Mexican Canyon Trestle
by Steve Templeton
Title
Mexican Canyon Trestle
Artist
Steve Templeton
Medium
Photograph - Digital Photograph
Description
When you approach Cloudcroft, NM from the West, this old railroad trestle or bridge will not escape your attention.
It is the most prominent remaining structure of the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway which operated under various names from 1899 to 1947.
Built in 1899, the curved trestle has an overall length of 323 feet and rises 52 feet above the canyon floor. Vertical supports spaced 15 feet apart consist of 12" x 12" timbers. The rails (removed in 1948) and crossties were placed on 8"x16" stringers held together with three-quarter-inch bolts and cast iron spacers. In order to form the curve, the top part was built in 21 sections with 8"x16" timbers. There are 10 main timbers 15 feet in length in each of the 21 sections resting on footing blocks set 4 to 8 feet underground. Lateral, longitudinal, and diagonal wooden braces prevented sway and shifting of the trestle. A wooden guard rail ran along the track to keep the ties from bunching. Metal guard rails running outside the standard gauge rails prevented derailed trains from falling off the trestle.
This structure was one of 58 trestles built on the mountainous 32-mile route which also required a switchback and numerous sharp curves. After the route was abandoned in 1947, the rails were taken up and salvagers removed a few of the timbers. The trestle is still essentially intact, however, and is a striking feature of the landscape near Cloudcroft, NM
Uploaded
June 8th, 2022
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Viewed 2,415 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/23/2024 at 9:37 PM
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