The two travellers awoke at the Days Inn in Trinidad to a partly cloudy morning for a change. There was plenty of wind, though, which would play into the day. After checking out, we drove over to Tony's Diner and I had a fantastic waffle and Elizabeth had sausage, eggs, hash browns and toast. From here, it was a very short drive to the Colorado and Southern station.
The Colorado and Southern Trinidad station. We could have almost walked to the Denver and Rio Grande Western station.
The Denver and Rio Grande Western Trinidad station fenced in and looking very dilapidated. I took Elizabeth to her next surprise here.
This steam engine has a display behind it of all the state flags, in order of their admittance into the United States. Elizabeth had never seen anything like this and was very impressed; I had seen it the last time I was in Trinidad.
Colorado and Southern 2-8-0 638 built by Brooks in 1906. Long after the rest of the road had been dieselised, the Colorado and southern continued to use steam on its Climax-Leadville branch as the thin air at the high altitude of Leadville (10,152 feet) severely hampered the operation of internal combustion engines. 638 ran a few excursions in 1962 on the Moffatt line. That year, it was donated to the City of Trinidad, Colorado, and is on display on Purgatoire Drive.
The sign for this steam engine.
Colorado and Southern coach 545 built by Pullman in 1906.
Colorado and Southern wooden caboose 10507 which became 10707 between 2015 and 2016 as my visit that year shows it as 10707, and the photographs I found on the Internet show it as 10507.
The whole display train. As you can tell, it was windy. Next I took Elizabeth over to the Santa Fe freight house but we had to stop and photograph another surprise to both of us.
This oddly-painted PCC car is actually Pittsburgh Railways 1772 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1949.
Here is a picture I took of the same car at the Ohio Railway Museum in 2013. It left in 2015 and was acquired by the Downtown Trinidad Development Group that year. Now we will show you the Santa Fe freight house.
The Santa Fe Trinidad freight house under apparent restoration.
The Trinidad sign and United States flag. We waited here for the Southwest Chief to arrive.
The scene as we waited for a half hour late train.
The Southwest Chief arrived late into Trinidad and then the two of us were off on a chase of it.
The Southwest Chief at Starkville. From here we tried to get to other places on Raton Pass but one cannot reach them anymore. The bridge at Gallinas has fencing on both sides and is off limits as private property, so we decided to just continue into Raton.
At the New Mexico Welcome Center in Raton, which was closed, were these two mine carts.
Santa Fe caboose 999140, built by the railroad in 1942 as Santa Fe 2131, is on display along the highway side of the Welcome Center. We next went to take pictures of the station.
Santa Fe Raton station built in 1904. From here we drove to straight to the west switch at Levy, the northernmost semaphore signal left on the old Santa Fe.
All semaphore signals showing a green aspect.
The eastbound signal went into a yellow aspect, letting us know the train was two blocks away.
The westbound siding signal has come down into a red position.
The eastbound signal is now in the red position, letting us know the train is in the block.
The westbound Southwest Chief passing through Levy.
Both westbound signals are in the red position.
The train passing the eastbound position signal in the red position.
The eastbound signal then went back into the green aspect.
The westbound signals are now in the yellow aspect position.
The eastbound signal with Wagon Mound behind it.
The westbound signal, the main line one, was in the green aspect while the siding was in the yellow aspect.
Both westbound signals are now in the green position. After being blown by the strong winds, we drove into Las Vegas, stopped at Subway for lunch and took it with us and I parked by the steam engine in town, where we ate.
The information board about the steam engine.
Santa Fe 2-6-2 1129 built by Baldwin in 1902 and donated in 1956. 1129 served on various AT&SF divisions in New Mexico for fifty-one years, and its last scheduled run ended in Belen, on 25th July 1953. I drove us to the thirty-four stall roundhouse.
The Santa Fe Las Vegas roundhouse built in 1917.
The Santa Fe Las Vegas water treatment plant and pump house.
The Santa Fe Las Vegas freight house. We then went to the station and parked.
The Santa Fe Las Vegas station built in 1898 and the Southwest Chief stops here.
The history board in the parking lot.
The La Castaneda Harvey House Hotel which was fully booked.
Inside the lobby of the La Castaneda Hotel. I drove us over to the Plaza Hotel where we checked in and received an excellent room.
The view of the Plaza across the street from the hotel.This is a historic hotel built in 1882. We went to K-Bob's Steakhouse for dinner then wrote two stories and retired for the night.
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