Waldo, New Mexico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Waldo, New Mexico
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Waldo sign along the BNSF tracks
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 Waldo, New Mexico
Location in New Mexico
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Santa Fe |
| Elevation | 5,640 ft (1,720 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| Area code(s) | 505 |
| GNIS feature ID | 918402 |
Waldo was once a small community in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. Today, it is known as a ghost town. A ghost town is a place where most people have left, and very little is left of the original buildings or life.
What is Waldo Today?
Waldo was built along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway line. This was a very important train route. It was located just west of a town called Cerrillos.
Today, not much remains of the old town of Waldo. You might see its name on a sign for a freeway exit on Interstate 25. This exit is a bit west of where the town used to be.
Now, Waldo is mostly a "siding" along the BNSF Railway line. A siding is a short section of railroad track next to the main track. It allows trains to pull over and let other trains pass. The BNSF Railway uses part of the old Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway line.
Waldo's Past: A Busy Train Stop
Waldo was an important spot because it was a "junction." This means it was where the main east-west train line met another smaller track. This smaller track was called a "spur." The spur went to the town of Madrid.
Coal and Coke Ovens
The Madrid spur was used to bring coal from Madrid to Waldo. In Waldo, there were special structures called "coke ovens." These ovens used the coal to make something called coke. Coke is a type of fuel that burns very hot and was used in industries like making steel.
The coke ovens were on the south side of the train tracks. The town itself was on the north side. The train tracks run next to the Galisteo River. The spur track to Madrid no longer exists today.
