The Santa Fe Park branch circa 1975 Now A Walking Trail in Tales of the Jointed Track

  • Dec. 11, 2021, 10:10 p.m.
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  • Public

I wrote in April of 2017 about the “branch”. I walked it, finally about a week ago. We’ll start out at where the switch came into the Santa Fe Park Siding, and up to where it crossed the Highline Canal. Fond some surprises, like old Minnequa Ballast, and a couple of ties that the City forgot or overlooked.

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Mineral Lite rail station. Things have changed after 40 years plus. They occupy the “old” Rio Grande Southbound main line
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South end of Santa Fe Park. Now BNSF MP 13, then Santa Fe 724.5. There is a M.O.W. equipment transport train stored. The ODD shaped end unfolds and is a ramp for track maintenance machines to ride up and spot. There is a small rail bridge that is locked between cars, so they can traverse the span between each rail car. It is removed and stored, during transit to the next work site.

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looking toward the northwest, yep that M.O.W stored train is still there. The switch was near here another photo, I can pinpoint.

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Look up to the yellowish building, down to the flatcar, thats where the switch tied into the Santa Fe Park Siding.

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The old Minnequa ballast, How many times have I unloaded 50-60 car trains of this stuff.


MageB December 12, 2021

This is going to be a nice walk.

Jim March 24, 2022 (edited March 24, 2022)

Edited

Just came across a 1981 photo of the Santa Fe Park branch taking off from the siding:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=943123
It's labelled as Monument in error.

Brakeshoe Bob Jim ⋅ April 08, 2022

Thanks. Old Jack Ass Hill road. Dirt road. Dirt crossing. 25 mph till the head end occupied the crossing. We were bad and widened on em after Ridge Road. Lol. Thanks for sharing

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