CARTHAGE BRANCH - SAN ANTONIO TO CARTHAGE - SOCORRO CO, NM

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      September 20, 2001

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9.637 MILES
(By John M. Meade)
   
	Incorporated in New Mexico, January 16, 1892.  Sold to the Santa Fé, 
February 15, 1899.  Grading started March 1, 1881.  The Montoyas', a Mexican 
family of San Antonio, NM, had the contract for the first two miles.  John Scott 
had the balance of the grading.
   
   A. A. Robinson, Chief Engineer.  M. N. Wells, located the line and started the 
grading.  Succeeded W. C. Ellis, Resident Engineer, San Marcial, N. M. who 
finished the construction and bridging.  Telegraph line completed May 10th, 1883.  
Track completed San Antonio to Carthage, May lst, 1883.
   
   The operation of the Carthage branch was discontinued February 20, 1896. 
[After] February 20, 1896, all tracks, including both legs of the wye at San 
Antonio, were pulled up to Carthage.  The Howe truss bridge over the Rio Grande 
River at San Antonio, leading to the Carthage mines, was left standing and given 
to Socorro County by the Santa Fé Railway as was the old roadbed.

   The Fraley quarry spur was 2,195 feet long.  At one time there were valuable 
lime kilns on this spur, operated by Mr. J. B. Fraley, Train Master, San Marcial. 
After the Santa Fé pulled up the track, the New Mexico Midland relaid it and used 
our old bridge over the Rio Grande.  They are still operating the old line.  They 
have about 600 acres of good coal land and deliver our company six to eight cars 
a day at San Antonio.  They never paid the Santa Fé anything for the old roadbed, 
nor the old Howe Truss Bridge over the Rio Grande.  At one time there were 75 
coke ovens at San Antonio, all abandoned now.  The track was relaid with 56-lb. 
second-hand steel, pine untreated ties.  No rails on the Fraley quarry spur.  The 
new company (New Mexico Midland) extended the line about two miles above 
Carthage, making three spurs at the upper end.  There were about fifty company 
houses pulled down and moved to Cerrillos [Madrid].  The new company has a large 
store at Carthage and several other buildings.  They have a daily train service 
over the road.  The following are the directors of the new. road:-
	Powell Stackhouse, Jr.	San Antonio, NM
	Chas. B. Eddy	New York, N.Y.
	H. H. Brady		Scranton, Pa.
	Wm. McDougall	Carthage, NM
	E. C. Bechtel	San Antonio, NM


The following are officers:
	Powell Stackhouse	Pres. & Gen. Manager
	Chas. B. Eddy	Vice President
	E. C. Bechtel	Sec'y. & Treasurer

   A new charter war obtained by the road in 1904.  The east truss of the Howe 
Truss Bridge collapsed March 19, 1917 with an engine and two 100,000 pound coal 
cars on it.  The engine passed over safely before the accident occurred.  The 
balance of the train was removed by wrecker.  The accident was caused by the 
bridge being simply too old and weak to carry the load.  The old wooden piers 
have been replaced by concrete piers.