are known locally as “owl cars,” although the reason for the name is unkown. They remain the only Alcos in New Mexico. For the first ten years of operation, the
Alcos were the primary power. When the railroad was extended and electrified in 1984, two E60CP electric locomotives were purchased from Amtrak. Numbered LOE20 (ex-Amtrak 963) and LOE21 (ex-Amtrak 968), they were originally built to power Amtrak’s long distance passenger trains at high speed along the Northeast Corridor. The units did not live up to expectations and their speeds were limited far below what they were designed for. Before being placed in service on the Navajo Mine Railroad, the two units had their trucks replaced from retired Amtrak GE P30CH units. In 1995 New Jersey Transit E60CP No. 961 was added to the roster as LOE23. The three original electric units have since been retired and scrapped with the arrival of new power in 2005. Three former Ferrocarriles Nacionales
de México E60C locomotives numbered EA010, EA020 and EA021 were acquired to replace the E60CPs. They were built for NdeM in 1982 but never
turned a wheel since the line they would have operated on was shut down. Upon arrival in New Mexico, the units were extensively modified to operate on Navajo Mine’s 25,000 volt overhead catenary. Renumbered LOE32, LOE33, and LOE34, modifications included a large bulky box on top of the unit and platforms to raise the pantographs, since the cantenary wires are strung much higher than normal. The reason for the extra height is due to the numerous haul roads that use oversized mine trucks. Railings have also been added to both ends of the locomotives.
Operations and Railfanning Finding the railroad is relatively
easy. Farmington is a good three hour drive up U.S. 550 from Albuquerque via Bernalillo. Once in Farmington, follow U.S. 64 west. After passing through Kirtland, turn left onto County Road 6675, then turn right onto N 367. N 367 will turn into Indian Service Road 5086, and continue straight. As you approach Morgan Lake, you will see the power plant. Be mindful to keep to public areas. Operations on the Navajo Mine
Railroad are straightforward. Two trains of 20 cars are operated during three shifts five days a week, Monday through Friday. If output of the plant needs to be increased, service will operate on Saturdays. The trains make approximately 12 round trips a day, six for each set. While one train is at the power plant unloading, the one-man crew switches to the other train set and takes it south to be loaded. The railroad itself is capable of operating three trains at once, but historically only two are run at any given time, and the frequency of the trains is dependent on the amount of stockpiled coal at the plant. The southbound trip is led by a non- powered owl car, while the northbound trip is led by one of the former NdeM electrics. This makes perfect sense because the railroad does not have a loop at either end of the railroad, and because the trains are loaded with a front end loader, and are dumped at the plant itself. One of the main reasons the railroad
is not very well known is because of its inaccessibility. Only two locations on the railroad are open to the public. The first one is at the plant itself, where a public
BELOW: Navajo Mine No. LOD 7 (ex N&W No. 1000), pulls forward with empties heading back to the open pit mine. The owl cab-control cars have their radiators and exhausts plated over, but the Alco 251 prime mover is still believed to be inside the car body. JAMES HICKEY PHOTO
32 DECEMBER 2015 •
RAILFAN.COM
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