ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The second annual New Mexico Railroad Days, Sept. 28 and 29, marked the first public use of the Rail Yards’ south-end property in Downtown Albuquerque. What hasn’t changed was the drawing card of Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 2926, as it made its second visit of the year to the facility [See “Santa Fe No. 2926 makes first visit…” News Wire, July 5, 2024].
According to Mathew Casford, chief of rail operations for New Mexico Heritage Rail, which owns the locomotive, the weekend was hot. But so was No. 2926 as it made its mainline ferry runs between its restoration site and the Rail Yards unassisted, delighted event attendees with its demonstration movements, and gleamed in multiple night photo sessions. “Everything we’ve worked on in the downtime remains fixed and we’re looking forward to doing more events like this in the future,” Casford said. “It’s very beneficial every time you can fire the locomotive up and move it around.
“It’s an opportunity for the crew to get more training, and it’s an opportunity to test any of the systems that they worked on while No. 2926 was cold to make sure everything is still operating as intended.”
While the locomotive was the star, the south end of the Rail Yards property is seen as the unsung hero. Track work leading to the turntable and roundhouse foundation was completed by Heritage Rail volunteers early this year. This has improved accessibility for not only No. 2926, but also the public.
“It’s safely away from both the busy street and main line, and the Wheels Museums is right there,” Casford said, while noting logistical challenges. “It’s more cooperating with Rail Runner and BNSF Railway because we have to go through the yard to get to the [south end] turntable lead.”
No. 2926 final operation of the year will be another visit to the Rail Yards in late October, this time for a private photo shoot organized by Pete Lerro. The never-ending cycle of lapping valves and chasing out leaks will be the norm during the month-long turnaround.
Preparations for off-season work are also underway that’ll involve multiple punch lists for both the locomotive and complex, all while Casford prepares for future meetings to help continue growth in the organization’s key relationships. “New Mexico Heritage Rail continues to work with New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) and Rail Runner to set up an operation where we can maximize our community impact and connection with the people in New Mexico.”
Visit the New Mexico Heritage Rail website for more information.
Such an awesome locomotive, hats of to the organization that pulled off this restoration.