Spring Break breakdown - 4.3

Railroad jewels & Rail Runners

On to Albuquerque...

We were fortunate to be in New Mexico during the Alvarado Hotel exhibit at the Albuqerque Museum of Art and History. The Alvarado Hotel was one of the famed Harvey House hotels of the Santa Fe Railway. Opened in 1902 and located in downtown Albuquerque, the hotel provided train passengers and other travelers with first-class lodging and meals through its closure in the 1960s. It was demolished in 1970.

The museum exhibit featured artifacts and memorabilia from the hotel and from the railroad during the Harvey House era.

The exhibit runs through June 7; I'd highly recommend it if you're in the area. Check the Albuquerque Museum's website for more information: http://www.cabq.gov/museum/featured.html

Next, it was back to trackside to accomplish our next goal: shooting the Albuquerque Rail Runner commuter trains on the new line to Santa Fe. When Miss C and I visited New Mexico last November, we were about a month too early to see the Rail Runners on the new extension. Rail Runner service to Santa Fe commenced in mid-December, on a route that included several miles of newly constructed railroad, built expressly for the commuter train service. The line featured some impressive engineering work, including a stretch down the median of Interstate 25.

C gets some practice with my Canon gear near Belen.

A southbound Rail Runner arrives in Los Lunas.

"Next time, take the train!" This southbound Rail Runner, about 20 minutes out of Santa Fe, paces vehicle traffic on Interstate 25. The new line runs down the I-25 median for several miles southwest of Santa Fe.

Catching the last rays of sunlight near Santo Domingo Pueblo. This is the former BNSF Glorieta Subdivision, now owned by the state of New Mexico.

Coming next: ghost hunting and sand surfing. Stay tuned...

WSC

np: Kevin Welch & Kieran Kane - "Them wheels don't roll"

RailRunners & Santa Fe relics

Ever since passing through the Albuquerque area during the last week of October about 8 years ago, I had wanted to get back and re-experience the fall color along the Rio Grande in that area. What better trains to photograph than the Albuquerque RailRunners, whose colors complement the cottonwoods, and which run on predictable schedules?

A southbound passes a colorful cottonwood near Isleta on November 4.

Mingling with BNSF traffic during a station stop at Belen

Departing Los Lunas, heading north in "push" mode...

A Southbound kicks up leaves as it approaches Isleta

Southbound in the late afternoon near Isleta.

Between RailRunner shots, we found time to discover a few Santa Fe relics around Albuquerque, including...

I thought I had found a nice GP30, until I came around to the engineer's side and discovered it had been hit by taggers. I'd love to see one of these repainted in BNSF "Heritage" colors (or even a fresh coat of blue and yellow) but its days on the BNSF roster are probably numbered.

SD40-2 # 6958 was in better condition...

Derelict Albuquerque shops building

Santa Fe logo at Albuquerque shops.

Coming next - more from Albuquerque, including ghost signs, fine dining, more fall color, and a flat tire. Check back in a few days... and Happy Thanksgiving.

WSC

np: Robert Nighthawk - "You call yourself a Cadillac" (from Mississippi Delta Blues Vol. 1)

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"