LAMY, N.M. — The last segment of U.S. mainline railroad still using semaphore signals has gotten smaller.
Railroad officials in New Mexico replaced five semaphores with modern day CTC signals on Saturday, Aug.17, on a stretch between Lamy and Cerrillos on a section of original Santa Fe now owned by the state of New Mexico.
The route, known as Santa Fe’s 4th District of its Colorado Division, or as BNSF’s Glorieta Subdivision, sees only two regularly scheduled trains per day — Amtrak’s Southwest Chief trains Nos. 3 and 4. While New Mexico owns the track where the semaphores were replaced, they were located east of the terminus of its Rail Runner Express commuter trains at Santa Fe.
The more-than-100-year-old Santa Fe T-2 semaphores, mostly in remote locations, were replaced between West Lamy and just east of Waldo Siding, near Cerrillos, a distance of 10 miles. It involved retiring semaphores at mileposts 840, 846, 847, 849, and 850. These five blades were the westernmost section still in use across the Raton and Glorieta subdivisions.
THis leaves only 11 operating semaphores between Colmor Siding and East Wagon Mound, about 105 miles northeast of Lamy, on the BNSF-owned Raton Subdivision. Here, three semaphores protect East End Colmor Siding; three at West End Levy Siding , two intermediates between West Levy and East Wagon Mound, and three at East Wagon Mound.
There is no timeline when the final semaphores will be replaced.
Semaphore signals in and searchlight 2s are dying breed. Right now there are no parts available to replace the motors on these things when they fail. Also there is a federal mandate out to replace all these signals with lights and upgrade the whole line to positive train control. Last year there were 11 signals on this line now there are only five. Any day now the last signals at Wagon Mound will fall and there will be no more semaphore signals on the Santa Fe.
Must be some awfully good maintenance on these semaphores to last this long. Wonder where and how they get any replacement parts.