Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad

Occasionally, Burlington Northern locomotives can be seen on the lead of trains working over Raton Pass. This video highlights several of these occasions at different times of the day. We show BN powered trains running over the pass at night, sunset and mid-day. Some with BN crews and some with Santa Fe crews. You will be able to tell by the caboose. You will see coal trains, mixed freights and grain trains. We think you will enjoy watching BN power run over Raton Pass using everything from GP30s to SD60Ms. Standard BN, Executive and White Face paint schemes are featured.

The Santa Fe's Red and Silver Warbonnet paint scheme was world famous. Watch the parade of warbonnets go by our cameras as they travel Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad.

This is the first episode of the "Watching Trains" series. It has been over a year since we announced the series, but we think you will agree that the wait was worth it. This video features all the members of the Legacy Fleet steam locomotives, including AT&SF 5000 (Madame Queen), 3780, 3829, 3751, 2926, 1050 and 900. The first episode is all steam powered trains, both freight and passenger. Plus, you will see a MOW train and steam locomotives operating without cars, while they are being serviced and moved around the yard in Raton. Great shots of many different types of steam operations on Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad. Enjoy!

The Q-EPKC is a priority intermodal train between El Paso and Kansas City. The train makes a crew change in Raton New Mexico. Our cameras pick up the Q-EPKC as it is stopped in Raton for its crew change. While the "Q" is stopped, a BN powered unit tank train goes by eastbound and climbs Raton Pass to get to its destination in La Junta. Shortly after the unit tank train leaves Raton a BN powered coal train with two SD60M "Tri-Clops" on the point, passes by the "Q" on the way to its final destination at Jansen Colorado, where it will be weighed on the scales in the C&W (Colorado & Wyoming) Yard. AT&SF Company Brass are riding in the "Topeka" Business Car on the rear of the Q-EPKC so everyone must do a perfect job on this trip. Follow the journey of all three trains as they make their way from Raton, over the pass, and downgrade on the Colorado side, as they travel east to their respective destinations.

There were Intermodal "Q" trains that regularly traveled Raton Pass. One of them was the eastbound ELKC (El Paso to Kansas City) and the westbound KCEL.

We recently added a coal train to our collection and wanted realistic looking coal loads. See how we did it and the results in this video!

We worked very hard removing and reinstalling our photo-realistic backdrops of Raton Pass on our layout. This video shows the first train over the pass after the backdrop reinstallation. We think the hard work paid off; we hope you agree. Let us know in the comments what you think.

When we first built this model railroad, we thought it would be moved to another location in a few years. To make this planned relocation easier we installed the photo-realistic backdrops with Velcro. Ultimately, the relocation to another site was abandoned and over time the Velcro has started to cause problems. The only way to correct these problems is to remove the Velcro and glue the backdrops to the wall. This is a tedious and somewhat scary project as a lot can go wrong trying to reach across a completed model railroad and rehang the backdrops like wallpaper. This video shows the entire project start to finish.

Santa Fe’s Raton Subdivision Model Railroad places a high value on the history of the Santa Fe Railway. No other railroad approaches their achievements in all fields of railroad operation, design, and engineering. One way we honor this history is through the Legacy Fleet Program. The Legacy Fleet focuses on historic steam and diesel locomotives, freight and passenger cars and equipment, MOW equipment, cabooses, named trains such as the Super Chief and California Limited, used by the Santa Fe Railway between 1869 – 1969. To be eligible for inclusion in the Legacy Fleet program the equipment must be designed and built during the first one-hundred-years of the Santa Fe Railway. On Santa Fe’s Raton Subdivision Model Railroad, the modern era of Santa Fe Railway operations is between the years of 1970 and 1995. Legacy Fleet equipment will be used in the modern era of service of the Santa Fe Railway (1970 – 1995) as if never retired. Therefore, on Santa Fe’s Raton Subdivision Model Railroad you will see steam locomotives working alongside modern diesels. You will also see vintage passenger trains, such as the California Limited, and other famous name trains, hauling passengers in the modern era. You may even see vintage logos and graphics featured on modern day cars and equipment so keep your eyes open. Legacy Fleet - Steam Locomotive Roster: 1. 0-6-0 #30. 2. 2-8-0 #840. 3. 2-8-2 #3283. 4. 2-10-4 #3829. 5. 2-10-4 #5000. 6. 4-4-0 #48. 7. 4-6-0 #356. 8. 4-8-4 #2926. 9. 4-8-4 #3751. Legacy Fleet - Diesel Locomotive Roster: 1. E8A #84 2. E8A #86 3. FTA #100L 4. FTA #100A 5. FTA #100B 6. FTA #100C 7. F3A #16L 8. F3A #16A 9. F3A #202L 10. F3A #202A 11. F3A #202B 12. F3A #202C 13. F3A #202D 14. CF7 #2489. 15. CF7 #2496. 16. CF7 #2649. 17. F3 #16. 18. F7A #37L. 19. F7B #37A. 20. F7B #37B. 21. F7A #37C. 22. F45 #5980. 23. FP45 #92. 24. GP7 #1317. 25. GP7 #2655. 26. GP7 #2692. 27. GP7 #2752. 28. GP20 #1132. 29. GP20 #3167. 30. GP30 #1236 31. GP30 #1274. 32. GP35 #3356. 33. GP35 #3364. 34. NW2 #2353. 35. NW2 #2429. 36. NW2 #2438. 37. PA1 #51L. 38. PB1 #51A. 39. PB1 #51B. 40. RS1 #2395. 41. RS2 #2099. 42. RSD5 #2125. 43. RSD5 #2127. 44. SD24 #4578. 45. SSB1200 #1217. Legacy Fleet - Doodlebugs 1. M131. 2. M189. Legacy Fleet – Named Passenger Trains 1. California Limited, 10 cars. 2. Chief, 16 cars. 3. Dulux Special 3 cars 4. Fast Mail, 10 cars. 5. Super Chief, 16 cars. Legacy Fleet – Freight Cars 1. Box Car #31343 2. Box Car #31440 3. Box Car #520977 4. Box Car #146454 5. Box Car #148477 6. Box Car #149149 7. Box Car #15709 8. Box Car #31698 9. Box Car #8742 10. Center Flow #307173 11. Center Flow #307182 12. Coil Car #91906 13. Cov Hopper #310007 14. Gondola #169875 15. Gondola #716262 16. Helium Car #1019 17. Hopper #180810 18. Hopper #180233 19. Hopper #180854 20. Ice Box #36582 21. Ice Box #10412 22. Ice Box #26084 23. Ice Box #35006 24. Ice Box #35793 Legacy Fleet – Passenger Cars 1. Business Car Topeka 2. Dulux Baggage #21. 3. Dulux Combine #12. 4. Dulux Coach #73. 5. Drover Car #D930. Legacy Fleet – MOW 1. Big Hook #199792. 2. Dereck Caboose none 3. Jordan Spreader #199238. 4. Kitchen Car #40376. 5. Material Car #200019. 6. Snowplow #199396. 7. Timekeeper #198756. 8. Wheel Derrick #191552. Legacy Fleet – Cabooses 1. CE1 #999051 2. CE1 #999229 3. Wood Sheathed #999? 4. Wood Sheathed #1301. 5. Wood Sheathed #1382. Legacy Fleet – Test Equipment 1. Dynamometer Car 29

When we first built this model railroad, we thought it would be moved to another location in a few years. To make this planned relocation easier we install the photo-realistic backdrops with Velcro. Ultimately, the relocation to another site was abandoned and over time the Velcro has started to cause problems. The only way to correct these problems is to remove the Velcro and glue the backdrops to the wall. This is a tedious and somewhat scary project as a lot can go wrong trying to reach across a completed model railroad and rehang the backdrops like wallpaper. This video is a short clip to show the start of the process. Stay tuned for much more as we rehang all of the backdrops.

A few years ago, we decided to use steam power on Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad as if they were never retired from service. The steam locomotives would be called the "Legacy Fleet." We immediately started installing Tsunami2 Sound decoders in engines 840, 2926, 3751, 3829 and 5000 (Madame Queen). In 2023 we upgraded our heavy weight passenger car fleet. The upgrades included new couplers, diaphragms, window shades, decorated interiors and some passengers. All of these upgrades made it possible to operate a heavyweight passenger train. After researching some Santa Fe history, we discovered that in 1892 the California Limited became Santa Fe's first premium high-speed cross-country passenger train. With a fleet of steam locomotives that had new been retired from service we could operate a modern-day California Limited train that honors the memory and legacy of Santa Fe' Railway's legendary passenger service. To do this we needed a steam locomotive service facility in Raton for the Legacy Fleet Steam Locomotives. We reworked an area in east Raton and set up the Legacy Fleet Steam Locomotive Service Facility which has water and fuel columns, sand tower and storage tracks. This is a separate facility from the diesel service facility located on the west side of Raton. Come take a ride on the California Limited - Train #4 as it travels across Raton Pass on its way to Chicago. First, you will see Engine 2926 bring the train into west Raton from LA and stop at the Raton Santa Fe Depot. Then, 2926 is removed from the train so that Engine 3751 can take the train on to Chicago. To get over Raton Pass 3751 will need assistance from the world's first 2-10-4, Engine 3829. The two great steam locomotives will pull the heavyweight cars of the California Limited with wide open throttles up the 3.27% grades, which are the steepest in the nation for a Class 1 railroad. You will see how the helper engine is removed at the top of the pass so that Train #4 can continue downgrade east to Chicago with Engine 3751 in charge. Along the way you will get information about historic locations and scenic features out your window!

Recommended Links for this video. https://www.silhouette-success.com/ https://www.artglitter.com/collections/designer-dries-clear-adhesive https://www.standiy.com/ Have you ever wanted an accurate method to make signs for your model railroad? Sam D. Teague shows you how to make signs using a Silhouette Cameo design/cutting machine. The Silhouette Cameo machine is normally used by crafters to make all sorts of craft decorations and custom fabricated designs for craft and fun. Sam wondered if it would be useful for model railroading. His first idea was to use the machine to make Location signs for his Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad. Sam successfully used the Cameo to create his Location signs in a previous video. Here is a link to the Location Sign video if you haven't seen it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAB2PiCxpxs&t=742s In this video Sam uses the Cameo to make an HO scale sign for a industry on his layout. In the Raton, NM area of his layout, he had a large structure that didn't have a name. Sam decided to give the large brick building a name from Raton's history. He found out that there was a hardware business in Raton in 1913 called "Robbs Hardware", and Sam decided to use the name on his building. Sam wanted a 3-D sign that would be attached to a steel frame and be displayed across the front of the structure. Follow along as Sam uses the Silhouette Cameo cutting machine to cut the letters for the sign from medium cardstock. The Cameo Silhouette solves the intricate cutting needed for the 3-D sign, and it is also a very capable machine when it comes to designing the sign and selecting fonts. Many styles of fonts are available with the Cameo and the cutting ability of the machine to cut out all sorts of shapes and sizes is almost limitless.

Recommended Link for this video. https://www.silhouette-success.com/ Have you ever wanted an accurate method to make signs for your model railroad? Sam D. Teague shows you how to make signs using a Silhouette Cameo design/cutting machine. The Silhouette Cameo machine is normally used by crafters to make all sorts of craft decorations and custom fabricated designs for craft and fun. Sam wondered if it would be useful for model railroading. His first idea was to use the machine to make Location signs for his Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad. In this video Sam explores the possibilities for sign making with the Cameo. Sam has always used a word processor like MS Word, to make his signs. Using MS Word to make HO scale signs worked well for Sam except that when the sign was completed and printed out, there wasn't a very precise way to cut the signs to exact size. The Cameo Silhouette solves the cutting problem, and it is also a very capable machine when it comes to designing the sign and selecting fonts. Many styles of fonts are available with the Cameo and the cutting ability of the machine to cut out all sorts of shapes and sizes is almost limitless. In videos still to come, Sam will explore making HO scale signs and other model railroad projects with the aid of the Cameo Silhouette.

AT&SF 2-10-2 #900, just out of the shop after a complete overhaul, makes a run up the Colorado side of Raton Pass. The new Tsunami2 sound decoder provides some great "stack talk" as she pulls the 3.27% grade!

Commercially available passenger car diaphragms generally leave a gap when two cars are coupled together. We wanted our California Limited train with heavyweight passenger cars to be gap free. See how we made our own gap-free diaphragms that operate smoothly around curves whether going forward or backwards.

We have been working hard to get the California Limited ready to run on Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad. This is the first time the entire train has been seen since the improvements have been completed. Locomotive Upgrades: The 3751 and 2926 recieved Tsunami2 Sound, auxilliary tenders and cab curtains. Heavyweight Passenger Consist: The interior of the cars were decorated. This includes painting the floors, mahogany walls, chairs, benches, tables and other equipment. Painted passenger figures were added and window shades were installed on many of the windows. Finally, diaphragms were added between the cars.

We have been working hard to get the California Limited ready to run on Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad. This is the first test run of the consist over Raton Pass. AT&SF Steam Locomotive 3751 is the head end power for Train #3. It is assisted by AT&SF Steam Locomotive 3829. Each passenger car is identified as it passes the camera. Don't miss the exciting test run of Train #3 eastbound over Raton Pass!

Fred Theiss brings his BN GP30 locomotives to Raton Pass. The engines were recently equipped with Tsunami2 sound decoders, and this is their first test run over Raton Pass.

ATSF Steam Locomotive 2926 rounds a curve on Raton Pass.

Come along and see what it would have been like if the Santa Fe Railway had never retired steam! On Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad, we operate steam locomotives as if Santa Fe Railway never retired them. To do this we needed a facility to operate from. We chose the town of Raton, NM for the center of operations of our steam power. There are currently five steam locomotives in our Legacy Fleet roster. 2-8-0 #840, 2-10-4 # 3829, 2-10-4 #5000, 4-8-4 # 3751 and 4-8-4 #2926. This video provides an up-close look at these historic steam locomotives, including their specifications, mechanical diagrams and video clips of each Legacy Fleet steam locomotive in operation. In modern times water towers and fuel oil facilities for steam locomotives no longer exist. At the Legacy Fleet Steam Facility, we utilize a historic water column and tanker trucks to fill the tenders. We also have auxiliary tenders to extend the range of operation of the steam locomotives.

Be sure to check out our store at this link! Thanks for shopping with us! Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Store link: https://santa-fes-raton-subdivision-m.myspreadshop.com The California Limited The California Limited was one of the Santa Fe Railway's named passenger trains. It went into service on November 27, 1892 and it's last run was on June 15, 1954. It was the first Santa Fe passenger train with Fred Harvey meal service. AT&SF Steam Locomotive 3780 AT&SF Steam Locomotive 3780was a 4-8-4 built in 1941 for the 3776 Class. 3780's drivers were almost seven feet tall at 80-inches. On August 27, 1957, 3780 was the last steam locomotive to operate in revenue service on the Santa Fe Railway. It was scrapped on May 4, 1959.

Be sure to check out our store at this link! Thanks for shopping with us! Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Store link: https://santa-fes-raton-subdivision-m.myspreadshop.com Dynamometer Car 29 was the brainchild of Charles T. Ripley and T. E. Layden. Both men supervised the design and construction of the car, which was created to measure and record the full spectrum of locomotive performance while the locomotive was being used in actual test under real-time load conditions. It was a true mobile laboratory and was used to evaluate all Santa Fe motive power between 1911 and 1963 when it was retired. Test equipment inside the car, also built by Charles T. Ripley and T. E. Layden, was used to record drawbar pull, speed, rate of firing, rate of water supplied to the boiler, air-brake operations, and the time of passing stations. All this information and more was recorded in six-second and one-minute intervals by electric and mechanically operated pens over a continuous moving chart at the rate of 6.6 inches per mile of travel. This remarkable testing equipment was designed and built before electronic miniaturization and vacuum tubes were even thought of. When diesel locomotives took over, Dynamometer Car 29 was used to record fuel consumption, dynamic braking, drawbar pull, drawbar horsepower, and other data pertinent to the diesel locomotive.

Be sure to check out our store at this link! Thanks for shopping with us! Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Store link: https://santa-fes-raton-subdivision-m.myspreadshop.com Watch as Union Pacific Big Boy Locomotive #4002 and ATSF Steam Locomotive #5000 (Madame Queen) climb the 3.5 percent grades on Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad. This match up never actually happened, but it would really be something if it did. Let us know if you would like us to produce a dedicated video comparing Big Boy and Madame Queen's mighty power. Which one do you think is the most powerful?

Be sure to check out our store at this link! Thanks for shopping with us! Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Store link: https://santa-fes-raton-subdivision-m.myspreadshop.com "Extra 5058" is the first episode of a new video series. This new series, "Train Operations on Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision", will highlight daily freight train operations over Raton Pass. The first episode highlights the journey of "Extra 5058", as it picks up and delivers freight cars between Raton New Mexico and Trinidad Colorado and returns to Raton after completing other assignments in the Subdivision. All the while, "Extra 5058" must stay out of the way of the high priority daily scheduled freight trains. This can be difficult because sometimes cars have to be left on the mainline during switching operations in Raton and Trinidad, and many times yard switchers must pull out of the yard onto the mainline to complete their switching chores. After switching chores are complete and Extra 5058 is ready to depart Raton for Trinidad, the crew must take the loaded freight train over the 3.5% ruling grades of Raton Pass. Most railroads try to never construct any track over 1 - 1.5% on their mainline. Raton's 3.5% ruling grade is the steepest railroad grade in the United States for a Class 1 railroad. The steep climb requires lots of HP, but the grade going down is just as steep and dangerous. Dynamic brakes must be fully functional on all units and train brakes must be working perfectly to safely descend the pass. The grades of Raton Pass are so treacherous for trains and crew that the Santa Fe Railway enforced a strict speed limit of 15 mph while ascending and descending the pass. Coupled with the speed restrictions within yard limits of Raton and Trinidad and you can see that nothing happens very fast on this dangerous district. Be sure to Subscribe so you won't miss "Extra 5058" when it is released.