Above -The Super Chief (Chicago to Los Angeles) ran through
New Mexico from Raton to Albuquerque, and on through Gallup.
For many New Mexicans, either this train or others of the Santa Fe
(The Chief, The Grand Canyon, The Scout, The El Capitan,
The San Francisco Chief, The El Pasoan) would be their
ticket to the world beyond The Land of Enchantment.
.
For folks in Magdalena, it simply meant taking "The Maggie"
(as the train between Magdalena and Socorro was affectionately known)
to Socorro, and then getting on "The El Pasoan,"
which ran through the Rio Grande Valley between
El Paso and Albuquerque.
And there, you could head off -
to visit relatives, to do business, to go to war,
(and many did over the years),
or school, or vacation,
or maybe just to ride the train.
The video below is for the train lovers in the audience.
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