Albuquerque - Then and Now

[user 1215]

Albuquerque has no doubt gone through their fair bit of changes over the years. This is an interesting comparison of the ATSF Super Chief in 1943 at the Depot from Wikipedia and a similar view almost 70 years later from Google Street View. Sorry - I can't crop and size them perfectly to match. Maybe later. But for now, here is essentially the same view point.

1943 (duh, as if you couldn't tell!):

Google Street View (I recommend opening in a new window or tab you can swap between the two):

Click Me

The only thing that I can clearly identify in BOTH images is the little building with the single blue window pane (today, it's completely boarded up). That was, up until about 5 years ago, THE Albuquerque train station & waiting room/baggage room for many years after a fire destroyed the original train station seen behind the Western Union sign.

Pretty interesting!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

And some things never change. How many guys do I see standing there looking at the engine. :giggle:

 

[George Harris]

Far less changes than many other places. Looks like the track capacity is still there for the most part, if not all of it. How many other cities the size of Albuquerque can say that? I can't think of any. There are probably other cities that still have their station buildings, but for many it is simply stuffed and mounted instead of functional.

 

[MiRider]

Here's a copy of the Google Street View.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

The only difference in tracks that I see is that the stub track on the left appears to be ripped out.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

No modern need for that spur on the left to spot tank cars for fueling Santa Fe's diesel-hauled passenger trains; surely greater frequency than today's twice-daily Southwest Chiefs!

 

[johnny.menhennet]

No modern need for that spur on the left to spot tank cars for fueling Santa Fe's diesel-hauled passenger trains; surely greater frequency than today's twice-daily Southwest Chiefs!

But there are multiple frequencies of the Rail Runner service though! With those included, there is almost guaranteed much more service than before. I know that they occupy th etracks forless periods of time though.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

If you could come in tight on the platform, you would see the Native Americans in 1943 would have been in full Regalia whereas today they are usually dressed in mundanes (civvies). I imagine some of the items they sold back then are worth some good money today.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

No modern need for that spur on the left to spot tank cars for fueling Santa Fe's diesel-hauled passenger trains; surely greater frequency than today's twice-daily Southwest Chiefs!

But there are multiple frequencies of the Rail Runner service though! With those included, there is almost guaranteed much more service than before. I know that they occupy th etracks forless periods of time though.

You're likely right, but I was thinking about the need for mass quantities of trackside fuel; those tank cars on the spur in the 1943 pic. Rail Runners are probably fueled elsewhere (don't know for sure), and the SWCs are fueled from a truck.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

On the spur track I only see two tank cars then a heavyweight. Anybody know what the heavyweight is and why it's there?

 

[jphjaxfl]

On the spur track I only see two tank cars then a heavyweight. Anybody know what the heavyweight is and why it's there?

Santa Fe ran trains from Albuquerque to El Paso so the heavyweight may have been used on that line. It could also have been a spare car added to Chicago to California trains as needed. In 1943 Santa Fe would have had a few streamlined cars for the Super Chief and maybe another train, but most of the streamlined equipment didn't come until post WWII. Even as late as the 1960s, private railroads would spot spare cars at strategic places along passenger routes in case of a surge in passengers. It wasn't unusual for the spares to be heavyweight particularly in peak periods.

Also on the Santa Fe, the Grand Canyon and the Scout ran with heavyweights for quite a while after WWII. The Scout eventually was transitioned to the San Francisco Chief when it became streamlined. It operated via Amarillo through Albuquerque to Los Angeles as the Scout.

 

[user 1215]

No modern need for that spur on the left to spot tank cars for fueling Santa Fe's diesel-hauled passenger trains; surely greater frequency than today's twice-daily Southwest Chiefs!

But there are multiple frequencies of the Rail Runner service though! With those included, there is almost guaranteed much more service than before. I know that they occupy th etracks forless periods of time though.

You're likely right, but I was thinking about the need for mass quantities of trackside fuel; those tank cars on the spur in the 1943 pic. Rail Runners are probably fueled elsewhere (don't know for sure), and the SWCs are fueled from a truck.

That is correct. The NM Rail Runner uses some spurs on the East side of the yard. Most of the Rail Runner trains operate for a half day, go into service at the yard during midday, then return to service on the mainline. One train, I think, GOES into service during the midday run.

Another point to AmtrakBlue's observation - ABQ is the only place where I've seen (and not even consistently) a crew of a half dozen folks (volunteers?) who go out and window wash the whole train while it's being serviced. Anyone know if they still do that?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

On the spur track I only see two tank cars then a heavyweight. Anybody know what the heavyweight is and why it's there?

Santa Fe ran trains from Albuquerque to El Paso so the heavyweight may have been used on that line. It could also have been a spare car added to Chicago to California trains as needed. In 1943 Santa Fe would have had a few streamlined cars for the Super Chief and maybe another train, but most of the streamlined equipment didn't come until post WWII. Even as late as the 1960s, private railroads would spot spare cars at strategic places along passenger routes in case of a surge in passengers. It wasn't unusual for the spares to be heavyweight particularly in peak periods.

Also on the Santa Fe, the Grand Canyon and the Scout ran with heavyweights for quite a while after WWII. The Scout eventually was transitioned to the San Francisco Chief when it became streamlined. It operated via Amarillo through Albuquerque to Los Angeles as the Scout.

If that heavyweight is a spare, then what about the other heavyweights on the tracks at the right? Why is the spur heavyweight blocked in by tank cars?

 

[jphjaxfl]

1943 was the peak of WWII. The railroads were very busy. The other heavyweights and the tanker cars are likely on the spur so they didn't foul the through tracks. My Dad traveled out west on the Santa Fe. Passenger trains were so packed, they would use any passenger train cars that would run.

 

[Henry Kisor]

I believe those window washers are Amtrak employees, or perhaps work for a third party hired by Amtrak. There are similar washing gangs for Nos. 5 and 6 at Denver and (I believe; am not up that late) Salt Lake City.

 

[jphjaxfl]

Santa Fe used to wash the trains at Albuquerque, but I seem to remember a machine that the trains would run through.

 

[gswager]

I believe those window washers are Amtrak employees, or perhaps work for a third party hired by Amtrak. There are similar washing gangs for Nos. 5 and 6 at Denver and (I believe; am not up that late) Salt Lake City.

Also, it is a service stop for fuel and 1,000 mile inspection.

 

[TCRT]

1943 was the peak of WWII.

Further evidenced by the light-blocking cone on the locomotive's headlamp to discourage Japanese aerial bombing raids.

 

[printman2000]

So it appears the tracks were raised. There is now a ramp up from the station and I do not see one in the old pic.

Also, that one building you noted as still being there, I believe that was used as Amtrak's station for quite a while before the current one was opened. I believe it was the old freight depot. If you look at the far left, you will see some box cars lined up.

 

[me_little_me]

Santa Fe used to wash the trains at Albuquerque, but I seem to remember a machine that the trains would run through.

In the late '70s/early '80s, Amtrak had a machine with a huge vertical brush (like they wash cars with now) that went up one side of the train washing the windows then back the other side while it sat in ABQ. I remember noting to my wife that it seemed that all they did was move the dirt around.

 

[user 1215]

So it appears the tracks were raised. There is now a ramp up from the station and I do not see one in the old pic.

Also, that one building you noted as still being there, I believe that was used as Amtrak's station for quite a while before the current one was opened. I believe it was the old freight depot. If you look at the far left, you will see some box cars lined up.

It's really hard to see, even in the HUGE picture that is on Wikipedia (click HERE if you're brave). But I believe that the white line that the man in the brown hat on the left is standing on is the wall. It seems that the cars to the left of that spur are actually about 3-4 feet below the railbed (the hoods look like they are lower than the bogies of the service tanks and the heavyweight). Up past the heavyweight in the middle of the pedestrians appears to be that same white line. It looks like a wall between the ramp on the left and the platform to its right. Now, that ramp doesn't exist any more, but it shows that the elevation change has probably been the same throughout the years.

Oh, I did mention in the OP that the little building with the blue window frames used to be the Amtrak station. The building that you see behind the little one was a Harvey House - the Alvarado Hotel. It was razed in 1970. The train station portion remained until it burned down in 1993. That's when the little building became the Amtrak station for the next 15 years. When the current Alvarado Transportation Center was built, Amtrak and Albuquerque couldn't come to an agreement on rent. Greyhound dominated (and still does) the Southern portion of the Center whereas ABQ Ride (the busses) dominate the Northern portion. Even today, you see a HUGE Greyhound on the building and barely a reference to Amtrak. Rail Runner passengers just walk through and get tickets on the platform, though they are welcome to use the bus waiting room (except that it's displaced from the platforms by about 50 yards). Back to Amtrak - It wasn't long after the 2nd phase (Southern portion) was completed that Amtrak and the City realized that they couldn't continue to use the little building without being completely embarassed. Eventually, they came to terms, and Amtrak got to come back in from being outside in the dog house for a couple years.

 

[cirdan]

Anybody know about the front coupler on the locomotive. I guess it is retracted and enclosed.

Was that for aesthetic reasons? I guess the value in terms of additional streamlining was very small.

And an additional mechanism would have cost money to maintain.

When was this practice dropped?

 

[gswager]

Amtrak station finally moved into new station to share with Greyhound/Mexican busses few years ago. The old Amtrak station is being used for Amtrak employees. The last 2 old buildings, including old station, still have absestos in it.

RailRunner doesn't have ticket vending machines. It can be purchased online at good discount or on board.

 

[George Harris]

Anybody know about the front coupler on the locomotive. I guess it is retracted and enclosed.

yes

Was that for aesthetic reasons? I guess the value in terms of additional streamlining was very small.

yes, yes

And an additional mechanism would have cost money to maintain.

yes, but probably more nuisance than cost in operation, have no idea how much cost to maintian, but initially there would have been a cost or the option.

When was this practice dropped?

Have no idea. Never saw it in the late 50's early 60's in my part of the country, but then that was outside ATSF territory. Santa Fe was big on aesthetics. There were probably a lot of railroads that never used this device.

 

[lthanlon]

... The last 2 old buildings, including old station, still have absestos ...

I was wondering why this sign was posted.



Southwest Chief - Albuquerque by chi_cowboy, on Flickr