Colmor Cutoff
While in northeast portion of New Mexico, I thought Iβd check out a railroad that never quite got completely built: Santa Feβs Colmor Cutoff. These bridge abutments are some hard evidence that it existed, found in Mt. Dora, near Clayton.
As part of its sprawling system, the ATSF began a line between Boise City, Texas, and Colmor, New Mexico, practically mirroring the Cimarron Route of the precursor Santa Fe Trail.This line would be abandoned just 35 miles short of its completion (Colmor), though trains did run on this section prior to being shut down. A route further south would be favored over this oneβthe Belen Cutoff.
Go to this link if you're interested in more information on this line.
This location, Clayton, New Mexico, is adjacent to an area of truly dark sky, so I had planned to shoot the Milky Way; it made sense to combine my two interests.
Process: cyanotype on Stonehenge
Image size: 5.5 x 8 inches; paper size: 8 x 10 inches
Capture made prior to dawn on April 27th 2023
