New Mexico behind the scenes

"Behind the scenes" on our daylong trip from Ruidoso to Albuquerque...

Baca Chevrolet - Mountainair, NM

Legion hall - Mountainair, NM

my co-pilot for the day...

waiting for the next train at Scholle

ready to get the shot

well-posted directions near Isleta

One of my favorite spots for lunch in Belen

getting the shot south of Bernalillo

a great view of the Manzano Mountains at Sais.

WSC

np: "The 40-year-old Virgin"

Albuquerque RailRunners

This is what we went to Albuquerque for... to see the RailRunner commuter trains. I hadn't been to New Mexico since they started operating in late 2005 (or was it early 2006?)... anyway, they put on quite a show and it was cool to see them.

RailRunner's "roadrunner" theme was evident at Bernalillo...

Roadrunners grace the station signs, too.

Passing a Santa Fe-style station sign...

Pacing a Trans-Camaro south of Bernalillo...

I was surprised to find a pair of semaphore signals (ABS intermediates) still in service south of Bernalillo... what a catch! (The railroad signalling equivalent of seeing a Model-T Ford out on the highway...) I believe these are the first upper-quadrant semaphores I've ever photographed.

Amtrak's Southwest Chief passes the semaphore signal south of Bernalillo.

We watched the aspects change after Amtrak cleared the block...

Later, the RailRunner passed the same signal.

Railrunner between Isleta and Los Lunas -- that's the Rio Grande valley in the background. How great would this same scene look in the fall when the cottonwood leaves are turning? I just might go back to find out...

WSC

np: Hank Williams - "Why don't you love me"