The Southwest Chief runs through cattle land south of Springer, New Mexico, pulling a Surfliner car at the end of the train.

Amtrak engine #74 (P42DC) leads the Southwest Chief over the bridge in Springer, New Mexico.

The Sentinels of the Prairies

A sunrise look at the famed 'last semaphore' at MP 706. Now gone, these two signals were the easternmost blades on the Raton Subdivision for year... (more)

A scene only found in the pages of history now...Amtrak 4 splits the intermediate semaphores at Springer, New Mexico on its eastbound journey to Chicago. The 100-year-old signals, which had guided... (more)

Neither Trick, Nor Treat

On the 31st of October 2021, I got off this train to find someone had found in the BNSF General Orders that the famed pair of signals at MP 706 on the ... (more)

Amtrak 3, the westbound Southwest Chief, splits the intermediate semaphores at Springer, New Mexico, as it hustles west across the plains.

The Southwest Chief runs past semaphores at Springer, New Mexico.

The Southwest Chief splits the semaphores at Springer, New Mexico.

Eastbound Southwest Chief 4 splits the semaphores at MP 706, just south of Springer, NM.

A BNSF tie train enters the siding at Springer where it will tie up for the night.

A pair of BNSF gevos are running light on their way to pick up a tie train at Las Vegas screaming past the 706.2 semaphores at 70mph.

BNSF 7905 is tied down in the siding at Springer, NM with a MOW tie train.

Springer Sag

Having just met the eastbound Amtrak #4, BNSF 4093 departs the Springer siding and begins the slog up from the Cimaron River Bridge (hidden by the train) towards L... (more)

Nearing the end of its trip through New Mexico's open plains, Amtrak train number 4, the Southwest Chief, is seen fast approaching the final set of Semaphores at milepost 706. From here it will be... (more)

BNSF 7966 leads an empty work train towards Trinidad after dumping ballast between Watrous and Onava the previous day.