Santa Fe Southern Railway facts for kids
Santa Fe Depot, with a Rail Runner Express train (right), alongside a diesel locomotive and ex-Santa Fe Pleasure Dome operated by the SFSR
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Reporting mark | SFSR |
| Locale | Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA |
| Dates of operation | 1992–Present |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
The Santa Fe Southern Railway (SFSR) is a special kind of train line in New Mexico, United States. It's called a "short line" because it's not super long. This railway sometimes carries goods (freight) and also acts as a fun tourist train. It takes passengers on a journey between Lamy and Santa Fe. This trip is about 18.1 miles (29.1 km) long. A walking and biking path, called the Santa Fe Rail Trail, runs right next to the railway line.
Contents
History of the Santa Fe Southern Railway
How the Railway Started
The Santa Fe Southern Railway began its operations in 1992. Before that, a bigger train company, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, stopped using the line from Lamy to Santa Fe. A group of local business people decided to buy the tracks. They wanted to keep freight trains running in the area. Later, they also added passenger trains for people to enjoy the scenic ride.
On October 8, 2010, a company from Australia named STI-Global, Ltd. bought the railroad. STI-Global said they wanted to use the railway to test new safety systems they made.
In May 2011, the railway had to move out of its main office at the Santa Fe depot. This was because a new visitor center was planned for passengers of the New Mexico Rail Runner train.
Featured on TV and Other Events
The Santa Fe Southern Railway even appeared on TV! On August 12, 2012, it was shown in an episode of the TV series Breaking Bad. In the episode, one of the railway's trains, locomotive SFSR 07, was part of a scene. The show's creators thanked the railway for helping them make the episode.
Challenges and New Beginnings
The railway's business changed a lot over the years. For example, in 2004, it carried 401 carloads of freight. In 2007, it carried almost 26,000 passengers! But by 2009, these numbers dropped quite a bit.
To keep things going, the railway started running "mixed trains." These trains carried both freight and passengers at the same time. They also offered special trains for groups and events.
After the 2012 operating season, the railway faced some tough times. On May 23, 2013, the railway's chairman announced that many employees had to be laid off. The Santa Fe Southern Railway did not run any trains during 2013.
In April 2014, another company, the Las Vegas Railway Express (LVRE), made a deal with the Santa Fe Southern. LVRE agreed to help fix up the line. The Santa Fe Southern would then operate the trains again for tourists.
Changes in Passenger Service
Even though the summer of 2014 was reportedly successful, LVRE decided to end their partnership on September 26, 2014. This meant that regular passenger trains were canceled. People who had bought tickets got their money back. Freight operations also stopped for a while.
For a time, the railway stopped its regular passenger trips. However, it still ran private events like weddings, parties, and corporate gatherings. It also continued to be used for filming movies or TV shows sometimes.
Good news came on May 18, 2020. It was reported that three partners – Bill Banowsky, George R. R. Martin (a famous author), and Catherine Oppenheimer – bought the railway and its trains. They plan to bring the operations back to life!
Trains and Equipment
The Santa Fe Southern Railway uses several passenger cars that used to belong to another train company. It also has a flatcar (a car for carrying goods) and a caboose (a car at the end of a freight train). The main engines (called "motive power") were an EMD GP7 and an EMD GP16. The GP16 was actually a rebuilt GP7.
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The Santa Fe Southern line in Winter 2010. A public walking trail follows the rail line.
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Santa Fe Southern Loco 93 decorated for Christmas in 2011.
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A tourist train running in August 2014.
