Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-11-30
Old Building
Plans Revived
The Old Belen Cutoff Means
Big Saving In Running Line
To The Coast

out NJ interview u few days ago.
which has been extensively copied by
other papers, regarding the prospec,
tive change of route OF the Santa Fe
trans-continentai lines. He was ap-
parently talking just TO work up bust
ness for himself but II recalls an old
Santa Fee plan that Is not by any
mea given up, but which has been
dormant for considerable time SO far
as construction Is concerned, says the
Topeka Herald. 1t is known on the
road as the Belen cutoff.
There has long been a desire to
avoid the mountains of northern New
Mexico and southern Colorado as
much as possible and get out of the
region of cloudbursts and storms-not
to abandon 1t utterly but to have
some other route to be depended upon,
To this end construction was begun,
several years ago, on a cutoff begin.
ming at Belen on the main line in
New Mexico near Albuquerque and
running eastward forty-five miles,
with the ultimate intention of build
ing to Texico on the Pecos Valley
line, just at the border between Texas
and New Mexico. But the work was
discontinued a year or more ago and
nothing has been done since. The
route proposed Is level, lowland coun-
try and almost a straight line. having
little in the way of difficult engineer
ing to overcome.
There was also another plan consid-
cred seriously. That proposition In
Guided building a line to Llano on the
Rock Island, and making a traffic ar
rangement with the Rock Island man
agement instead of building an en-.
tirely new line. but nothing ever
came of it.
Undoubtedly the completion Of this
cutoff would e a big saving IN
time for the passage of trains and
also a saving in power Try avoiding
the mountains. Many of the through
freight trains and some through pas
senger business could be sent over the
new route by way Of the Pecos Valley,
and it would lessen the congestion
on the old road in New Mexico, There
is no probability, however, OF any fur
Their action on this matter soon.
There is another Santa Fe dream
that will some day be realized. 1t
calls for the construction Of a line
from San Antonio. Tex, on the Gulf
system TO connect with the main line
in New Mexico. Nothing has ever
been done in the way Of construction,
except on paper. and there Ia no
movement o. foot to do anything
now: but il is one Of the possibilities
considered by the officials OF the
system. It would mean that all the
traffic from Texas to the coast would
be sent over the new route instead of
being routed north through Kansas
and then west and south over the
main line. IT Is only a pipe dream,
but pipe dreams are interesting as
showing what may be done. some day.
/, Harmon, brakeman on the Waldo
branch. accompanied by his wife
spent Sunday in Albuquerque.
Travelling Engineer John A.. Ross
came up from below yesterday at
ternoon.
Engine 915 is In the local shops
with a broken head, an accident that
never befalls her leather.faced pro
peller.
A Chicago business man by the
aame Of Pierce. with a party of ter
guests. passed through this city fol
the Grand Canyon and Los Angeles
in a special car attached to No. l yes
terday afternoon.
c. w. A. Dougherty and Miss Bes
sic Gould were united in marriage b,
Justice William Borchet In AlbuQuer
que Nov. %. Mr.. Dougherty Is cash
Ter at Ash Fork for the Santa Fe coas'
lines.
Conductor James Purcell has beer
granted a sixty-day lay-off and lief
Las Vegas yesterday afternoon on No
. for Kansas parts. J d. Burke has
been assigned to his way a durint
his absence.
Engineers A. +. Davis and Georg'
Sells have returned to this city from
their hunting trip to the yicinities o
Rincon and Cerrillos. They succeed
ed in bagging very little game TO
their pains and ammunition.