The Raton Roundhouse - Gone, but not Forgotten On a warm, summer morning in northern New Mexico, Amtrak's westbound Southwest Chief drifts downgrade into the quiet, mountain town of Raton as the 7-car train, powered by two General Electric (GE) P42DC locomotive's, begins to slow for its scheduled station stop here. Looking forward to a chance to cool their heels and dynamic brake fans, the dual products of GE built in June of 2001 (AMTK 174) and November of 1996 (AMTK 25) respectfully, are carrying on a heritage of taking trains over Raton Pass that was once handled by the most powerful steam locomotives of this line's original builder and owner. Steam engines, no matter how big or small, require extensive servicing facilities to support their operations - and Raton was chosen by the ATSF to be a servicing base for these giants at the foot of the rigorous mountain pass between Raton and Trinidad, CO. In the foreground, the remains of what was once one of the busiest steam locomotive servicing facilities on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway's (ATSF) "First District" of the New Mexico Division, which spanned between Raton, NM and La Junta, CO as part of the ATSF's original transcontinental mainline, can be seen - now reduced to mere concrete foundations in a vacant lot. To the right, the circular, concrete linings of a 24-stall roundhouse can still be seen, which was originally built as a mere 8-stalls in 1882 with a 54-foot long turntable. The following two years saw an additional 13-stalls added, and in 1905, an 85-foot long turntable was installed in an effort to keep up with the growing size of Santa Fe steam. The next year, 1906, the roundhouse saw its final addition of four more stalls - bringing the total to 24. To the right of the roundhouse remains were the power house, machine shop and tank shop. To the left, looking straight down from the lead P42 on today's Chief, are a pair of "L" shaped concrete foundations. These carried two concrete columns skyward that made up twin, 20-ton coal chutes that were a Fairbanks-Morse design. The track located between the two chutes would take a single, coal filled gondola car at a time and allow it to be emptied into a pit that the chutes drew the coal from.
