, Lamy-Raton Tunnel.
I should have added "approximately" to my description.