Forgotten Trains

I Live in La Luz NM which is about 6 miles from Alamogordo NM, or as the Spanish called it in 1898 Fat cottonwood.  This was for the Large cottonwood trees that are abundant here. The town of Alamogordo NM was basically founded in 1898 because of the logging industry that was grounded in El Paso Tx. So to meet the need for lumber a rail line was constructed from Alamogordo NM to Cloudcroft NM high up in the Sacramento <Mts. The line was well used to haul lumber and to carry passengers to and from Cloudcroft.

There were many water stops along the way. The first stop along the track was a place called Pinto NM. Pinto does't exist anymore, along with many other places the train went. There was 35 miles of track winding through the mountains, With more than 50 tressels to carry the trains across steep ravines and across huge gorges. The cloud climbing railroad as it was called had many wrecks on that grade. One of the more famous wrecks was called the 7 man wreck. Seven men from a steel gang,  (that's what  they called the people who installed track), lost their lives when one of the engines derailed on wet track and drove 200 tons of steel rail through the cars in front of them killing all seven men instantly.

Here are some then and now pictures of the old Cloudcroft line, which was discontinued in 1946 or 1947. There are a few pics of the station in Cloudcroft NM.  Enjoy.