Subdivisions used by the Southwest Chief

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

KmH

Engineer
Joined
Dec 6, 2014
Messages
2,055
Location
Is this heaven? No. It's Iowa.
I'm hoping for confirmation/corrections to my list.

BSNF Subdivisions the Southwest Chief runs on.

Chicago – To about Douglas Park/S. California Ave.

Mendota – To Galesburg.

Ottumwa for just 7.3 mi past Galesburg. There the Cameron Connector takes the SWC 1 mile to the

Chillicothe - To Fort Madison (Back in the day the Chicago to Los Angeles ATSF trains used the Chillicothe subdivision starting in Chicago. The Chicago/Mendota subdivision was apparently owned by the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad. It seems the change from the original route to the route used today occurred in the mid-1990s.)

Marceline – To Kansas City

Emporia – Just in the downtown KC area approaching/[SIZE=11pt]leaving the KC Union Station vicinity[/SIZE].

Topeka – To Emporia

Emporia – for 13.5 miles.

La Junta - To Las Animas, CO

Boise City - to La Junta

Raton – To Las Vegas, NM. The Southwest Chief is the only train currently using the Raton subdivision. Amtrak pays BSNF for upkeep.

Glorieta – To Lamy

From Lamy BNSF has trackage rights though it's still the Glorieta subdivision. The line is operated, dispatched, and maintained (contracted to Herzog) by the Rio Metro Regional Transit District (New Mexico Rail Runner). The Southwest Chief rejoins the BNSF Glorieta sub at Isleta.

Glorieta – From Isleta about 14 miles to the Dalies junction with the Transcon some 7 mi SW of Los Luna, NM.

Gallup –To Winslow

Seligman - to Needles

Needles - to Barstow

Cajon – to San Bernadino

San Bernadino – to LAUS.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It’s my understanding ... Amtrak pays for the tracks from Isleta to the Dalies junction with the Transcon south of Albuquerque.
So there's no freight traffic from Albuquerque west; or if there is, it takes the long around via Belen?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
For reference, Railrunner *owns* the tracks from Isleta to Lamy. I don't remember who they contract with for maintenance or dispatching.
 
That's great. Thanks for the info.

I'm assuming that back in the day when the Burlington Northern and ATSF merged they owned the tracks the Rio Metro apparently took over responsibility for when they created the Rail Runner.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
There is no freight traffic Isleta-Dalies. Local freight to Albuquerque comes out of Belen.

There is lots and lots (and lots) of freight traffic west of Dalies (and east of Dalies, too, but on the Transcon).
There is the ABQSBD which departs Albuquerque as needed. Many rail photographers have caught it leaving Albuquerque via Dalies.
 
I'm hoping for confirmation/corrections to my list.

BSNF Subdivisions the Southwest Chief runs on.

Chicago – To about Douglas Park/S. California Ave.

Mendota – To Galesburg.

Ottumwa for just 7.3 mi past Galesburg. There the Cameron Connector takes the SWC 1 mile to the

Chillicothe - To Fort Madison (Back in the day the Chicago to Los Angeles ATSF trains used the Chillicothe subdivision starting in Chicago. The Chicago/Mendota subdivision was apparently owned by the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad. It seems the change from the original route to the route used today occurred in the mid-1990s.)

Marceline – To Kansas City

Emporia – Just in the downtown KC area approaching/[SIZE=11pt]leaving the KC Union Station vicinity[/SIZE].

Topeka – To Emporia

Emporia – for 13.5 miles.

La Junta - To Las Animas, CO

Boise City - to La Junta

Raton – To Las Vegas, NM. The Southwest Chief is the only train currently using the Raton subdivision. Amtrak pays BSNF for upkeep.

Glorieta – To Lamy

From Lamy BNSF has trackage rights though it's still the Glorieta subdivision. The line is operated, dispatched, and maintained (contracted to Herzog) by the Rio Metro Regional Transit District (New Mexico Rail Runner). The Southwest Chief rejoins the BNSF Glorieta sub at Isleta.

Glorieta – From Isleta about 14 miles to the Dalies junction with the Transcon some 7 mi SW of Los Luna, NM.

Gallup –To Winslow

Seligman - to Needles

Needles - to Barstow

Cajon – to San Bernadino

San Bernadino – to LAUS.

Under the BNSF Timetable & BNSF Subdivision map this is listed as the NMDOT Subdivision from Lamy,NM > Belen, NM.

Lamy to Belen (CP ROSS) is officially named as the NMRX Albuquerque Subdivision.
 

Attachments

  • 7B3D86EC-E3EE-40C3-800C-924DB8C93052.jpeg
    7B3D86EC-E3EE-40C3-800C-924DB8C93052.jpeg
    79.9 KB · Views: 6
  • AE27A564-B7A6-4E8F-8323-8B5ACF6B8924.jpeg
    AE27A564-B7A6-4E8F-8323-8B5ACF6B8924.jpeg
    68.6 KB · Views: 6
  • 358CD88A-2776-4D56-BD2B-90E7B5641BB7.jpeg
    358CD88A-2776-4D56-BD2B-90E7B5641BB7.jpeg
    87 KB · Views: 4
Albuquerque has freight departing/arriving into town.

BNSF operates as local which services the GreyStar Asphalt Plant south of Lamy, NM, north of Bernalillo, NM. The train will pick up and drop off asphalt cars. Usually loads about under 20 with 2 BNSF locomotives.

BNSF has been servicing Lamy, NM by bringing supplies to the SFS railway with their track rehabilitation. This was around the start of the pandemic. Last BNSF run to Lamy was to drop off 2 Private Rail cars.

if there are empties in sidings between Lamy and Trinidad, BNSF will send power out of Albuquerque to collect them. In August 2021 BNSF sent some empty hoppers to be used in storing old railroad ties to Colmor, NM along the Raton Sub from Albuquerque.

in August 2021 BNSF sent a Rail Train over Raton & Glorieta Subs to drop off strings of rail along the route. They stopped in Las Vegas, NM When completed and a new crew from Albuquerque was assigned to pick it up. They sent BNSF 267 & 539 as light power to assist the train coming down the mountain. It had a war bonnet lead into Albuquerque.

in 2016 BNSF, City of Los Lunas, Valencia County, and Bernalillo county all broke ground on a rail park to be opened along the BNSF Glorieta Sub near Los Lunas on the Isleta Dalies connector. BNSF has installed a switch already.

The town of Bernalillo ( north of Albuquerque) released their 50 year transportation & jobs plan which reading mentions they have a desire to rebuilding the spur that formerly connected to the main at South Bernalillo to serve the industrial park in town.

Also BNSF operates a V-ABQELP and V-ELPABQ train via Belen which departs 2 times a week the minimum. They also operate a B-ABQSBD as needed, which uses the Isleta Dalies connector. Other departures out of Albuquerque as needed are the H-ABQAMA. The V-ABQSDG also operates as needed within Albuquerque. I haven’t heard of the Z-ABQWSP train in a while, it formerly operated over Raton Pass but was diverted over the Clovis Sub. It would still be operating but overnight, I’m not. 100% on that one.

of Course there is the Daily Y-ABQBEL & Y-BELABQ which operate as well.

oh yeah I also live next to the mainline north of Albuquerque.
 
In Los Angeles, use of the BNSF San Bernardino Sub ends at CP Soto (near the old Redondo Jct) where trains then use the Metrolink (SCRRA) River Sub - West Bank Line into and including LAUS.
The River Sub is also used by the Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink trains. Freight tends to use the East Bank Line.
 
Back
Top