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1929 Flood Photos
Ralph Lane Collection
San Marcial, NM
1929 Flood – Ralph Lane Collection
Ralph Lane grew up and went to school in San Marcial and graciously donated his photo collection to SCHS. His father worked for the
AT&SF railroad in San Marcial, and fortunate to have photos of the town both before and after the 1929 flood.
Lane's pre-flood
photos are here. Items were donated to SCHS by the Powell family.
Photo: SCHS/Lane collection
Flood waters breeching
the Rio Grande bridge
Photo: SCHS/Lane collection
View of railroad tracks at San Marcial being swamped by the flood waters. The levies held, but breached
due to the high water. Rio Grande left of images.
1929 Railroad flood damage
Railroad repair
AT&SF tracks were destroyed in places from San Acacia south to San Marcial, including the destruction of the bridge across the Rio Grande at San Marcial. This was a major artery for the railroad between the main line at Belen to Deming and El Paso and the southern route to California. Plus, at San Marcial, is where engines and crews were exchanged, engines fueled, etc. Freight and passenger trains were re-routed hundreds of miles with engineers and railroad crews displaced to keep the railroad running. Though the decision was made to abandon the San Marcial roundhouse and shops, repairing the tracks and rebuilding the Rio Grande bridge was a high priority and began immediately after the flood waters receded to get the Santa Fe "Southern Route" running again.
Photos: SCHS/Lane collection
Pile drivers being used to rebuild the San Marcial bridge across
the Rio Grande.
Getting the mainline through San Marcial open again was "job one" for the railroad.
San Marcial Flood Photos . . . water, water, everywhere
Collapsed houses
Railroad section house
after the flood
Someof the businesses
under the silt
People help to save a
neighbor's car
Catholic Church
before the flood
Catholic Church
after the flood
Photo: SCHS/Lane collection
Townspeople watching the flood from the wagon and auto bridge across the Rio Grande between Tiffany (north
of San Marcial) and Valverde. The bridge later collapsed during the 2nd flood and was never rebuilt, isolating Valverde.
Photo
Gallery
Socorro County Historical Society
Socorro, New Mexico, USA
0810/20b
Photo: SCHS/Lane collection
View after
bridge destruction
Photo: SCHS/Lane collection
Flood waters receding from the roundhouse
during the Aug. 13 flood
Photo: SCHS/Lane collection
Roundhouse being submerged during the Sept. 23 flood
Photo: SCHS/Lane collection
The "Section House" (crew's apartments) buried
in several feet of silt after the flood.
Photo: SCHS/Lane collection
Rio Grande river bed covered in silt following the flood
Photo: SCHS/Lane collection
Newly built and elevated track leading to the new bridge
Photos: SCHS/Lane collection
The
first passenger train to cross the new Rio Grande bridge at San Marcial following repairs. The AT&SF mainline was reopened
with some fanfare to celebrate the occasion
Click photos to enlarge
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