I’ve done this once before with great success. I need help determining what Railroads were active in the New Mexico area during the late 1800’s. I mostly model freelance using East Coast 20th century stuff,so I’m not sure where to even start looking. If somebody that models that area could point me in the right direction,(historical society, RR roadnames, web sites, etc…) I would be indebted. I’ve found that there is a wealth of knowledge and willingness to help at this forum more than any other, so, in advance, thanks.
As of 1886 there was only one – the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company.
The best place to find the information you are seeking is the Libary of Congress. Just perform a Google search for Libary of Congress or go to http://www.loc.gov
You will find railroad maps dating from the early 1800s up through the early 1900s on this site, and can search by geographic area to find New Mexico. There is a link to a free viewer called Mr. Sid that you can download and view, enlarge, and print the maps offline, in addition to being able to zoom in or out on a particular map while on-line.