Taq.I.To
2010-09-30 19:22:32 UTC
http://www.dukecityfix.com/profiles/blogs/belens-train-yard-amp-harvey
BELEN, NM—If you like trains (and who doesn't), consider this: 35 miles
south of Albuquerque is one of the busiest train yards in the west.
Belen, New Mexico handles over 100 trains every 24 hours. That brings up
two questions: Why? And...So what?
Oh, Little Town of Belen
The American West was born in New Mexico. Don Juan de Oñate established
an actual colony here north of present-day Santa Fe with 560 colonists
in 1598—about 25 years before Plymouth Rock and almost a decade before
the founding of Jamestown, Virginia. Eventually, the colonists of El Rio
Arriba (The Upper River) were searching for new land to cultivate and
many headed south to what was called El Rio Abajo (The Lower River).
First Albuquerque was established in 1706. By 1740, several Albuquerque
families received a land grant of 200,000 acres for the Belen townsite
and they moved south once again. "Belen" is, of course, Spanish for
"Bethlehem."
El Millonario and the Belen Cut-Off
The railroad arrived in Belen in the summer of 1880. The route connected
Chicago with southern California. However, there were a couple of
problems with it: specifically, Glorieta Pass and Raton Pass. The steep
grades caused problems such as extremely slow speeds for the freight
trains and the resulting congestion, as well as the need for helper
engines to get the trains over the passes.
Belen merchant Felipe Chavez, known locally as El Millonario because of
his worldwide investment holdings, convinced the Santa Fe railroad to
build a rail line from just north of Belen skirting the south end of the
Manzano Mountains to Texico west of Clovis on the New Mexico/Texas
border. Although this route to Chicago was only five miles shorter, the
maximum grade was only 1.25% as opposed to the 3.5% grade at Raton Pass.
Completed in 1908, this new line became known as the Belen Cut-Off. Even
now, both Belen and Clovis each receive around 100 trains every day.
So What?
Belen was now New Mexico's “Hub City,” a designation still proudly
displayed on many of the city's signs. Trains from the north, east,
west, and south ran through the Belen rail yard. All this traffic meant
Belen attracted the interest of America's foremost restauranteur and
travel host, Fred Harvey.
-more-
BELEN, NM—If you like trains (and who doesn't), consider this: 35 miles
south of Albuquerque is one of the busiest train yards in the west.
Belen, New Mexico handles over 100 trains every 24 hours. That brings up
two questions: Why? And...So what?
Oh, Little Town of Belen
The American West was born in New Mexico. Don Juan de Oñate established
an actual colony here north of present-day Santa Fe with 560 colonists
in 1598—about 25 years before Plymouth Rock and almost a decade before
the founding of Jamestown, Virginia. Eventually, the colonists of El Rio
Arriba (The Upper River) were searching for new land to cultivate and
many headed south to what was called El Rio Abajo (The Lower River).
First Albuquerque was established in 1706. By 1740, several Albuquerque
families received a land grant of 200,000 acres for the Belen townsite
and they moved south once again. "Belen" is, of course, Spanish for
"Bethlehem."
El Millonario and the Belen Cut-Off
The railroad arrived in Belen in the summer of 1880. The route connected
Chicago with southern California. However, there were a couple of
problems with it: specifically, Glorieta Pass and Raton Pass. The steep
grades caused problems such as extremely slow speeds for the freight
trains and the resulting congestion, as well as the need for helper
engines to get the trains over the passes.
Belen merchant Felipe Chavez, known locally as El Millonario because of
his worldwide investment holdings, convinced the Santa Fe railroad to
build a rail line from just north of Belen skirting the south end of the
Manzano Mountains to Texico west of Clovis on the New Mexico/Texas
border. Although this route to Chicago was only five miles shorter, the
maximum grade was only 1.25% as opposed to the 3.5% grade at Raton Pass.
Completed in 1908, this new line became known as the Belen Cut-Off. Even
now, both Belen and Clovis each receive around 100 trains every day.
So What?
Belen was now New Mexico's “Hub City,” a designation still proudly
displayed on many of the city's signs. Trains from the north, east,
west, and south ran through the Belen rail yard. All this traffic meant
Belen attracted the interest of America's foremost restauranteur and
travel host, Fred Harvey.
-more-