Amtrak Southwest Chief Discussion

Rockingham Racer wrote: Do you really think any type of signal system is necessary? TWC with 60 MPH running seems quite adequate for the 2 trains a day that would use this piece of railroad IMHO.

Well, it would not be crucial, but you'd never get away with removing the signals over Raton and Glorieta Passes and their grades in excess of 3 percent. The topic of safety would certainly come into play.

mtuandrew wrote:Agreed with the Amarillo reroute. Still think this is a perfect opportunity to create a KCY-DEN train through La Junta and Pueblo, and make a nice Thruway from Pueblo to Santa Fe. Raton Pass, well... sorry, Scouts.

Don't worry about the scouts. They can take the bus from Denver to the camp.

I'll be sad to see this station become another abandoned monument to this nation's railroad glory days!

The original plan(dream),was an El Paso,ABQ,Trinidad,Pueblo,Colorado Springs,Denver,that was to be a 403(b)type service
with NM,Co,and Tx paying in.
When the SFO Chief ran,there was ATS gear along what is now the Transcon,that was removed after A-day,
this was refered to as the Belen Cutoff routing by ATSF back then. The Newton-Mulvane segment will need more work
to regain psgr train speeds,believe its now at 40 mph MAS for freights.
ATSF retained the CTC segments thru Raton and Glorieta Passes for safety reasons along with the ATS gear,that allowed 90 mph speed,
from the west end of Springer to the east end of Rowe back in the day.
Raton is serving as a testing ground from time to time for locomotive testing,BNSF in Oct tested the EMD SD-70ACE Demo units,
along with a few BNSF SD-70ACE's and some EVO-44's,with BNSF Research cars Canyon Diablo and Kootenai River.
The Scouts in the past use to detrain at Las Vegas NM instead of Raton,NMRX could run a 2 unit,6 car extra to Las Vegas
from ABQ for the Scouts.

Backshophoss wrote:The Scouts in the past use to detrain at Las Vegas NM instead of Raton,NMRX could run a 2 unit,6 car extra to Las Vegas from ABQ for the Scouts.

It's approximately 82 miles from Santa Fe NM to Las Vegas NM, it's the same milage to Vaughn NM. Albuquerque NM to Las Vegas NM will be a longer ride. Depending upon where the boy scouts camp is located, Santa Fe NM could be closer.

electricron wrote:

Backshophoss wrote:The Scouts in the past use to detrain at Las Vegas NM instead of Raton,NMRX could run a 2 unit,6 car extra to Las Vegas from ABQ for the Scouts.

It's approximately 82 miles from Santa Fe NM to Las Vegas NM, it's the same milage to Vaughn NM. Albuquerque NM to Las Vegas NM will be a longer ride. Depending upon where the boy scouts camp is located, Santa Fe NM could be closer.

OT, buy the Philmont Scout Ranch is near Cimarron. Ranch headquarters, according to Google Maps, is 46 highway miles from Raton, 98 from Las Vegas and 163 from Santa Fe.

I suppose picking up Amarillo would result in a net increase for the population served, would it not? But it looks to me on the map I recall seeing the Albuquerque would be bypassed or require a significant backup move.

It is simply no surprise that, as Mr. Montanan has reported on the previous page, BNSF has withdrawn the welcome mat to handle 3-4, Chief, over the 'transcon' without considerable Amtrak funded track projects. The only conceivable 'Corridor' on the route is Chi-Kcy; otherwise if Raton Pass ends up embargoed because the only party in interest, Amtrak, fails to pony up for needed trackwork, Chico will call it quits for all times.

Don't expect that the UP will allow the Desert Wind to be restored, or for that matter, to allow Daily Sunset service simply because BNSF will no longer handle the Chief. Hard to believe that CHI-LAX service will become a tri-weekly three night out trip over a 'uh, rather gerrymandered' route. But with completion of the Colton Flyover, Sunset timekeeping will become more reliable.

ABQ will not be bypassed,access to NMRX is from Belen Jct(west end of the yard),the wye is at Abajo and a 2.5 mile reverse move
from there to the platform. Most of the reverse move is in Restricted Limits(DS controlled Yard Limits).
ABQ is the top of a triangle with Belen Jct and Dalies as the base.

As a side note to this reroute,a possible detour could be via UP,the former RI route,Kansas City,Liberial,Pratt,
Tucumcari NM,Vaughn NM,then a reverse move up a little used interchange from the former SP to the Transcon at Vaughn.

Are there any offical sources that say BNSF is no longer wanting to move the Chief to the Transcon? I havent seen any mention of this, until this page.

There're no known offical withdraw,could have been "office scuttlebutt" some where,BNSF will only maintain the La Junta sub to the 40 mph
freight speed limit,that fact is well known. Believe BNSF considers the reroute a "given" when Amtrak makes their plans known in the future.

Backshophoss wrote:ABQ will not be bypassed,access to NMRX is from Belen Jct(west end of the yard),the wye is at Abajo and a 2.5 mile reverse move
from there to the platform. Most of the reverse move is in Restricted Limits(DS controlled Yard Limits).
ABQ is the top of a triangle with Belen Jct and Dalies as the base.

As a side note to this reroute,a possible detour could be via UP,the former RI route,Kansas City,Liberial,Pratt,
Tucumcari NM,Vaughn NM,then a reverse move up a little used interchange from the former SP to the Transcon at Vaughn.

That doesn't sound too bad then. So, would picking up Amarillo actually increase the population served? I would guess that might more than offset the towns that are lost.

The eyes of Texas are upon you, Amtrak.

The proposed 3-way "share the expense" idea is making the rounds here(ABQ),along with a report about the cost of the
PTC mandate/signal upgrades($ 30 million "reported cost) that NMRX is required to do on it's trackage.
Both reports are in the Video on Demand section of http://www.kob.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .

If the hypothetical Raton Pass Shortline Railroad were to take over the current BNSF holdings from Trinidad to the junction with RailRunner south of Santa Fe, are there any potential shippers that could come out of the woodwork? Quarries, lumber, light or heavy industrial, or mining even?