1. Railroads in New Mexico
1878-2014
April 17, 2014
Albuquerque, NM
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Their Continuing Impact and Legacy

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Today:
New Mexico’s 12 Railroads in 2014
National Systems:
-BNSF
-Union Pacific
Short Line Companies:
-Southwestern RR
-Texas-New Mexico RR
-Arizona Eastern Ry.
-Santa Fe Southern Ry.
Private Railroads:
-Escalante Western Ry.
-Navajo Mine Railroad
Passenger Railroads:
-New Mexico Rail Runner
-Cumbers & Toltec Scenic
Railroad
-Amtrak’s Southwest Chief
-Amtrak’s Sunset Limited

3. 3
135 Years of Railroading
in New Mexico:
• RRs were the Space Program of the 1880’s
• More than 120 Railroad companies
• Over 3,000 miles of track
• More than 1,500 miles of abandoned line exists today
• Dozens of Railroad towns and railroad Town Companies
• Lines located in every county
• Second Transcontinental Railroad -- Deming: 1882
• Eighty-two historic depots remain
• New rail issues continue to develop

4. Prior to 1878…
Before the railroad’s
arrival:
NM was a trade destination via the
Santa Fe Trail & the Camino Real
Goods moving to the West Coast took
three months… or
Were routed completely around South
America, or over Isthmus of Panama
Cargo was restricted by size/weight
 Prior to 1878, people traveled no
faster than had the Egyptians or
the Romans
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5. 1753: First steam engine arrives in the colonies from England.
1826: First rail laid down at Quincy, Mass., 3 miles in length and pulled by horses.
1827: Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is chartered to operate
1855: First land grant railroad in the U. S. is completed.
1862: Lincoln signs the Pacific Railway Act, authorizes construction of first transcon. RR
1869: Central Pacific & Union Pacific meet at Promontory Summit, Utah
1872: George Westinghouse patents the first automatic air brake. Still used today
1878: Railroad enters New Mexico Territory
1882 Second Transcontinental Railroad link established at Deming, NM
The Railroad came
relatively late to the
Southwest
and to New Mexico
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6. 1870
50,000 miles of Rail network
1880
1900
Thirty Years of U.S. Rail Growth
93,000 miles of railroad
180,000 miles of railroad
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7. • Alamogordo and Sacramento Mtn. RR
• Alamogordo Lumber Company
• Albuquerque and Cerrillos Coal Co.
• Albuquerque Eastern Railway
• Albuquerque Traction Company
• American Potash Company
• Arizona and Colorado RR of N. M.
• Arizona and New Mexico Railroad
• Arizona and Southeastern Railroad
• Burro Mountain Railroad Company
• Cerrillos Coal Railroad Company
• Choctaw Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad
• Choctaw Oklahoma and Tex Railroad
• Cimarron and Northwestern Ry.
• Cimarron and Taos Valley Railroad
• Clifton and Lordsburg Railway
• Clifton and Southern Pacific Railway
• Colorado and New Mexico Railroad
• Colorado and Southern Railway
• Colorado Columbus and Mexican RR
• Colorado Midland Railroad
• Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
• Dawson El Paso and Southwestern RR
• Denver Texas and Fort Worth Railroad
• Domingo and Rio Grande Railroad
• Eastern Railway Company of New Mexico
• El Paso and White Oakes Railway
• Hanover Railroad Company
• Las Vegas & Hot Springs Railway
• Las Vegas Electric Railway Light and
Power Co.
• Las Vegas Railway & Power Company
• Lordsburg and Hachita Railroad
• Mexican Central Railway
• Navajo Mine Railroad
• New Mexican Railroad Company
• New Mexico and Arizona Railroad
• New Mexico Central Railroad
• New Mexico Central Railway
• New Mexico Midland Railway Company
• New Mexico Ry and Coal Co
• Pecos Valley and Northeastern Ry
• Pecos Valley Ry
• Phelps Dodge Industrial RR
• Pittsburg and Midway RR
• Pueblo and Arkansas Valley RR
• Rio Grande and El Paso Railroad
• Rio Grande & Pagosa Springs RR
• Rio Grande and Santa Fe RR
• Rio Grande, El Paso, and Santa Fe Railway
• Rio Grande Mexico and Pacific Railroad
• Rio Grande Pagosa and Northern RR
• Rio Grande and Pagosa Springs Railroad
• Rio Grande Sierra Madre and Pacific RR
• Rio Grande and Southwestern Railroad
• Rio Grande Valley Traction Company
• Rocky Mtn and SF Ry Co
• Santa Fe Alb and Pac RR Co
• Santa Fe Central RR
• Santa Fe Cental Ry
• Santa Fe Liberal and Englewood RR
• Santa Fe Northern RR
• Santa Fe Northwestern Ry
• Santa Fe Pacific RR
• Santa Fe Raton and Des Moines RR
• Santa Fe Raton and Eastern RR
• Santa Fe San Juan and Northern RR
• Santa Fe Southern Railway
• Santa Fe Southern Pacific
• Burlington Northern RR
• Burlington Northern Santa FE RR
• Silver City and Northern RR Co
• Silver city Deming and Pacific RR Co
• Silver City Pinos Alton &Mogollon RR
• Southern Plains and Santa Fe Ry
• Southern Pacific Trans Co
• Southwestern Railroad of NM
• St. Louis Rocky Mountain & Pacific Ry
• St Louis and San Francisco Ry
• Star Lake RR Co
• Texas and Pac RR
• Texas NM Ry
• Texas Santa Fe and northern RR
• Union Pacific RR
• Union Pacific Denver and Gulf Ry
• Very Large Array Railroad
• White Oakes Route Railroad
• Zuni Mountain RR
Territorial/State
Authorized New Mexican Railroads
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8. First - Came the
Transcontinentals
•Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
•Southern Pacific
•Denver & Rio Grande (Western)
•Chicago, Rock Island, & Pacific
•Missouri Pacific
•El Paso & Northeastern
•El Paso & Southwestern
National investors
Money from outside NM
System standard construction
Prescribed construction
Interstate railroads
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9. Then - Came the Regionals,
Locals & Short line
Railroads
Short Line Characteristics:
•Generally “mixed” trains
•Carried local produce from interior regions
•Exchanged with the nationals
•Structures were made with available material
•Often moved from location to location
•Mining railroads
•Logging railroads
•Cattle railroads
•Agricultural railroads
Included:
•Burro Mountain Railroad Company
•Cerrillos Coal Railroad Company
•Lordsburg and Hachita Railroad
•New Mexican Railroad Company
•New Mexico and Arizona Railroad
•New Mexico Central Railroad
•Pecos Valley Railroad
•Santa Fe Central Railroad
•Zuni Mountain Railroad
•Silver City & Northern Railroad
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10. Railroads Towns
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11. Railroad Town Companies
ATSF: ----------------------------------------------------- The New Mexico Town Company
El Paso & Northeastern Railroad: ------- New Mexico Land Development Company
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific:------------ Santa Rosa Townsite Company
Southern Pacific-------------------------------------Tucumcari Townsite & Investment Company
1. Usually located at railroad division points
2. Multiple railroad facilities (ice houses, crew quarters, supt. buildings)
3. Anticipated development of secondary economic bases (farming, mining, etc.)
Albuquerque, East Las Vegas, Raton, Socorro, Las Cruces—Lots cost $200- $2,500
Wagon Mound, Los Lunas, Rincon---Lots cost $75- $150 11
(Corporate subdivisions of the railroads)
Railroad: Town Company:

12. Branch Line Development
•Generally short distance
•Economically built
•Locally funded
•Often single commodity
- Agricultural
- Potash
- Coal
- Logging
- Passenger service
D&RG’s “Chili Line”
Cerrillos Coal RR Company
Raton spurs
Zuni Mountain RR
Alamogordo Railway
Coalora line
Cloudcroft
Montezuma Branch
Lamy Branch
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13. 13
Some Distinctions Between Short Lines & Transcontinentals

14. ATSF System-Wide
Branch Line Depot Standard
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ATSF
Frame depot standard plan
Larges systems had designers,
architects, carpenters, & material

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Class I’s:
-Standard plans and designs.
-Materials imported
-Exceptionally well-made
Vaughn (ATSF) Mountainair
Columbus Tucumcari (SP)

16. Short line depots
•Available material
•Usually wooden
•Quick construction
•Often moved, reused
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Eldorado Moriarity (NMCRR)
Elida (PVRR)
Hachita

17. Conflicting Attitudes Toward Rail
National Progressive
Movement & Mistrust of Corporate
Industry
Territorial New Mexico ’s
Desire for Rail Service & Statehood
Major changes in New Mexico’s
regulatory railroad laws
1890-1920’s 1880’s-1912
Changes in Land Use,
Transport Law, Corporate
Rules, Taxation, & Commerce
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18. •Period of American social and governmental reform; 1890’s-1920’s
•Reaction to corporate (including railroads) and political corruption
•Suppport of Prohibition
•Muckrakers-exposed waste/corruption
•Sinclair Lewis novels
•Labor unions
•Womens’ sufferage
•Political “rings”
•Trust busting
•Child welfare
•Railroad strikes
•Railroad regulation
The
National Progressive Period
&
Local
Impacts
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19. The National Mood
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Widespread Corporate Mistrust

21. Simultaneously, in New Mexico:
Santa Fe Ring political group flourished
John Tunstall murdered-Lincoln County War
Maxwell & Colfax County War
Government contracts flourished
Lincoln County regulators
Supplying army fort contracts
Las Gorras Blancas organized
Land companies prospered
Desire for statehood
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22. From the Incorporation Documents
of the
Texas, Santa Fe &
Northern R.R.
(Certificate of Incorporation 1882)
Telegraphs
The Railroad has the right to build telegraphs on all its lines
Exemption from Taxation
The Railroad is exempt from taxation for six years after the completion of its line
Right of Way Free Through Public Lands
The Railroad has right of way through public lands of the United States and through
lands belonging to the Territory of New Mexico
Right of Way Through Private Lands
The Railroad can take land for right of way upon paying amount to be
determined by Commissioners, who are appointed by the judge of the District Court.
Proceedings are very simple and just. Delay in obtaining possession of land required,
need not exceed ten days.
Statutory Right & Privileges of Territorial
Railroads
22

23. 1878 N.M. Territorial Statutes
“To take, possess and enjoy, by purchase,
donation, or condemnation, such materials,
springs, and streams of water as maybe
necessary for its uses and purposes in
operating its railroads…”
“To purchase and by voluntary grants and
donations to receive and take by its
officers, engineers, surveyors , and agents
to enter upon, possess, hold and use all
such lands and other property as its
directors may deem necessary, proper and
convenient for the construction,
maintenance, & operation of its railroad
and telegraph lines…”
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24. RRs become required to:
•Construct lines to towns/county
Seats
•To connect with nearby lines
Elimination of passes to VIPs
•Cease issuance of passes
To elected officials
At the Turn of the Century,
Railroad Statutes Become
Gradually Restrictive
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25. Railroads & the NM Constitution
Article IX, Section 14 [Anti-donation clause]
“Neither the state, nor any county, school
district or municipality, except as otherwise
provided in this constitution , shall directly or
indirectly lend or pledge its credit or make any
donation to or in aid of any person, association or
public or private corporation or in aid of any
private enterprise for the construction of any
railroad…”
Article IV, Sec. 37. [Railroad passes.]
It shall not be lawful for a member of the legislature to
use a pass, or to purchase or receive transportation
over any railroad upon terms not open to the general
public; and the violation of this section shall work a
forfeiture of the office.
Railroad are singled out
No RR passes for elected officials
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26. 1912: Statehood
Railroad Laws Amended
Generally:
•More restrictive regulations
•Constitutional curtailments
•More authority to NM CC
•Rules for organization of RRs
Specifically:
•RRs required to fence right-of-way
•Safety appliances required
•Financial oversight from Territory
•Contributory negligence established
•Required to serve county seats
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27. Conflict
Railroad, Strikes, and Military Campaigns
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28. Rough Riders Departing Las Vegas
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Wartime
Posters

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Railroads After W.W. II
1950’s- Trucks begin competing with railroads
End of steam era
1960’s- Airlines compete with rail for passengers
Mergers: NYC & Penn Central
Maintenance deferred
1970’s:- Famous lines begin to disappear-Amtrak created
1980’s- Penn Central becomes Conrail-Cabooses disappear
1990’s- Labor issues- crews reduced to 2 vs 4 and 5
Automation – remote switching

31. Railroad
Tourism
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32. Albuquerque-Alvarado
Belen-Harvey House
Carlsbad-Harvey House
Clovis-Harvey House
Las Vegas- Castenada
Lamy-El Ortiz
Deming Harvey House
Gallup - El Navajo
Las Vegas Cantenada
Raton
San Marcial
Vaughn
Courting Tourism
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33. 1970’s:
Abandoned of Lines
Reduced freight
Cost of Maintenance
Changing markets
Requires state/federal approval
2,500 miles of line abandoned
Shipper/community impacts
Zuni Mtn. RR
Cumbres/Toltec
Dawson Line
Silver City branches
El Paso & Southwestern
Tucumcari/Amarillo
Coalora
Alamogordo-Cloudcroft
Lordsburg-Clifton Branch
Kelley-Magdelena Line
Rock Island-Tucumcari
Koehler Line
Burro Mountain Junction
Future Abandonments????
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34. New Mexico Central (1908-1922)
Alignment
Santa Fe South, toward Stanley
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35. Cerrillos Coal Railroad Company Wye at Waldo
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36. Twenty-First Century:
A Renewal of Rail Interest
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37. SANTA FE, N.M. — “The state Senate on
Monday night voted to eliminate locomotive
fuel taxes for Union Pacific, provided that it
moves a rail center from El Paso to Santa
Teresa. The bill passed in the committee in
less than five minutes and carried 37-4,
though many Democrats said they were
skeptical about whether the deal was good
for New Mexico taxpayers.”
Elimination of fuel taxes for certain railroads…
4/5/2011-- El Paso Times
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38. 38
Union Pacific Railroad Begins Construction of
$400 Million Rail Facility in New Mexico
El Paso Times: 8/8/2011
Amtrak Route in Jeopardy
“East Las Vegas came to life with the railroad in 1879, but our city’s long
association with trains could come to a screeching halt in the near future
unless a deal can be reached to upgrade the tracks.”
Las Vegas Daily Optic: September 9,2013
“Plan to Off-load Crude Oil in Lamy Fuels
Backlash” The New Mexican; 12/14/2013
Rail Runner birthday bash mostly about troubles-
The state’s first commuter rail project was approved a decade ago
this month, but the initial years of fanfare and novelty have given way
to declining ridership numbers and increasing costs.
State DOT no longer subsidizes train operations. Abq. Journal
11/24/2013
Cyclical Nature of Railroad News in New Mexico

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New Mexico’s Railroading Future--