I have a trip to Las Vegas planned in two weeks. Any info on lines, best places to watch trains, etc would be appreciated. Many thanks. John M
I suspect that when you speak of traveling to “Las Vegas,” you are referring to Las Vegas NV, freight trains through which others can report. If you were referring to Las Vegas NM, then in addition to freight there is the Amtrak SOUTHWEST CHIEF, eastbound arriving at 3:03 pm local time each day and westbound arriving at 12:39 pm each day. The NM town has some interesting sites.
Lost Wages, NM? - Better be sure to bring some protection. (Rough Town - County seat of the poorest county in NM)
Is the roundhouse still standing in Las Vegas, NM? I see on Google Earth that it was still up six years ago and Street View shows it still standing as well. I always got a kick out of seeing that, but it’s been over 20 years since I’ve been through there.
I’ll presume the request is concerns Las Vegas, Nevada, with perhaps 16 trains each day.
60 miles north of town and 60 miles south the UP tracks basically follow I-15, which a frontage road in some area on the south area. Check MapQuest or one of the other map websites to get a feel for what is out there.
Sloan on the south is an interesting place. Jean is also.
On the north, Apex is cool. Garnet and Dry Lake are fascinating and scenic. North of Dry Lake the track is on an elevated embankment
If Las Vegas, New Mexico is mean … Well, there are no trains to see, except a single Amtrak each way.
If you have a free day and your significant other has other plans (The Forum Shops?), you could head south on I-15 to Barstow. It’s a little over three hours one way from Lost Wages but it’s well worth the drive. The traffic on BNSF and UP is fairly heavy and there are shady spots by the Barstow station.
Still there as of March along with the Roundhouse Foreman’s office plus the depot and freighthouse uptown (and the Harvey House/ La Castaneda - which I understand is suffering) …If you ever saw “Red Dawn” (Patrick Swayze et al), then you saw Las Vegas NM (Oh the wild stories from that!)
http://lasvegasnmcchp.com/tours/railroad/5center.htm
(Methinks old Diningcar spent time there when it still was the Headquarters of the old ATSF New Mexico Division along with John Harsh)
http://atsf.railfan.net/structures/round.html
How rough is Las Vegas, NM? - Only place I know of where the hubcaps get stolen with the car still moving…(Old Molly L., the agent at Las Vegas for eons, used to blame the town’s troubles on “hippies, drug addicts and college students” in the 1980’s)
My “muddy” friend sometimes tells too much, not really.
Yes, I worked in Las Vegas, NM as a young engineer.on the former New Mexico Division. I have had a room in the Castenada hotel in 1957 when it was still (partially) operated as a hotel. But not by Fred Harvey.
Additionally, in my later (much) position I was Santa Fe’s negotiator when the round house was sold.