Santa Fe
Santa Fes Raton Route
Raton Pass...the Las Vegas Sub...Glorieta Pass! They’re all here in this special Santa Fe program photographed in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
The action begins at La Junta, Colorado and continues to Trinidad, Colorado at the foot of Raton Pass. After the spectacular climb over Raton Pass, trains arrive at Raton, New Mexico. There is fast running in the Wagon Mound area, but slows for the trip through Shoemaker Canyon and on to Las Vegas, New Mexico. The route through Apache Canyon to Lamy, New Mexico is spectacular with its tortuous curves and many bridges.
The Kansas City to El Paso quality service fast freight and the La Junta to Los Angeles freight is seen in action over this historic and scenic southwestern line. You’ll wish you were on board as Amtrak’s Southwestern Limited, successor to the Super Chief, climbs Raton Pass and flashes across the high plains of New Mexico.
Red and silver F45 Warbonnets are seen in powerful track side views and exciting pacing sequences. The short-lived red and yellow paint scheme is still in evidence. Long coal drags rumble over the Colorado & Wyoming’s Allen Mine Branch. The historic Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Fe lives again with descriptive maps, broadcast quality videography by Dave Gross and an informative narrative by Rege Cordic.
112 minutes
Santa Fes Seligman Sub
A variety of Santa Fe power is seen in this action video as fast freights thunder over the Arizona Divide between Winslow, Arizona and Needles, California. It’s 1989 and equipment includes the C30-7, SD40-2, SD45, SD45-2 GP35, GP40X, GP50, GP60, SDF45, SDFP45 and the B39-8. Some units are seen in the red and yellow failed merger paint scheme.
You’ll see many fascinating locations along the Seligman Subdivision including Canyon Diablo where a massive steel arch bridge spans this deep gorge. Long trains rumble over Supai Summit with the snow capped San Francisco Mountains as a backdrop. You are track side on the unique Peavine Line to Phoenix, the New Line from Williams to Crookton, Arizona and at colorful Yampai Summit.
The action continues as trains rumble through the depths of Crozier Canyon and Kingman Canyon, then trains cross the magnificent Colorado River Bridge into California at Topock. At Needles, California arrivals and departures provide an exciting conclusion to our visit to the Santa Fe’s majestic Seligman Sub. Broadcast video by Dave Gross and Narration by Rege Cordic.
60 minutes
Santa Fes New Mexico Main
The desolate beauty of Santa Fe’s New Mexico mainline over the Belen Cutoff comes alive in this fast-paced program produced by WB Video in 1990.
It’s non-stop action from Belen, the busy western terminal of the New Mexico division, eastward to the top of the grade at Mountainair and across the high desert to Clovis, New Mexico. At the West End of Abo Canyon, long Santa Fe trains cross the Sias Bridge high above the desert floor. At Mountainair a parade of Santa Fe power thunders past the picturesque south western style depot.
The traffic is brisk at Dalies Junction where the Belen Cutoff and the original mainline over Raton and Glorieta Passes merge. See Amtrak’s Super Fleet with red and silver Warbonnets in the lead. The older SDF45, SD45 and the GP30’s are still very much in evidence. With video by Dave Gross and narration by Rege Cordic, this program captures the excitement of big time, modern railroading in the old west.
60 minutes