Old trains dreaming of their glory days…
. by monkeycircus, on Flickr
. by monkeycircus, on Flickr
. by monkeycircus, on Flickr
. by monkeycircus, on Flickr
. by monkeycircus, on Flickr
. by monkeycircus, on Flickr
. by monkeycircus, on Flickr
. by monkeycircus, on Flickr
. by monkeycircus, on Flickr
. by monkeycircus, on Flickr
. by monkeycircus, on Flickr
Oh, that’s just so sad.
It’s amazing how much old rotting stuff you can find out there. Here are a couple of photos I took back in 2000 along a stretch of US Highway 64 between Raton and Cimarron New Mexico.
Bob
It is a shame . . . . but there isn’t the time, money, or volunteers to preserve everything. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)
Just in case anyone is curious about the three photos I posted of the rotting baggage/RPO car, here is a bit of info. I was researching and backpacking along an old line called the St. Louis, Rocky Mountain & Pacific Railway. It was incorporated in 1905 and abandoned in the late 30’s. The rail was pulled up and sold as scrap to a Japanese steel manufacturer (probably came back to us as bombs during the war.)
The railroad was a single track, 105 mile long line entirely within the state of New Mexico. It ran from Des Moines to Ute Park, with branches from Clifton house to Raton and from Koehler Junction to Koeler. A proposed extension from Ute Park to Taos was never built. The line was sold to the Sante Fe in 1915.
The railroad’s swastika symbol was painted on most of the rolling stock. The swastika is a common symbol in the American southwest. There was even a coal mining town along one of the branches named Swastika. Later, during a period of anti-German sentiment, the name of the town was changed to Brilliant.
There were a couple of feeder railroads off of the StL, RM &P that served timber and mining activities in the mountains. Most notable was the Cimarron and Northwestern, which brought vast amounts of timber from the forests above Ponil Canyon to the big Continental Tie and Lumber Mill in Cimarron.
Bob
This reminds me of The West Side Lumber Co. here in California. A a kid I remember it in full operation in the 50’s, loved watching the Shays hauling huge logs. Now it’s all gone and an Indian casino has been built on the mill site. There is still traces of the 70+ miles of right of way out in the woods. All of the trestles have collapsed, but, some donkeys and assorted equipment can still be found.
Some years ago I was driving from Chama to Farmington and came upon a couple of cattle cars sitting abandoned and rotting away on a little piece of track. Sad to see them there. I’m pretty busy this morning . . . but later today I’ll try to locate a photo of them and post it up. So much great old stuff going to waste. Not just trains. Many lovely buildings that too a lot of effort to build just rotting when they could be maintained and made useful. Such a shame. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cry.gif)
When I was 19 I did not care about this kind of stuff. Years later I became interested, first as a model railroader, then as a history buff. The current generation does not care about it but eventually many will. This is why it is important to support the many historical preservation societies, scenic railroads and restoration projects. To that end, all of my photographs here on LSC as well as Flickr and my website are public domain. Anybody can use them for personnel blogs, websites or commercial publication without notice. If you need the original unedited versions contact me and I will get them to you.
We are only as important as what we leave behind.
(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)
That baggage/RPO car is so sad, but it does illustrate how it was constructed. Some modeler could take that picture and build a car under construction.
Years ago there was a narrow gauge wood boxcar on a lot in a small town west of here. The company there was using it for storage. I took some 35mm photos of it, but I do not know here the pictures went. Anyway, once I got my digital camera, I was going to take pictures of it the next time I was in that town. Unfortunately, the next time I was in that town, a crew was almost done dismantling it, and loading the scrap wood into a dump truck. Another irreplaceable piece of history, just thrown away like another bit of trash. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)
David,
I know exactly what you mean about things going away. Ever since I took those photos, I had always planned on going back with a tape measure to make some detailed plans. Unfortunately, that car, and several other dilapidated freight cars nearby, are no longer there. The site is the abandoned ghost town of Colfax, New Mexico. It is now entirely on a private ranch. The owner was nervous about people like me stopping to take photos. Since he did not want the liability if anyone got hurt, he burned every scrap of wood on the site in 2012. Nothing now remains except the adobe and stone ruins.
Bob
I’m one of those who believes in preserving as much as possible. I know it’s not the “Business way” because it isn’t profitable. But to those companies and individuals who do have a respect for where we have come from and the items that were part of the story of how we attained greatness as a human race, I applaud you.
Most of my career was spent doing historical restoration. Starting in the '70s with the Bicentennial, we got involved in restoring Fairmount Park homes. To me, that’s when historical preservation got it’s start. Too bad the movement didn’t start in the early '60s, Penn Station might still be here.
Having traveled in Europe, I saw how they keep their architecture preserved. many old structures outlive their initial purpose. So what the Europeans do is allow the interior to be reconfigured to suit present day needs, but the exteriors must be kept original.
Narrow Gauge Lover said:
It is a shame . . . . but there isn’t the time, money, or volunteers to preserve everything. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)
So true.
Great pics, though.
David Maynard said:
That baggage/RPO car is so sad, but it does illustrate how it was constructed. Some modeler could take that picture and build a car under construction.
I have been looking for a 1/20.3 diorama project to enter in the 2017 Narrow Gauge Convention model contest. Thanks for the idea Maynard.
Dan Padova said: Too bad the movement didn’t start in the early '60s, Penn Station might still be here.
Dan,
Which Penn Station are you referring to?
Boomer K. said:
David Maynard said:
That baggage/RPO car is so sad, but it does illustrate how it was constructed. Some modeler could take that picture and build a car under construction.
I have been looking for a 1/20.3 diorama project to enter in the 2017 Narrow Gauge Convention model contest. Thanks for the idea Maynard.
Sure, blame me. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)Its my fault that you want to take on such a detail laden project. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)
I can’t wait to see the results. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
David Maynard said:
Years ago there was a narrow gauge wood boxcar on a lot in a small town west of here. The company there was using it for storage. I took some 35mm photos of it, but I do not know here the pictures went. Anyway, once I got my digital camera, I was going to take pictures of it the next time I was in that town. Unfortunately, the next time I was in that town, a crew was almost done dismantling it, and loading the scrap wood into a dump truck. Another irreplaceable piece of history, just thrown away like another bit of trash. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)
Dave, unfortunately ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. That business saw a delapidated storage shed that needed removal/replacement. Probably had no idea of the source or possible historic value. And even if he did see the value, if it was not seen as an asset of the company, it went.
Looking at how much stuff I was taught is school about our history and heritage that is no longer a part of the curriculum, it is no wonder these historic items are being destroyed. THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR VALUE.
Off my soapbox …
Joe Zullo said:
Dan Padova said: Too bad the movement didn’t start in the early '60s, Penn Station might still be here.
Dan,
Which Penn Station are you referring to?
I think he is talking about New York City where Penn Station was raised to build Madison Square Garden. The underground platforms remain and are used by Amtrak.
