Santa Fe Railway Shops (Albuquerque) facts for kids
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Santa Fe Railway Shops
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Second Street facade of the machine shop, 2014
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| Location | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
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| Area | 27 acres (110,000 m2) |
| Built | 1915–25 |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| NRHP reference No. | 14000859 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 2014 |
The Santa Fe Railway Shops in Albuquerque, New Mexico, are a group of eighteen old buildings built between 1915 and 1925. These buildings are south of downtown in the Barelas area. They were once a very important place for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. This railway had four big repair centers, and Albuquerque was one of them. The others were in Topeka, Kansas, Cleburne, Texas, and San Bernardino, California. The railway shops were the biggest employer in Albuquerque for many years. Today, the buildings have been empty for a while, but people have many ideas for what to do with this historic place.
Contents
A Look Back at the Santa Fe Railway Shops
The first railroad shops and a roundhouse were built here in the 1880s. This happened because Albuquerque became a key spot for the AT&SF railway. After the Santa Fe Railway bought another company in 1902, they started making the old shops bigger and better in 1912.
The buildings you see today were constructed between 1915 and 1925. These shops became the largest employer in Albuquerque. In 1919, about 970 people worked there, which was a quarter of the city's workers! By the 1940s, the number grew to 1,500 employees. Their main job was to fix steam locomotives. These huge engines needed a full check-up and rebuild every 12 to 18 months. At their busiest, the Albuquerque shops fixed about 40 locomotives each month.
However, things changed in the 1950s. The Santa Fe Railway started using diesel locomotives instead of steam engines. The company decided to fix diesel engines at other locations. This meant fewer jobs in Albuquerque, with only about 200 employees left. The shops continued to repair other railway equipment into the 1980s.
Exploring the Main Buildings
The Huge Erection and Machine Shop
This is the biggest building at the railyard. It covers a huge area, about 165,000 square feet! It was designed in 1920 and built very quickly in just eight months. The building has two main parts: the erection shop and the machine shop. They are separated by a wall.
When it was built, this shop was considered very modern. It had a strong steel frame and lots of glass walls. The main part, the erection shop, is 57 feet high and 604 feet long. It has several large cranes, with the biggest one able to lift 250 tons! The floor is made of wooden blocks, which helped reduce noise.
The Boiler Shop
The boiler shop was finished in 1923. It is smaller than the erection shop but looks similar. It has about 58,100 square feet of space. Like the erection shop, it was designed to have train tracks running through it.
The Blacksmith Shop
The blacksmith shop was built in 1917. It is the third largest building, with about 25,000 square feet. It has a steel frame with brick and glass walls. Blacksmiths here fixed broken locomotive frames and made new parts.
The Historic Fire Station
The fire station is a special building with a unique look. It has sandstone walls and a cool corner tower. It was designed by E.A. Harrison and built in 1920. This is the oldest fire station still standing in Albuquerque. It is now a protected historic landmark.
Other Buildings
There are about a dozen other buildings in the complex. These include the flue shop (built in 1920), the tank shop (1925), and the storehouse (1915).
What's Happening Now
Many ideas have been suggested for what to do with the Santa Fe shops. Some ideas include a transportation museum called the Wheels Museum, new homes, or a big center for shops and events. The city of Albuquerque bought the complex in 2007.
In 2014, the complex was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historic site.
The city spent money in 2013 to fix the Blacksmith Shop. Since 2014, this building has hosted the Rail Yards Market. This is a weekly farmers' market that runs from May to October. The city plans to fix another building to make more space for the market and other events.
Since the early 2000s, the old railyard has become a popular place for filming movies and TV shows. Movies filmed here include Beerfest (2006), The Spirit (2008), Gamer (2009), Terminator Salvation (2009), and The Avengers (2012). Parts of the TV shows Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul were also filmed at the shops.
