Abandoned Southern Pacific Railroad Station

 

Ancho, New Mexico

Mainstreet near completing Tucumcari Railroad Museum takeover process

Tucumcari Railroad Museum, circa 2012.

(Quay County Sun) Virtually all the paperwork has been signed. All that remains for Tucumcari MainStreet to take over operations of the Tucumcari Railroad Museum is an act by the New Mexico Secretary of State's office. The last remaining deed is to dissolve the nonprofit organization that ran the museum at the city's historic depot. Connie Loveland, executive director of Tucumcari MainStreet, said the Secretary of State could do that as soon as this week. Continued

Railroad Station: Liberal, Kansas

(travelks.com) The Rock Island Depot was restored in 1998 and is home to the Liberal Chamber of Commerce. The restored Grier Eating House and Cimarron Hotel house the VA Medical Clinic. The first depot, connected to the Grier Eating House and Cimarron Hotel, was a handsome wooden plank construction. It was destroyed by fire in 1910. The replacement depot, which still stands, was made of stucco plaster. The Chamber building has a collection of railroad memorabilia, which can be viewed during business hours Monday through Friday. Link

"Samson of the Cimarron"

 

People were so proud of this bridge they named it Samson. It's part of a long line of railroad bridges the Rock Island built to span the Cimarron River, just north of Liberal, Kansas. All the previous bridges were washed away. This one, built in 1939, stuck. It's on the Tucumcari Line, now owned by the Union Pacific.

The Dawson Branch

A tribute to "The Polly," in Mosquero, New Mexico.
The Polly was a passenger car hitched to the end of coal drags on the Dawson Line.
It was a slow way to get to Tucumcari, but people had an odd affection for the old car.

(Sixgun Siding) The Dawson Line (or Dawson Branch or Roy Branch), was a Southern Pacific Railroad line that went from Tucumcari, New Mexico to the coal mining town of Dawson, New Mexico. The line was built by the El Paso & Northeastern Railroad System which later became The El Paso & Southwestern Railroad, before being absorbed by the Southern Pacific.
Traffic, being mostly coal trains, was slow-going, and train crews were known to pack their rifles and fishing rods with them for diversion at sidings. As slow as it was, it gave Dawsonites the opportunity to travel anywhere a train went in the United States.
The town of Dawson, its mines, and railroad were abandoned in the early 1950's.

Tucumcari Railroad Days This Weekend

(Tucumcari Chamber of Commerce) Traveling photo display, railroad artifacts, refinished Locomotive Control Stand, Locomotive Play Station, active Model Train Clubs, on the mainline of the UP- great place to view passing trains. Free Admission Saturday 9AM-5PM Link

The Tucumcari Line Gets a Semaphore Back

 

The Tucumcari Line, under Southern Pacific, had semaphore signals longer than most, well into the 90's. Now that the line is under the Union Pacific shield, and much busier, it has more modern equipment. The good people of Tucumcari have brought back a semaphore, for old times sake.

More Lost Boxcars

Melrose, NM

Depot gets old semaphore rail signal

West end of Tucumcari Station

(QCS) Thanks to a couple of Californians, the Tucumcari Train Depot has acquired a semaphore signal that will become a stop for the depot’s rail museum, according to Connie Loveland, a member of the museum committee.
Semaphore signals used to guide train engineers to stop, proceed with caution or travel as usual. Continued