The Southwest Chief races across the plains of Southern Colorado as the evening monsoons roar in the fading light of a summer's night and the last of the evening's sunset burns away to darkness.

Santa Fe Alco RSD15 604 and two RSD-4’s lead Train 31 out of La Junta (Colo.) yard en route to Albuquerque and Belen, N.M. April 23, 1967.

Set of power La Junta

LA JUNTA CO June 17 1979 -- The La Junta engine facility was a great location to drive into and out of quickly while taking pictures of select subjects. A white hard hat was also useful. This shot... (more)

LA JUNTA CO March 11 1980 -- A Santa Fe SD39 (a Locotrol master) leads a train on a mostly cloudy day. Note multiple antennas on the 4012 and exhaust smoke from mid-train slave units.

For some freight cars the end of the line is not necessarily the scrapper’s torch, but instead finding use somewhere else other than the railroad. This former Santa Fe covered hopper built in M... (more)

Built by the Burnham, Williams & Co. in 1901, the 1024 was destined to pull Santa Fe trains atop the railroad’s 3% grades that existed between Trinidad, CO and Raton, NM on the La Junta – Albu... (more)

The Southwest Chief splits the searchlights at full speed. We tried to hop in the car and get back in front of this further southwest, but there was really no chance.

The ATSF 1024 looks good splitting a pair of semaphore signals as it rests on display at its newest location greeting drivers coming into La Junta. This spot will become home to the city’s futu... (more)

Moonrise over Alco: Sunset on December 17, 1964, finds Santa Fe 600/2140/2116/2124 setting out from La Junta, Colorado with the overnight freight for Albuquerque. At Raton, the lead units will be ... (more)

Santa Fe’s Super Chief-El Capitan Train 17 west has just left La Junta, Colo. and its two FP45’s (Nos. 104, 105) have the train up to speed as it whizzes by a windmill that pumps water for a l... (more)

Santa Fe’s premier train, eastbound Super Chief-El Capitan with two FP-45s, pauses at La Junta, Colo. for a crew change and accept passengers from the connector Train 201 from Denver, which arri... (more)

Stormy skies and very strong winds are seen over the 1024 today as it splits semaphore signals at its new resting location near HWY 50. This site will soon become the city’s future visitor’s ... (more)

Passing underneath the remnants of a Santa Fe style cantilever signal, an empty crude oil train heads out of La Junta as stormy skies are beginning to make their way in.

With the 8070 lead KCKDEN shoving back and clearing the yard switch, a freshly re-crewed empty crude oil train can finally start putting its train together as it prepares to head out of the yard.