County of locomotive: Santa Fe County
Location of locomotive: Main St. (NM-14) & Firehouse Lane, Coal Mine Museum, Madrid
Phone:
I was traveling the Turquoise Highway (NM-14) with my son and a friend of his. We were returning from San Diego California, where he (my son) had just graduated from US Marine Corps Boot Camp.
I was not a knowledgeable Waymarker beck then, and only took photos of the sinking locomotive. Foolish me, so much I missed here.
"One of twenty-nine Class 759 Consolidation (2-8-0) type locomotives built by the Richmond Locomotive Works in Richmond, VA, in 1900, this locomotive was delivered to the AT&SF subsidiary, the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad as #266. In 1902, when the SFP was merged into the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, it was renumbered #3045, later #769.
"The locomotive was sold to the Albuquerque & Los Cerrillos Coal Company in 1950 along with ATSF 2-8-0s #870 and #874 (you can see #870 on the ATSF #870 page of this website). The engines worked at the coal mine in Madrid, NM, located at the end of a branch extending south from the Santa Fe main at Waldo, NM. #769 was never renumbered or relettered. The mine closed in 1959 as a result of declining coal markets, and Madrid became something of a ghost town. #769 and #870 were abandoned on site and left to rust. For some reason, #769 was parked just outside the old single stall enginehouse, which might otherwise have given it some protection from the elements during the years it has sat neglected in Madrid.
"#769 has an engine wheelbase of 23’ 5” and driver wheelbase of 15’ 4”, weighing 173,080 lbs, 154,880 on its 57” drivers. With a 30 sq ft grate, 183 sq ft firebox and total heating surface of 2,190 sq ft, it operated at a boiler pressure of 200 psi delivering 39,458 lbs tractive effort. It has 21” x 30” cylinders and is equipped with inside Stephenson valve gear. The tender weighs 105,000 lbs light and has a capacity of 6,000 gallons of water and 8½ tons of coal.
"You can see another AT&SF 759 Class Consolidation on the ATSF #761 page of this website. The only other survivor of the class, #762, is in Chanute, KS." ~ rgusrail.com