I find this story fascinating. Too bad someone didn't think to put the locomotive in the engine house in 1959 instead of in front of it. (Photo by Thomas Scalf) https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... n-funding/

The understanding I have, from checking other sources, is that it had been in that enginehouse, and that long after it was abandoned by the coal operator and a tavern sprang up around it, the tavern owner (or at least one of the previous ones) had it dragged/towed outside as a "tourist attraction." There's currently a sort of murkiness as to whether the loco is part of the tavern or a supposed "museum."

Remarkably, they also had sister ATSF loco 870, also a 2-8-0 but different builder/class, at the site (maybe in the enginehouse?), until 1989:

http://rgusrail.com/caatsf870.html

http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfpres/atsf870.html

“The hope is that New Mexico will build out or fund more heritage railways for tourism. It’s too valuable to let it degrade further, and it would be very exciting to see a steam engine going through the center of the town.”

It sure sounds like this call for funding is missing a major part of what a restoration plan needs: a place to run the damn thing!

I agree that this "plan" hasn't (yet) been thought through enough.

But the VERY-nearby, recently reactivated Santa Fe Southern is back in the tourism business thanks to George R.R. Martin...........

In addition, there may soon be coattails to ride out of Albuquerque, in the form of AT&SF 2926...... which may garner running rights over New Mexico Rail Runner between Santa Fe and Albuquerque...........

I have visited Madrid, NM many times over the years and it looks like a great place for a tourist railroad. The locomotive despite being outdoors is in good condition. There isn't much to do in Madrid so I am sure the community wouldn't mind getting their hands dirty. I hope one day the city of Las Vegas, NM restores their park locomotive along with the massive roundhouse. It would make quite the railroad museum.

It sounds like it is already being discussed to potentially have the locomotive run there. However, if they paint up #769 like a giant steam locomotive wolf I will scream...

The new operation is called Sky Railway.
https://skyrailway.com/

Wow....... wonder what they want to be when they grow up?

Yeah this is an odd situation for sure. The Wikipedia page makes it sound like the original plans were to run it on GRRM's RR, but the loco owner apparently is hoping the state will pay to put tracks in to Madrid? Not sure how realistic that is?

I can see how she would rather run it local vs. sending it somewhere else, especially given that she owns the (unfortunately named IMO) local bar/restaurant and it would no doubt be good for business. I think a lot of folks will find it hard to support the project without more concrete operational plan in place. But who knows - the T1 project seems to be getting pretty decent support and they seem to have no plan for running it yet.

Well, with George R.R. Martin's involvement, they'll get the restoration 80% done and then never finish it.

How is naming a bar in a rural small town after a local industry partially responsible for the town's existence (anthracite, no less!) "unfortunate"?



Save for a short stretch of dirt road in Madrid itself, there's basically nothing left of the right-of-way of the old mine branch to the middle-of-nowhere junction west of Los Cerillos that the locos ran on, let alone the track. So unless you find the proverbial Powerball winner............

All I will say on that is I picture a different type of establishment based on the name.



Yes agree. It seems to be a pie-in-the sky dream.

For roughly the umpteen-hundredth time - the T1 group has written commitments from a few places already to have the locomotive operate at their railroad when finished. So, there is a "plan". It may not involve Class 1 mainline running yet, but there are places where they will be welcome.

Ok cool. I see it mentions that on their website. I must have missed it.

The T1 5550 is a technical project. If it never turns a wheel outside Pueblo it will have achieved the reasons for its construction.

The Newswire people mention 'steam locomotive experts' in several places but didn't bother to say anything about 'who'.

I suspect that between the people who restored 2926 and the people in Friends of the 769 the project will be properly planned and executed.

Their anticipated operation is only 7 miles long, according to the owner's page. I wonder if there is access to a TLM or comparable traim of track machinery?