Modeling the US/Mexican Border

[AztecEagle]

I've Had A Fascination With The National Railways of Mexico Since I Lived In South Texas in The Summer of '69 When I Was Ten.why Is There So Little Rolling Stock For The NdeM?yes,I Realize That There Is Quite A Bit Since The NdeM Was Broken Up Into TFM;Ferromex and Ferrosur,But What About The Years Prior To The Late 90's?What I'm About To say May Be Anametha To Some Readers,But Do We Have To Have Yet Another Narrow Guage and/or Canadian Prototype Model Featured?Shoot,I've Seen More About British Railways in MR and MRC Than Our Neighbors To The South.With Few Exceptions,The NdeM Ran Nearly Type of Locomotive and Rolling Stock Like The US and Canadian RR's Did.Having Gotten That Off My Chest,I'd Love To Hear From Someone Who Can Give Me Some Info About Modeling The US/Mexican Border.

[IRONROOSTER]

I think the lack of coverage reflects the lack of interest. I personally have no problem with an occsaisonal article about NdeM. But I must confess I would probably not buy rolling stock for it since as far as I know the NdeM has never interchanged with any U.S. line.
Enjoy
Paul

[cacole]

There is a border crossing point at Nogales, on the U.S. / Mexican border south of Tucson, where the UP interchanges traffic with NdeM. This is primarily traffic to and from a Ford Escort assembly plant in Hermosillo, Mexico.

From what I have heard about this operation, Union Pacific crews are allowed to pull Mexico-bound rolling stock across the border and drop it off on a siding there. The locomotives then return to the U.S. light.

NdeM locomotives are allowed to pull rolling stock across the border onto a siding in Nogales, Arizona, and then return light to Mexico.

I imagine that customs officials in both countries inspect the cargo before it is moved on toward its destination.

[cwclark]

it's time for you to make a road trip and do some railfanning!... if you can, go to two stops on your way...one..to Eagle Pass, Texas and the other to El Paso, Texas...there you will find where the UP (formerly the SP) made crossings into Mexico with trains heading to and from Mexico and the other to El Paso where there is a great yard on the border of Mexico...take lots of pictures!..you'll need them to model these two places especially El Paso..it sits on the side of a mountain in which you can watch the trains go over them...chuck

[IRONROOSTER]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

There is a border crossing point at Nogales, on the U.S. / Mexican border south of Tucson, where the UP interchanges traffic with NdeM. This is primarily traffic to and from a Ford Escort assembly plant in Hermosillo, Mexico.

From what I have heard about this operation, Union Pacific crews are allowed to pull Mexico-bound rolling stock across the border and drop it off on a siding there. The locomotives then return to the U.S. light.

NdeM locomotives are allowed to pull rolling stock across the border onto a siding in Nogales, Arizona, and then return light to Mexico.

I imagine that customs officials in both countries inspect the cargo before it is moved on toward its destination.

Ah... Do NdeM cars travel on U.S. lines or is this just U.S. cars on NdeM?

Paul

[XG01X]

I'm more of a present day guy so I don't know much about the NdeM however I'll add some stuff.
I believe corona's roll north to Chicago in Mexican boxcars, sometimes in remarked NdeM boxcars. Nightly occurance on the Pine Bluff-Proviso UP train.
And check out this railroad- http://txpf.com/
a new player but supposely try to get alot of traffic
Travis

[csmith9474]

Another long forgotten crossing is the former KCM&O/AT&SF/South Orient at Presidio, Texas. That line is about to have something of a rebirth. There is even a small intermodal crane and old wood depot (Santa Fe vintage) there. I have a lot of good memories along the line from Ft. Stockton down to Presidio and am very excited about it's future.

[Anonymous]

Athearn Genesis is coming out with NdeM F units in December/January. Haven't heard too much about rolling stock though.

[leighant]

I have heard that Laredo, Texas is the largest port of entry between the US and Mexico. A few years back I designed a layout featuring the Texas Mexican Rwy at Laredo. Prototype features suitable for layout include the TexMex Express passenger train Corpus Christi to Laredo and return, 320 mile round trip 3 days a week 1986-89, a McDonalds with a caboose, a bar built jutting into the alley occupied by the railroad that trains barely squeak by, international rail traffic interchanged in middle of bridge over Rio Grande. 1880-something station still standing.
Would it be worthwhile posting either proto pictures or a trackplan?

[Anonymous]

Laredo gets a huge amount of traffic (it's the primary gateway), and the international bridge (which is owned by TM--UP is a tenant) is easily viewed from the US side. I'd be extremely careful about going over to the other side, as NL currently is experiencing a lot of lawlessness, mostly drug-related, and you don't want to get caught in the middle of it.

What period are you looking at to model??

I have observed FNM/FCP/FS-BC etc. and successor (TFM/FMX, etc.) equipment and locomotives in consists on the UP (ex-MP/IGN) main north and south for years. Currently see racks--10-15 yrs ago, it was boxcars both ways and new gons going south.

In the 60's -70's at least (before the run throughs) the MP had a locomotive on the N side of the bridge and FNM had one (usually a very smoky RS11) on the S side. MP would shove the cars across onto the bridge so the first car was spotted past the gate and customs shack, and FNM would pull them--no crews crossed the border. This was also true for the thru MP Pullman off the Aztec Eagle between STL and MEX, which got shoved/pulled over every night and morning. Coach pax had to change cars.

I rode the AE from NL to MEX in the late 70's and it was quite a nice trip. Very long train, with 3 sleepers, a Primera Especial coach (coming back it was an ex-Chessie car painted blue and gold with the letterboard painted over) and a DL, the rest of the 15+ cars were Primeras and Segundas (mostly brand new Hawkers), a couple of bags and a working RPO.

[dr.bones]

[8D]
hello i live in mexico, and only rarely i go to the u.s.

Here i see cars from the las 50-60 years from grain hoppers from canada that i used to see when i was a kid and some smaller gondolas used as scrap metal containers, in diferent places u can find diferent monuments to the steam age (older locos), some day i'm take some pictures and post'em[:D]

[Anonymous]

Go to the san diego model railroad museum. Take freeway 10 to the 5(long drive) the 5 south to the 163 north get off at 2nd exit make right the first light you hit then make another right on park & BADA BING your'e there.(SUGGESTION)