La Junta, CO The Capri Motel and other stuff Part 3 in Tales of the Jointed Track

I guess this is the last entry about La Junta. I’ll show some passenger stuff.

The La Junta Depot. Many passenger trains have stopped here. The Super Chief and the El Capitain, both east and westbound, visited here. There was a connection out of Denver, that arrived within the window of the First Class Varnish. The tracks are 97, 99, and 98, from the depot and toward the photographer. Now.. there are not 99 tracks in La Junta, but those were the old Santa Fe track numbers, for the railroad. I am sure they have changed, but they still use the old nomenclature.

The Brown Family Passenger Train and Engine crew:

A Preface ..Kenny Brown grew up in La Junta. Was a QB for the La Junta Tigers High School football team. He got a scholarship with CU Boulder,CO, but played as a linebacker. Like a lot of people, your major did not pan out, or paid poorly. Kenny hired out in February of 74 as a fireman on the Joint-Line. Kenny and I went to Topeka,KS for promotion to engineer, he was two notches below me. His Father, and Uncles worked the Santa Fe passenger trains before AMTRAK.

How can you not like this crew. Kenny’s Dad … Das ( Spelling for pronunciation Dahss ) Brown was the Engineer. His Brother, (Das’ brother ) was the Fireman. Another brother was the Conductor. La Junta … Santa Fe ..lol does that rhyme.

They worked the Santa Fe Chief, and home every night. La Junta To Dodge City, and return. This was respected crew, and did the Santa Fe proud. I have written about Russell Heath. He had relatives working out of La Junta, in Freight and Passenger. His seniority was bad, so he came up to toil with us on the Joint-Line. He resented, that he was out of the La Junta “elite”. I was told that many times firing for him. A bitter man, and retied as one. When ya hire out, and where your position is. Happiness is what you make of it.

The rear of AMTRAK 4 at La Junta on track 97 receiving and discharging passengers. The freight train is on track 99. AMTRAK will depart and be lined into the former 2nd sub or now the Raton Sub. The freight is either going to KC via The La Junta sub or to Amarillo via the Boise City sub

Another picture of AMTRAK, I believe the still depart around 830 or 900 am Westbound.

The coal train is on track 99, and the intermodal is on 97. I do not know the date of the photo, but the Santa Fe did detour the 199, 198 and 197 hotshots via La Junta to Albuqueque, when the TransCon was blocked by trackwork.

The FOX movie theater. Yes it is still operating.

This is the La Junta Municipal Airport. The reason for the runway size is this used to be the old La Junta Air Force base. They can land regional and corporate jets as needed. Also a lot of private aircraft come in here. There is also a Helipad as well. They stationed a helicopter squadron here at one time. The Santa Fe serviced the base via the AV District. Access to the AV was at Swink, CO on the Pueblo Sub.

Last updated December 18, 2015