Just to bring you up to date, BNSF tracks come down from Rincon, NM into Deming as the now-moved freight station has been torn down thanks to UP. The station was originally a transfer station betwween the two RR companies tracks as clearly marked as BNSF property when crossing over at the North side of the yard here in Deming. The original station was two story and was on the Rio Grande division of the old AT&SF lines as many of these were built. Deming was stated by the railroads and the oldest school built to educate the children of the RR workers. The track runs through the areas of Hatch and on up to Rincon and carries coal when the mines outside of Raton, NM are operating. Deming is the only place between the two RRs that have been set up this way as freight was moved from one side of the station to the other for loading on either train.
(If you are an AREMA member, you will get to see....and will that show ever draw a crowd)
"+1 !" (or from PA)
From the linked PR release UP is spending about $400M on this project and the slated start time is "June 2011". Anyone nearby care to "KP" this project? I'd love to see a yard built from the start. That's kind of hard to do from WI!
Dan
They missed the storm, but brough home everything with a thick coating of very fine dust. The Mexican monsoons can't come quick enough.
(How dust penetrated sealed TSC2 data collectors is source for wonder. One screen on the TSC2 data collector could pass for a tan etch-a-sketch.... Won't be cheap to get cleaned and serviced.
Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that coming - or maybe the benefit of my "accumlated experiences" is showing itself . . .
Did they see or get caught in any of the beginning portion of that epic "worst ever" dust storm which went from Tucson to Phoenix yesterday ? Our daughter (PHX/ North Scottsdale) said it was something to see - left quite a coating on their pool cover . . . .
- Paul North.
PDN: Just had two party chiefs come back from doing design topo down there for the 15 mile fuel line to serve that place. Those two are now our office's official "crispy critters" and have no desire to go back until this winter when it's only 80 degrees.
Thanks for the confirmation and information. Looks like an interesting area to railfan - at some other season of the year, though !
Paul_D_North_Jr doghouse: . . . If you follow both lines and head south, the map should show a third line. This line belongs to BNSF. You'll notice that the BNSF line has a connection with the UP just a little north of what looke like a flour mill. Yeah - I noticed that too - on the "Road" map view a small yard is labeled as "BNSF - el Paso" (sic) on the SW side of the bend in W. Paisano Dr. opposite S. Durango St. Is the connection with the UP just north of the W. Yandell Dr. exit and overhead bridge over the rail lines ? And is that an ASARCO smelter with the 2 tall stacks just south of the 2 rail bridges over the river ? - Paul North.
doghouse: . . . If you follow both lines and head south, the map should show a third line. This line belongs to BNSF. You'll notice that the BNSF line has a connection with the UP just a little north of what looke like a flour mill.
And is that an ASARCO smelter with the 2 tall stacks just south of the 2 rail bridges over the river ?
Correct, the BNSF connection is north of the overpass. There is a small road comming off of Yandell, some maps list is as Ruhlen st., some Globe Mills road, just south of the two silos. The connection goes from right to left. If I remember my history, this connection was put in during the failed SF/SP merger. Couple years back BNSF and the UP were in a dispute over access to a customer on the UP. Something about sugar or corn syrup.
You are correct that is ASARCO. Going to UTEP in the early '80's a person could "taste" the air. It had a wonderful sulpher bouquet with a light copper overtone! From sun up till about 10 am usually from October to March, the air had a yellow/brown tinge. You could literally see the air.
doghouse . . . If you follow both lines and head south, the map should show a third line. This line belongs to BNSF. You'll notice that the BNSF line has a connection with the UP just a little north of what looke like a flour mill.
timz Can't figure out just what you're trying to describe, but we naturally suspect you're wondering about the ex-SP and ex-EP&SW lines west out of El Paso to Tucson. The two RRs merged 1924 or some such thing.
Can't figure out just what you're trying to describe, but we naturally suspect you're wondering about the ex-SP and ex-EP&SW lines west out of El Paso to Tucson. The two RRs merged 1924 or some such thing.
This would be correct. The line farthest east and north, the one that goes around mt Christo Rey, would be the ex-SP. The line that cuts through the mt is the ex-EP&SW. If you follow both lines and head south, the map should show a third line. This line belongs to BNSF. You'll notice that the BNSF line has a connection with the UP just a little north of what looke like a flour mill.
If you follow the line and head west, you'll see that the line comes very close to the border. Zoom in a little closer to just where the line starts to make its way away fron the border. At this point, you should see what looks like a black road. This is what's left of the EP&SW rail bed. Farther west it becomes New Mexico Highway 9.
timz (7-2):
Yes, those are the bridges.
Based on your route terminology, timz, it is interpreted both lines are old, like with Cienega Creek in Arizona.
I sense a certain old fashion SP smarts in both New Mexico and Arizona route pairings ...
K.P.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
As you see
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=p8y87v63pg6q&lvl=17&dir=0&sty=o&form=LMLTCC
the SP and EP&SW each had a bridge over the Rio Grande; can you follow along the tracks and say whether those are the two routes you're asking about?
timz, doghouse, et al (7-1):
Scratch my last post ... Haste makes waste.
What I was trying to convey was that there are two routes over I-10. Have they been that way for many years, or is one part of the two-tracking of the Sunset Route?
(Does that make more sense?)
doghouse (6-30):
Thanks for the offer. Yes, I do have an El Paso, TX question!
Aerials of the El Paso area WEST of the "Tramway" (the couple-blocks long three-track tunnel / aerial RIGHT) show that the Sunset Route becomes two very separate alignments (aerial LEFT) for several miles west until they come together again right across from the border with Mexico. Has that been the way it has been for many, many years, or did a second alignment come about in conjunction with the two-tracking of the Sunset Route?
El Paso Aerial Link
Best,
Very familiar with the Baaton Memorial Tramway. From opening to opening, its a little longer than 2 blocks. Questions, about the Tramway or El Paso, ask.
K. P. Harrier El Paso, TX has a three-track tunnel where UP trains are crew changed, inspected, etc. UP is being strangled, and needs room to breathe. Nearby Santa Teresa, NM is UP's answer.
Elsewhere, my quick review of aerial/ satellite photos of the UP line through El Paso confirms that it is extremely constrained from expanding much by the adjoining roads and built-up urban areas. Some widening for a couple more tracks could be accomplished, but there's no way that a new intermodal facility, etc. on the scale that's proposed for Santa Teresa could be located there - the 2,200 acres there is almost 3.5 square miles ! And Santa Teresa is an outskirt of El Paso - only about 10 miles west-northwest - so it would make sense from a purely geographic or locational perspective, regardless of state lines and tax exemptions.
El Paso has the reputation of being myopic and therefore will .lose the payroll taxes associated with the many employees which will now be contributing their portion of these taxes to NM. A just reward for El Paso !!!
Here is the link to the UPRR press release.
Excerpt: This state-of-the-art facility will be located just west of the Santa Teresa Airport on 2,200 acres and will include fueling facilities, crew change buildings, an intermodal yard and an intermodal ramp with an annual lift capacity of up to 250,000 intermodal containers.
The location is northwest of the airport on the opposite side of the tracks. It is close to the NM136 / TX178 corridor which is intended for port-of-entry truck traffic. Security of railroad vehicles and cargo has been an issue in the border area and this facility should improve that aspect.
To compound the existing issues, the download El Paso yard is also the termination of the Carrizozo sub. Apparently the larger intermodal yard on the east side of town is close to capacity and is, of course, hemmed in by urban growth.
Links to my Google Maps ---> Sunset Route overview, SoCal metro, Yuma sub, Gila sub, SR east of Tucson, BNSF Northern Transcon and Southern Transcon *** Why you should support Ukraine! ***
El Paso, TX has a three-track tunnel where UP trains are crew changed, inspected, etc. UP is being strangled, and needs room to breathe. Nearby Santa Teresa, NM is UP's answer.
[quote user="nabils2405"]
I see that NM has approved tax incentives for this project. What is the background for UP electing to build a new hub?
First! Hope you enjoy your visits here:
[/quote]
From what has been reported in TRAINS, and mentioned around here in the Forums. UP had problems with its current yard, located in the city of El Paso.
Not enough room to expand, plus. the the additional problems with trains holding to get into the already over-crowed facility; the process of inspection, re-crewing and fueling created an operational mess. The City of El Paso was not being very pro-active, and not willing to do much to help UP's situation, in El Paso.
Apparently, the New Mexico government was approached about a facility in the open spaces West of El Paso. They [UPRR] asked for an abatement of the NM Fuel Tax, and apparently got it. So, At or near Santa Teresa, NM UP is going to build a yard, and fueling facility, and that will replace the El Paso, Tx. facilities, into a more convenient environment for those activities.
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