Torcer on the SP

What is the "Torcer" in your title?

Torcer...I think it is a Spanish word for "twist" or something similar.

There was no vestige of a town in this area, but old section houses and shacks were still evident.

Well, you've piqued my interest. A lot of tough reading, sorting out Congressional acts, various construction companies and railroads and trackage agreements and disputes.

The photos are circa 1881-1892. The SP then found a straight route and built this bridge, which most info available depicts. So, the curvy route was most likely due to the elevation climb to El Paso and avoiding geological obstacles.

There are a few collections of actual railroad documents, but only the index is available on the web. The real answer will take some footwork.

Attached is someone's version of the old route(website is now dead) and a Sunset Route brochure from 1915 with a mention of El Paso.

I found this historical reference. Here is an excerpt:

"By the end of 1881 the Texas and Pacific had 1,034 miles of main track in Texas. In the meantime, the California-based Southern Pacific Railroad Company had constructed a line to the Colorado River across from Yuma, Arizona Territory, where it was to meet the Texas and Pacific. However, Collis P. Huntington and his associates decided not to wait and continued to build eastward, reaching El Paso in May 1881. They had acquired an interest in the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway Company and, under its charter, reached Sierra Blanca ahead of the Texas and Pacific. In its construction east from Yuma, the Southern Pacific occupied the line surveyed and designated by the Texas and Pacific as its right-of-way. This resulted in suits being filed against the Southern Pacific by the Texas and Pacific for possession of the line between El Paso and Yuma. The dispute was settled by the "Gould-Huntington Agreement" of November 26, 1881. Under terms of this agreement the Texas and Pacific was to build no further than Sierra Blanca, ninety-two miles east of El Paso. The two systems would use the line to El Paso jointly, forming one continuous line to the coast. The Texas and Pacific relinquished its property rights and franchises west of El Paso to the Southern Pacific. The agreement also provided for pooling, harmonious operation, and for the cooperation in the building of new lines. All of the provisions except that for the joint trackage have been nullified by subsequent laws. The Texas and Pacific later unsuccessfully tried in the courts and before the Interstate Commerce Commission to secure a one-half interest in the joint track."

Whoops...the link to the bridge you mentioned shows the Pecos river high bridge located many miles east of Torcer.  There was a curved bridge on the old horseshoe curve alignment going over a huge arroyo.  It is now used as part of the county road that traverses that area.  When we worked the ranch land in that area, we would exit off I-10 at exit 99 called Laska Road...Laska is a timetable siding...then go west on the county road...over the bridge and to the next siding called Small.  It's between Laska and Small where the abandoned alignment and realignment are located.  We camped outdoors for weeks at some cattle pens at the east end of Small siding...we also camped at the abandoned section houses near the east end of Small...I mention all this only to give reference if you wanted to locate all this on Google Earth.

Rob,

Have you found any the maps of the original rail line of SP? or would this be from the many Texas railroads trying to get west?

is this "torcer" west of El Paso or east?

The 1880's reports to congress and all of that stuff is really confusing as the rr's apparently tried to gain trackage rights after the civil war.

Rob, I'm not clear  on whether the horseshoe curve is still in service or whether a new alignment has eliminated it.  I thought it was still in service at least as late as the 1960's, and had not considered that it might have been bypassed.

I would be most grateful if you can clear this up.  Thanks.

The track has a major realignment eliminating the horseshoe curve, but I don't know the year it was changed.  I brought the subject up hoping I could find out more about this place.

For Moonman, I have no maps, nor timetables for this area.  And since I live in the wilderness and rely on POOR satellite internet, I cannot stream video or big graphics like Google Earth. 

The area in question is east of El Paso approx. 90 miles.  Or you could say it is a few miles west of Sierra Blanca where the SP and T&P split.

The new right of way is north of the old curve, and is much straighter.  It looks like it took a lot of fill to accomplish this, as well as a new bridge over the arroyo.

I haven't been there since the early 1990's...it was a busy single track CTC line back then, even without the doublestack traffic it has today.

This is the same seniority district where you might recall the news of a "cornfield meet" that happened on the SP back in the early 90's...it killed a lot of crewmen, and it caused the company to redo the crew change points.  I remember talking with a conductor in the hole at west Small about that accident...naturally, they were friends of his.

Thanks, Rob.

I did some Google satellite work. Looking at the area between Sierra Blanca and El Paso.

I'll look closer again. The 90 miles or so sounds reasonable. The route appears to follow I-10 for that distance or a little more before hitting terrain that would have required some twists.  There appears to be a large curve around terrain on the climb to the Madden reservoir. That parallels Diablo rd by about 8-10mi. The satellite image even caught a train east of there on the new line.

Next is an area around Lasca Branch. I can't tell if it's old track bed, road or riverwash(when it rains). This is where the horseshoe used to be. SSW of Lasca Branch, approaching the geographic Sierra Blanco.

The interesting area next is at Etholen. There is now a wye and it looks as if a large curve used to be there.

That is some rough looking terrain.

There doesn't appear to be any track left on the old route.

I hope you can see these images.  One has the coordinates of the horseshoe.

Ok, back to the 1886 Report to the secretary of interior...

Edit: Coordinates 31. 245253, -105.545756 Right where you said it would be.

For Moonman:

You have found the exact place.  The images you posted indicate the old and new alignments. 

When I was there 20+ years ago, the roadbed was still intact with lots of ballast but no rails or ties left. It provided an easy place to travel horseback because, as you said, it is extremely rough country.  There are some clay badlands west of Madden lake which we told to stay far away...one of my friends travelled deep into them horseback, than had to struggle toward the train track, cut the fence, and travel the r-o-w to get in clear ground again.

It was and is a fascinating place for railroad photography, but it is such an ungodly place, I'm sure nobody wants to venture off into it.  These days, it is a little too close to the border violence that drug trafficking has created.

An acquaintance that I haven't spoken to in some time purchased some land on a whim SW of El Paso on a high mesa overlooking the border. We never went to see it because of the possible danger. It seemed like it would be a heck of a view post for the border. That combined with non-desert people trekking out didn't seem like a good thing to do.

Back to the history...there were many small Texas railroads that had grants and congressional acts for trackage that failed on construction. I couldn't determine in my limited research which one actually met the SP in El Paso. They definitely made it there ahead of schedule. (Just after the Civil War). I still don't know who actually built that horseshoe. The current satellite view combined with your photos makes me feel like I've seen it.