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Southwestern GP30 # 28 leads the eastbound train preparing to depart Deming.
Meanwhile, GP30 # 25, still in Phelps-Dodge gray, arrives from Hurley with a
few more cars for Rincon.
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The train is out on the road now, and is photographed rolling through a desolate
landscape east of Nutt, NM.
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After waiting for track machines to clear, the eastbound drifts downgrade toward
Hatch, NM.
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The train passes a scrawny-looking cottonwood tree as it rolls through the Rio Grande
valley between Hatch and Rincon.
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After delivering cars to and picking up from the BNSF at Rincon, the Southwestern is
headed back west toward Deming. Their outbound train consisted of 36 cars, and it
was slow going for the train as the two geeps struggled to get them up the hill out of
the Rio Grande valley west of Hatch.
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The trailing locomotive, suffering from mechanical trouble, has shut down, leaving GP40-2
# 3000 to handle the 36-car train up the hill into Hockett. There are more ascending
grades to the west, so at Hockett they'll reduce their train to a more manageable size, and
pick up the balance of the cars on Friday's train.
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Having reduced their train at Hockett, the westbound is making faster progress as it
climbs toward the line's summit near Nutt. Beyond Nutt, it will be a downhill run
most of the way back to Deming.
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The shadows are getting longer as the westbound heads through Nutt, NM on its way
back to Deming.
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Back in Deming, the train pauses at a grade crossing while the
conductor lines a switch, allowing me to snap a quick photo of the engineer.
His day is almost over, but I've got over three hours of driving to do before I'll
be finished!
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