Sublette, New Mexico
Encyclopedia
Sublette is an old railroad section town in northern Rio Arriba County
, New Mexico
, located north-east of Chama
, just south of the Colorado
state line and at milepost 306.1 of the former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
. It sits at an elevation of 9281 ft. in the San Juan Mountains
.
Not to be confused with Sublette, Colorado
, sometimes incorrectly named as the location of Sublette station.
San Juan Branch. Once the line was completed the camp served as a section crew station town, a base for the crew that maintained the track for the railroad. Structures included a section house for the foreman and his family, two bunkhouses for the section crew, a coal bunker, a speeder
shed and a water tower
.
The D&RGW operated trains over the branch until 1967, then in 1970 the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
took over the abandoned track between Chama, NM and Antonito, CO to operate tourist trains in the Summer months. The Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec maintain the remaining structures in the interests of historic preservation
. The water tower was dismantled in 1937, but trains still stop here to take water.
Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*51.6% White*0.5% Black*16.0% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.3% Two or more races*28.2% Other races*71.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, located north-east of Chama
Chama, New Mexico
Chama is a village in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,199 at the 2000 census. It is a small village, but tourism is starting to help the town's economy .-Geography:...
, just south of the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
state line and at milepost 306.1 of the former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
. It sits at an elevation of 9281 ft. in the San Juan Mountains
San Juan Mountains
The San Juan Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and...
.
Not to be confused with Sublette, Colorado
Sublette, Colorado
Sublette is a section station built in 1880 by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad at milepost 306 on its narrow gauge San Juan Extension from Antonito, Colorado to Durango, Colorado...
, sometimes incorrectly named as the location of Sublette station.
History
The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad established Sublette in 1880 as a construction camp on its narrow gaugeNarrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
San Juan Branch. Once the line was completed the camp served as a section crew station town, a base for the crew that maintained the track for the railroad. Structures included a section house for the foreman and his family, two bunkhouses for the section crew, a coal bunker, a speeder
Speeder
A speeder is a maintenance of way motorized vehicle formerly used on railroads around the world by track inspectors and work crews to move quickly to and...
shed and a water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
.
The D&RGW operated trains over the branch until 1967, then in 1970 the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railroad running between Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado. It runs over the Cumbres Pass, the highest point on a US passenger railway....
took over the abandoned track between Chama, NM and Antonito, CO to operate tourist trains in the Summer months. The Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec maintain the remaining structures in the interests of historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
. The water tower was dismantled in 1937, but trains still stop here to take water.
Nearby Locations of Interest
- Osier, ColoradoOsier, ColoradoOsier is an old railroad settlement and train stop that serves as a halfway point along the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad where trains from both ends of the line meet and stop for lunch, making it possible for passengers to either continue in the same direction or return to their point of...
37°0′44"N 106°20′9"W - Toltec Gorge, New Mexico 36°59′3.9"N 106°18′22.2 "W
