El Paso Railroad Timeline 1960- Present
In the 1960’s the Inited States railroads were reducing interstate passenger service. As reductions in service continue costs are cut, jobs are lost and ridership numbers continue to decline. The southwest also experiences this change in service. The Sunset Limited will be the last passenger service on the Southern Pacific. The Texas & Pacific and the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe have already ended service to El Paso.
Other new railroad technologies have an impact. The installation of Centralized Traffic Control on the Southern Pacific mainline through Lordsburg, New Mexico. This allows the Southern Pacific to end operations on the South Line.
Missori Pacific will take over the Texas & Pacific and Union Pacific will take over the Missori Pacific at the end of 1982.
1960
May 27, 1960: El Paso & Southwestern #1 moved from the headquarters building to Texas Western College now the University of Texas at El Paso. (Old No. 1 Journeys to TWC by Don Lund 1960 El Paso Times Pg. 1 Col 4)
Sept 11, 1960: Southern Pacific donates 0-6-0 1221 to the City of Deming, New Mexico. (Deming Gets Locomotive in Ceremony by Irvin Israel 1960 Sept 12 El Paso Times Pg. 11 Col. 4)
1961
December 19, 1961: The Southern Pacific started routing all feight and passenger over the North Line between Tucson, Arizona and El Paso, Texas. The SP ended service on the South Line From Douglas, Arizona to Anapra, New Mexico. The westbound Golden State Limited and the eastbound Sunset Limited were moved from the South Line to the North Line. The rail line would stay in place pending lidigation. (SP Abandons “South Line” in Arizona, 1961 December 20, Arizona Republic, Pg. 8, Col. 2)
1962
Southern Pacific contracts with Morrison & Knutson to perform earth work to eliminate the Bowen Tunnel. Work began in December of 1961 and was completed in early 1962 The site of the former tunnel is near the parking lot for Mount Cristo Rey.
This view shows the raised numbers on Southern Pacific 1221. Raised numbers were given to locomotives assigned to passenger duties. The 1221 was used to switch passenger terminals in the Bay area for years. Photo by Robby Peartree.
The El Paso & Southwestern still has a small presence in Deming New Mexico as seen by the tener truck on the 1221. Photo by Robby Peartree
1964
April 20: The Southern Pacific combines the operation of the Sunset Limited and the Golden State Limited west of El Paso, Texas. (Combined Sunset Limited Golden State 2 Sections planned by SP, 1964 April 18, El Paso Times, Pg. 1, Col. 8)
1965
1965: Rails were removed from the South line after various court cases were settled.
1966
February 26: The Southern Pacific ends Pullman Sleeper Service on the Sunset Limited. (Sunset Limited—No Sleep in Pullman for Passengers, 1966 February 26, El Paso Times, Pg.1, Col. )
This Southern Pacific announcement of the consolidation of Golden State Limited and the Sunset Limited appeared on page 7 of the April 18th edition of the El Paso Herald. A simular advertizement appeared in the El Paso Times.
1967
April 10: The Interstate Commerce Commission gave the Southern Pacific permission to discontinue mail trains 39 and 40 between Los Angeles California and Tucumcari, New Mexico. (Take Two More Trains From El Paso, 1967, April 11, El Paso Times, Pg. 1, Col. )
May 1967: The “new Southern Pacific Diesel shops were built to make way for Interstate-10.
1968
February 20: The last run of the eastbound Golden State Limited left El Paso. ( Golden State’s Last Run From ElPaso to Chicago Today, 1968 Feb 20, El Paso Times Pg. 1, Col.
April 9: The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe operated the last run of the passenger train between Albquerque, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, known as the El Pasoan. (Santa Fe Ends Passenger Service to Albquerque, 1968 April 11, El Paso Times, Pg. 11, Col.
1971
May 1 1971: Amtrak takes over passenger operations in the United States including El Paso, Texas.
1972
July 1, 1972: Six people were killed and 800 people were injured when a series of explosions rocked the rail yard in Ciudad Jimenez. The explosions were initiated by a locomotive colliding with a set of cars carrying Ammonia gas. (Rail Blast Injures 800 1972 July 3 El Paso Herald-Post pg. A-1)
July 20, 1972: The United Transportation Union and the railroads end the 30-year labor dispute over Diesel Fireman eliminating the position (UTU, Railroads in Accord on Diesel Fireman Issue 1972 July 20 El Paso Times pg. 6A)
July 21, 1972: The Imminent Sale and Demolition of El Paso Union Depot was announced by Richard D. Spence Vice President in charge of operations for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company (Union Depot’s Sale Underway 1972 July 21 El Paso Herald-Post pg. B-6)
July 26,1972: Trini Guillen, who helped pitch Bowie High school to a state baseball championship in 1949, then moved to Jefferson High School and stared there as well, is now a high executive with the Southern Pacific Railroad. He has been in town the past few days and hosted a Dinner Party in one of the railroads private passenger cars for his close friends including H. R. Moye his former High School Coach.
Aug 3, 1972: Robert E. McKee and Zia Co. Merge to form Santa Fe Industries (A.T. & S.F.). (McKee, Zia will Merge into Santa Fe Industries 1972 Aug 3, El Paso Times Pg. 1-A, 2-A)
Aug 9 1972: The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus Famous Silver Streak train arrived in El Paso early in the morning. After unloading the Circus Paraded 3.7 miles from El Paso Union Depot to the County Coliseum. (Circus Train Arrive Here 1972 Aug 9 El Paso Herald-Post Pg. 2)
Aug 14, 1972: 22 freight cars derailed 3 miles east of Clint Texas resulting in delays to 11 trains while the mainline was cleared. (SP Mainline Cleared After Train Wreck 1972 Aug. 15 El Paso Herald-Post Pg. C-1)
Aug 22, 1972: A National Van Lines Truck failed to yield right of way to a Southern Pacific Train Crossing Airport Blvd at 8:25 pm resulting in the death of a passenger in the truck and charges of negligent Homicide due to the death of his passenger. (Man Meets Death in Collision of Truck, Train 1972 Aug 23 El Paso Times Pg. 1-A, Driver charged in Traffic Death 1972 Aug 23 El Paso Herald Post Section A Pg. 4)
Aug 27, 1972: 37 cars derailed between Marathan and Sanderson Texas delaying trains for 11.5 hours. The cause given for the number of derailments by the Southern Pacific Spokesman was the roadbed. (Train Derailed 1972 Aug 28, El Paso Herald-Post Pg. B-14.)
Sept 13, 1972: 139 members of the Southwestern Industrial traffic League and Southwest Shippers Advisory Board opened meetings today in El Paso at the Holiday Inn Downtown. The group composed of industrial traffic managers and railroad representatives from five states including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas. Representatives from the national offices of the American Association of Railroads in Washington, New York, Chicago, and St. Louis were also in attendance. This was their third meeting in El Paso since 1963 due to the insistence of W. L. Cooper of Southwestern Portland Cement Co. (Transport Meet Opens in El Paso 1972 Sept 14 El Paso Times Pg.1-B)
Nov 21, 1972: A Southern Pacific Railroad switchman died early Monday from injuries suffered when he was struck by a railroad car in the switch yards west of the Cotton Street overpass. Pronounced dead on arrival at Thomason General Hospital was Oscar E. Villareal 21. He was struck by a movement of cars that knocked him to the ground and resulting in severe head and right arm injuries. (Switchman Dies After Being Hit by Freight Cars 1972 Nov 21 El Paso Times Pg. 8-A)
1974
February 12,1974: Santa Fe promotes the first female Christene Gonzales now Christene Aldez be a locomotive engineer who happens to be from El Paso.
1980
June 1980: Southern Pacific San Antonio Division Brakeman F. L. Martin saves the life of a ten-year old boy who was in the path of the oncoming Tornillo Turn on its return to El Paso.
December 26: With the Federal Railroad administration present, former Southern Pacific 3420 passes a hydrostatic pressure test of the boiler in front of El Paso Union Depot.
1981
March 21, 22: 3420 is pulled from Display at El Paso Union Depot for restoration to operation.
July 1981: 3420 participates in 4 centuries 81
1982
December 22: The US Supreme court refused to block the Union Pacific acquisition of the Missouri Pacific and Western Pacific railroads. Union Pacific started the acquisition within hours of the decision. (Rail Merger Allowed to Stand, 1982 December 23, El Paso Times, Pg. 14, Col 1.)
1983
September 1983: 3420 arrives with its associated equipment at the Freeport McMoRan Copper Refinery.
1984
June 1984: 3420 and Southern Pacific 4449 double head thru El Paso as 4449 returns to Portland Oregon from the Louisiana World’s Fair.
1987
May 25, 1987: 36 cars of a 53-car freight train derailed between Juarez and Chihuahua resulting in the only line between the two cities to be closed for several days. Source for the above material El Paso Times.
1988
August 9, 1988: The Interstate Commerce Commission approved the purchase of the Southern Pacific Railroad by Rio Grande Industries for $1.2 billion.
1995
September 23, 1995: Burlington Northern and Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe become BNSF.
1996
September 11, 1996: Southern Pacific purchases Union Pacific and Southern Pacific changes it’s name to Union Pacific.
1997
July 1, 1997: Two Children were killed and two others injured when the vehicle they were traveling in trespassed in front of a freight train at a grade crossing off of Doniphan Dr. near the intersections of McArthur and Roosevelt. (Train Smashes Van, Killing Two Children 1997 July 02 El Paso Times pgs. 1A, 2A)
July 14, 1997: The adult driving a Ford Focus was killed and two were injured when the vehicle they were traveling in went around a lowered gate and into the path of an oncoming train at the Zaragosa Rd grade crossing. (Car vs. train 1 Dead 2 Hurt 1997 July 15 El Paso Herald pgs. A-1, A-7)
July 18, 1997: A man was struck and passed after sleeping on the tracks in Anthony, Texas (Man Falls Asleep on Train Tracks, Dies 1997 July 02 El Paso Times pg. Column 1B)
July 23, 1997: A adult visiting family in Fabens Texas dies after trespassing in front of the Sunset Limited (Train Fatalities Bring Federal Authority, 1997 July 25 El Paso Times pgs. A-1, A-2)
July 26, 1997: A 63-year-old man was killed while trespassing in a new pick up in Fabens Texas (6th Train Related Death Raises Safety Concerns, 1997 July 28 El Paso Times pgs. 1A, 2A)
Sept 21, 1997: Sunland Park New Mexico. In the same general area that the Southern Pacific rolled the steam derrick 7140 on June 17, 1986, Union Pacific derailed 7 cars blaming a mechanical problem that did not allow a wheel to negotiate a curve. 920 ft of track was torn up in the event. Apparently, a small amount of freight listed as “freight of all kinds” was hazardous. This meant it was small packages of potentially hazardous material. The article discusses complaints by the Texas Railroad Commission of how the federal government handled the Union Pacific Southern Pacific Merger. Never mind that the derailment happened in New Mexico and they never bring up what New Mexico thought of the situation. (Mechanical Problems Cause Train Derailment 1997 Sept 25 El Paso Times Pg.1-B)
2004
Aug 2004: The Centennial of the construction of Southern Pacific 3420.
2007
May 2007 The Sesquicentennial of the construction of El Paso & Southwestern #1.
This website is dedicated to preserving the history of Southern Pacific 3420 and the history of railroading in the Southwestern United States.
El Paso Railroad Timeline: Prior to 1881
El Paso Railroad Timeline: 1881-1895
El Paso Railroad Timeline: 1896-1910
El Paso Railroad Timeline: 1911-1924
El Paso Railroad Timeline: 1946-1960
El Paso Railroad Timeline: 1961-Present