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Santa Fe Southern Railway

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Santa Fe Southern operates 18 miles of track between Lamy and Santa Fe in north-central New Mexico. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe completed the construction of the line in 1880, as a branch line to Santa Fe from a connection with Santa Fe's main line at Lamy. Santa Fe operated the line until selling it to Santa Fe Southern in 1992.

Santa Fe Southern operates both freight and passenger service along this line, offering passengers and tourists the chance to "ride a working freight" through the foothills of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains south of Santa Fe. Passenger service varies according to the time of year and certain special events, but trains normally operate on a Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday / Sunday schedule from November through March, and daily except Friday the rest of the year. Special trains operate on holidays such as Easter Sunday, Mothers' Day, Memorial Day, Fathers' Day, the Fourth of July, and other times of special seasonal importance. Visit Santa Fe Southern's website at www.sfsr.com for more information on days and times of operation.

Santa Fe Southern operates its railroad with just two locomotives: GP7 92, the former ATSF 2075; and GP16 93, a former Seaboard engine. The railroad also has an interesting collection of cabooses and old passenger cars and coaches at its headquarters in Santa Fe. The town of Santa Fe is a popular tourist destination, and the Santa Fe Southern is definitely worth checking out if you're in the area. Following are several photographs I took during a visit to Santa Fe and Lamy in February 2000.

	The Santa Fe depot at 410 S. Guadalupe St. serves as Santa Fe Southern's headquarters.
	A close-up view of the end of the long hood of Santa Fe Southern GP16 93 at Santa Fe, NM on February 25, 2000.
	Santa Fe Southern's ex-ATSF GP7 was spotted northwest of the Santa Fe depot and did not move during my visit to Santa Fe in late February 2000.
	A sign advertises Santa Fe Southern's train rides as GP7 92 rests near the Santa Fe depot on February 25, 2000.
	Santa Fe Southern 93 poses in front of the Santa Fe depot on February 25, 2000.
	The next day, Santa Fe Southern 93 leads a southbound mixed train out of Santa Fe toward Lamy.
	Santa Fe Southern GP16 # 93 leads a southbound mixed train through the small town of Eldorado at Santa Fe, about 10 miles south of Santa Fe proper, on February 26, 2000.
	Lamy marks the southern end of Santa Fe Southern's trackage. At Lamy, the railroad connects with BNSF's former ATSF Glorieta Subdivision.
	Santa Fe Southern GP16 93 waits at the Lamy depot while the train's passengers detrain to eat sack lunches. In addition to the Santa Fe Southern trains, the Lamy depot sees the passage of Amtrak's daily eastbound and westbound Southwest Chief trains. If both Amtrak trains are on schedule, they will pass one another at Lamy in the early afternoon.
	The southern portion of Santa Fe Southern's trackage is accessible from an unimproved trail which is open to hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Look for these signs where the tracks cross the highways and county roads north of Lamy. This one was photographed about a mile and a half northwest of Lamy, where the tracks cross U.S. Highway 285.
	Santa Fe Southern GP16 93 leads a northbound train northwest of Lamy back toward Santa Fe on February 26, 2000.
	It appeared as though the Santa Fe Southern had commisioned some graffiti artists to... um... "decorate" this car near the railroad's Santa Fe depot.
	A close-up view of a graffiti artist's rendition of a Santa Fe Southern locomotive.

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All images on the Southwest Railfan © 2000 - 2004 by Wes Carr.
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