just passed through Tucumcari, NM, where SP and Rock Island crews traded with each other. Rock Island actually owned the track operated by SP for 50 miles west to Santa Rosa, so it also owned the yard tracks.
I Wonder which railroad furnished the yard crews, manned the roundhouse, furnished car inspectors, at Tucumcari when the Rock Island and the SP were both still in business there?
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Beautiful (and surprisingly large) Southwest style RI/SP station at Tucumcari. Fortunately it was not only preserved, but has been restored. Also found some photos of the RI at Tucumcari. The bottom shot is of the old Rock roundhouse and enginehouse at Tucumcari. These may be gone now, but I don't know. I'm not sure who "ran the show" at Tucumcari, but given that it was a Rock Island roundhouse, and Rock Island's apparent big presence there, it seems reasonable to think that they took care of the chores, and not the SP.
SP-Tucumcari-CRIP route rivaled UP-Fremont-CNW for reefer service out of the Valley to Chicago with PFE reefers. John in Lansing, ILL
It is still on a mainline. UP's!
breezinup posted:Beautiful (and surprisingly large) Southwest style RI/SP station at Tucumcari. Fortunately it was not only preserved, but has been restored. Also found some photos of the RI at Tucumcari. The bottom shot is of the old Rock roundhouse and enginehouse at Tucumcari. These may be gone now, but I don't know. I'm not sure who "ran the show" at Tucumcari, but given that it was a Rock Island roundhouse, and Rock Island's apparent big presence there, it seems reasonable to think that they took care of the chores, and not the SP.
The roundhouse is gone and the turntable pit appears to be filled in. The location of some of the roundhouse tracks and the balloon track can be seen in aerial photos.
Was that a Rock Island or SP branch that departed the main line near the round house and ran through Mosquero and Roy to the ATSF Raton Pass line?
Another question is who did the switching after the Cotton Belt bought the RI to KC about 1980?
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