Wagon Mound, NM
Tuesday 21 November 2023
AMTK 187 + 44 power through the Santa Fe semaphore signals at Wagon Mound working the 5:55PM Amtrak “Southwest Chief” from Los Angeles to Chicago about 55 minutes late.
The Wagon Mound butte is in the background on the right.
Semaphore signals have almost totally disappeared on main line railways in North America. The only location on the national network also used by Amtrak is between Colmor and Wagon Mound, New Mexico where less than 11 electrically powered semaphore signals originally installed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1920s remain in use on the Las Vegas (New Mexico) - La Junta Colorado ‘Raton Sub’ line. This is owned by freight BNSF but for many years has only used by Amtrak’s Southwest Chief Chicago – Los Angeles service.
© Finbarr O'Neill
Wagon Mound, NM
Tuesday 21 November 2023
AMTK 187 + 44 power through the Santa Fe semaphore signals at Wagon Mound working the 5:55PM Amtrak “Southwest Chief” from Los Angeles to Chicago about 55 minutes late.
The Wagon Mound butte is in the background on the right.
Semaphore signals have almost totally disappeared on main line railways in North America. The only location on the national network also used by Amtrak is between Colmor and Wagon Mound, New Mexico where less than 11 electrically powered semaphore signals originally installed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1920s remain in use on the Las Vegas (New Mexico) - La Junta Colorado ‘Raton Sub’ line. This is owned by freight BNSF but for many years has only used by Amtrak’s Southwest Chief Chicago – Los Angeles service.
© Finbarr O'Neill