Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad

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.

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 Part 2" is the second 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 second episode continues the journey of "Extra 5058", as it climbs the steep grades of Raton Pass after leaving Raton New Mexico Eastbound for Trinidad Colorado. 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. At Trinidad, the freight cars added to Extra 5058 at Raton will be pulled off by local switchers and placed on the proper tracks. 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 at Trinidad, Extra 5058 is ready to depart Trinidad. Originally scheduled to return to Raton after dropping off the set-out cars in Trinidad, Extra 5058 instead will continue to La Junta to collect more freight cars. Be sure to Subscribe so you won't miss future episodes of "Train Operations on Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision" when they are released.

Watch Sam and Aaron working on the construction of Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision and see how they built their beautiful model railroad modeled after Raton Pass. Sam and Aaron lay roadbed, track and even install a wye turnout. Then they show you how to do plaster work and color plaster rock formations. Finally, they show you what happened when they ran the first 18 car freight train completely around the new layout. Raton Pass takes a lot of power, even in HO scale!

SD24 and SD26 locomotives have short bodies. These short bodies combined with their six-axle trucks, make them look like they are on roller blades. Take a look at them in this video and see if you agree. We follow TRNLJ (Trinidad - La Junta) Yard Transfer from Starkville to the outskirts of Raton New Mexico.

Fred Theiss, frequent visitor to Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad, brings his Athearn Genesis AT&SF Red & Silver Warbonnet FP45's for a trial run on the steep grades and S-Curves of Raton Pass. We put them on the lead of Santa Fe's daily Barstow to La Junta (the BALJ) freight, so Fred can test his new locomotives. Come along with us as they take the BALJ over the pass.

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 Exclusive 5000 Merchandise available at our store link above! 5000 was relocated in August of 2005 through the historic 100-year-old brick streets of downtown Amarillo Texas. Sam D. Teague, Founder and President of the Railroad Artifact Preservation Society, spent 2 1/2 years planning the relocation efforts of volunteers, donors and contributors, along with city government leaders, and local contractors, ultimately, obtaining the interest of the History Channel in the project for their "Mega Movers" series. Sam D. Teague, author of "The Madame Queen" is the foremost historian with regard to Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Steam Locomotive 5000 (Madame Queen). His research proved that 2-10-4 5000 is equal in power to the Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy. To learn more about the comparison of 5000 to Big Boy click this link to see the video of Sam's 5000/4014 technical comparison. Madame Queen was the mother of all Santa Fe Railway 2-10-4 Classes which railroad historian Lloyd Stagner dubbed "The Ultimate Development" of steam locomotive technology. To learn more about the incredible history of 5000 check out Sam's 4-part video series listed below. This video series will not only give you the incredible story of the 5000, but it will also provide you with early history of the Santa Fe Railway and you will discover how steam locomotive technology on the Santa Fe had no equal in the United States. Part 1: AT&SF 1854 - 1882 5000 Family Tree Part 2: Development of 5000 Production and Delivery Dynamometer Car #29 Performance Testing in 1931 Part 3: 5000 Modifications 5001 Class 5011 Class First Cosmetic Restoration Part 4: Second Cosmetic Restoration

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 Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Steam Locomotive 4014, known as “Big Boy” is the largest and most powerful steam locomotive operating on the rails today. With an advertised tractive effort rating of 135, 375 pounds, there is no argument that it has the most tractive effort. AT&SF 2-10-4 Steam Locomotive 5000, Known as “Madame Queen” is the mother of largest and most powerful 2-cylinder steam locomotives ever built. With an advertised tractive effort rating of 93,000 pounds, most people doubt that she is a powerful as the “Big Boy”. Sam D. Teague, author of “The Madame Queen”, the only book covering the complete history of 5000, has done exhaustive research on which locomotive is the most powerful. He also assumed, that “Big Boy” was far ahead of Madame Queen in tonnage hauling ability. Having access to large amounts of technical data and Dynamometer test results of 5000 and 4014, his research produced some startling results. This video provides Sam’s research path and test data that shows Big Boy has some very stiff competition.

AT&SF Steam Locomotive 2926 is the newest member of our Legacy Fleet. This is the first video featuring 2926 on this channel. We are celebrating the introduction of 2926 to Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad with this short video of 2926 double heading with 3751 on Raton Pass. You will see 3751 & 2926 battle the steep grades of Raton Pass and hear lots of "Stack Talk" as they lift the freight train upgrade, then you will hear the side rods clanking as the two engines drift downgrade on the New Mexico side of the pass.

Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad is not sponsored by Soundtraxx, but we use Tsunami2 DCC sound decoders on all of our steam and diesel locomotives. We recently installed a Tsunami2 sound decoder into our Broadway Limited 4-8-4 #3751! In this video you will hear most of the sounds produced by this great sound decoder from SoundTraxx. We operate the 3751 at various speeds and directions as well as starting and stopping the locomotive.

Santa Fe's Barstow to La Junta (the BALJ) freight, passes over Raton Pass every day. On Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad, we duplicate this run in HO scale. Most of the time, it goes without a hitch. On March 4, 2023, this run was just getting started, when a tank car derailed and struck an industry close to the mainline. Although we weren't able to get the derailment accident on video, we did document the aftermath of the accident. Take a look at this unique video that shows one of our rare operating accidents on Santa Fe's Raton Pass Model Railroad.

AT&SF Steam Locomotive 5000 was the most powerful steam locomotive the Santa Fe Railway had in terms of pulling ability. Her mighty power was used often as a helper to get other trains over the pass. This video shows what it would be like if Madame Queen was restored to steam operations and used to pull a modern mixed freight train over the pass. Raton Pass is so steep that not even the Madame Queen can go it alone!

Even though the engine crew is standing right behind a massive firebox, nothing is colder than the cab of a steam locomotive on a winter day. The only way to stop the cold wind, rain and snow from entering the cab is a good set of cab curtains. Cab curtains were made of heavy weight canvas and were arranged to shut off the sides of the cab between the engine and tender. Then a separate roll-down curtain totally enclosed the crew compartment of the cab. The cab curtains are in important and impressive detail to add to the Santa Fe steam locomotive fleet on Santa Fe's Raton Pass Model Railroad. In this video Sam D. Teague shows you his method of making HO scale cab curtains for Santa Fe steam locomotives. Sam says he wasn't sure how to go about making convincing cab curtains in HO scale, so he consulted his wife Kathy and asked for her help. Kathy is a quilter and paper crafting specialist that is very talented with fabric and paper crafting. Kathy came up with a way to replicate the side curtains, which is the most difficult part to model convincingly. She showed Sam some tools of her trade that would be very helpful in fabricating the HO cab curtains. Kathy also recommended a fabric that is highly realistic to represent canvas in HO scale. Follow along as Sam uses his wife's technique and tools to make HO scale canvas cab curtains for the model railroads fleet of brass and plastic steam locomotives. Kathy's technique could be used for other scales like S, O and G as well.

At 6:54 am on September 12, 2023, two cats get into a territorial dispute on the north side of our train building.

The whistle on AT&SF Steam Locomotive 5000 (Madame Queen) has not been heard since the early 1950's when the locomotive was retired in 1954. Recently found video of the whistle test has been found and included at the end of this video. You will hear the whistle blow for the first time since the retirement of the locomotive. The whistle was tested by connecting it to a 90 psi live steam source. You will hear the whistle blow a long-short-long sequence in the test. If it is this loud under 90 psi, imagine how loud it would be under Madame Queen's normal boiler pressure of 300 psi!

When Sam D. Teague, Founder and President of the Railroad Artifact Preservation Society began the cosmetic restoration of AT&SF Steam Locomotive 5000 in 2008, he discovered that only one of 5000's original Baldwin Locomotive Works Builder's Plates was still attached to the locomotive smokebox. The missing plate which was originally located on the fireman's side of the locomotive was missing. To make sure that nothing happened to the last original builder's plate, Sam and his volunteers removed the plate from the side of the loco and stored it in a safe location so that the original could be placed in the Society's future museum. One of the volunteers that worked with Sam on the 5000 restoration was Mr. Robb Gunter of New Mexico. Robb is a world-class blacksmith. Robb volunteered to take the original builder's plate and make two exact duplicates of the original. That way, the original could be kept in the museum and the duplicates could be displayed on the locomotive in their original locations mounted on both sides of the smokebox. If they were ever stolen or damaged, we would still have the original. You will enjoy watching how Robb takes 5000's original builder's plate and creates two new exact copies from raw bronze.

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 Firebox Mapping is performed to determine the integrity of the firebox metal and its ability to be able to hold the 300 PSI pressure when the locomotive is steamed up. Sam D. Teague, Founder and President of the Railroad Artifact Preservation Society, was in charge of all restoration work performed on AT&SF Steam Locomotive 5000 (Madame Queen). In this series you will be able to see parts of the Madame Queen not visible to bystanders or visitors to the locomotive. All restoration work performed was documented and recorded, either on video, or with still photography. Follow this new series to see the restoration and preservation effort on 5000 with up close detail and information of how the work was done.

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 This video shows why and how the firebox of AT&SF Steam Locomotive was cleaned out. Most of the photography and videos in this series has never been made public before. Sam D. Teague, Founder and President of the Railroad Artifact Preservation Society, was in charge of all restoration work performed on AT&SF Steam Locomotive 5000 (Madame Queen). In this series you will be able to see parts of the Madame Queen not visible to bystanders or visitors to the locomotive. All restoration work performed was documented and recorded, either on video, or with still photography. Follow this new series to see the restoration and preservation effort on 5000 with up close detail and information of how the work was done.

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 This is the first video of a new series dedicated to the restoration story of AT&SF 5000. Most of the photography and videos in this series has never been made public before. Sam D. Teague, Founder and President of the Railroad Artifact Preservation Society, was in charge of all restoration work performed on AT&SF Steam Locomotive 5000 (Madame Queen). In this series you will be able to see parts of the Madame Queen not visible to bystanders or visitors to the locomotive. All restoration work performed was documented and recorded, either on video, or with still photography. Follow this new series to see the restoration and preservation effort on 5000 with up close detail and information of how the work was done.

Do you have brass locomotives or rolling stock that has tarnished? In this video Sam D. Teague shows you a low -tech and low-cost way to get rid of it. Sam takes a brass AT&SF 4-8-4 steam locomotive model with moderately high tarnish accumulation and removes all of the tarnish with his simple technique. After the tarnish is removed, Sam shows you how the locomotive looks and runs after being painted. At the end of the video is a link to the big 4-8-4 running over Raton Pass and pulling the California Ltd.

Our newest steam locomotive is a brass 825 Class, 2-8-0, AT&SF Steam Locomotive. Sam has owned this locomotive about 10-years but didn't have it running until recently when he installed the Tsunami2 sound decoder. Follow along and Sam D. Teague takes your through the installation process step by step from beginning too operational condition.

Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision has added two new pieces of equipment. The first is a brass 2-8-0 AT&SF Steam Locomotive No. 840 with Tsunami2 Sound. The second is a Hallmark brass AT&SF Drover Car. Watch for future videos featuring these new brass items!