11/28/2011 Update

This page is being created for the 2012 International Convention being held in Temple. Santa Fe fans driving from the north or flying into DFW will find this helpful on their drive to Temple. A good map or Google Earth will help you find everything. The track chart of the Galveston Sub can be downloaded from this site.

Galveston has very little of the Santa Fe left to see. The beautiful division headquarters building at the head of the Strand is a landmark and home to the Galveston Railroad Museum. Unfortunately Hurricane Ike covered the depot tracks with 7' of water. Tank cars floated off of their trucks and passenger cars had 4' of water inside of them. some of those have been scrapped in place because of the corrosive damage of the salt water. A TK-J remains and the lobby has been restored.

The engine facilities and much of the yard has given way to parking for the cruise industry. If they are open, the Galveston Model Railroad Club is a definite item to see, located near the depot at 314 27th Street. Galveston also has a real street car if you want a nice tour of the city.

The Galveston causeway and bridge is a landmark that is also changing. The draw bridge is being replaced by a lift bridge that will double the width for marine shipping.

Leaving Galeston, Hwy. 6 parallels the track to Arcola. Along the way you will pass the Alto Loma depot which is located 3.5 miles north of the center of Hitchcock.

6.8 miles further along you will pass Argoa Jct. Mustang Road splits the wye. This is where the UP line from Bay City and Angleton joins the ATSF for trackage rights into Houston.

On into downtown Alvin (Loop 409, Hwy. 35) you will find the restored Santa Fe Depot. It is at the base of the wye leading up to Houston and west to Rosenberg.

There is nothing else Santa Fe to see until you get to downtown Rosenberg which is a long drive away. Hwy 6 will eventually lead you to US 59, Houston's Southwest Freeway. Take it west to Rosenberg. Exit US 59 on FM 762 and take it north to US 90A. Then take 90A west into Rosenberg. After going under the rail bridge you can take any of a number of roads to the north and follow the tracks into town. There are two tracks here. The Santa Fe is closest to the road, and the other is the SP Sunset route which will also have KCS and Amtrak traffic. When you get into town you will see the Rosenberg Railroad Museum at 3rd St. and the tracks. Tower 17 which stood 4 blocks west until recently guarded the ATSF/SP Diamond. In the old days, the SP went west and southwest from the diamond and the ATSF to the north. KCS purchased the southwest line and has rebuilit it to Victoria. Their intermodal yard is 15 miles away in Kendleton.

Leave Rosenberg on Hwy 36. You will take 36 all the way to Temple. The first station is Chips, location of the FritoLay plant. Great name. At Wallis you will notice the former location of a diamond with the SP line from Houston to Eagle Lake, now gone.

You can make a detour at Rosenberg and head over to Eagle Lake. It was on a branch from Sealy, but the Santa Fe depot remains (E. Lake and S. Main). From there you can head back to Sealy.

Sealy has a Santa Fe caboose just east of the rail line at Main St. and Frydek Road. There is also a diamond and connector there to the former MKT. UP has trackage rights from Sealy to Rosenberg. The UP line to the west goes to LaGrange and Smithville. The line to the east goes to Katy where it terminates.

Up the line is Bellville, once a major yard with roundhouse. It is all gone now with nothing to see. You can see the traces on Google Earth and the roundhouse site is clearly visible.

But in downtown Brenham you will find the former ATSF freight depot, now a private residence, on Business 36 at Peabody. This location was once the crossing of the SP from Houston to Austin with the Santa Fe, with the passenger station at the diamond. The track east ends at the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory (on loop FM 577) - long may it remain! The SP freight station also remains 4 blocks to the east on the siding at S. Market St.

Somerville is 10 miles up the road. Once the home of a Santa Fe tie plant, roundhouse, and other facilities, it now has no sign of the old days. The tie plant was sold to Koppers in 1995.. The engine facilities were inside the wye which connect the main to the branch to Silsbee, Beaumont, and Longview. There are always trains switching at this major junction. I know of no way to legally see the tie plant.

Caldwell is next, and again all signs of the ATSF are gone. The UP/SP/Cotton Belt goes under the ATSF in Caldwell and connectors make interchange possible. You can see where the Cotton Belt had a 3-4 track stub end yard in the bottoms of old town. There is a low traffic street bridge over the UP on S. Banks Street that gives good photo location.

Milano is the next stop, and another diamond. This time the MP/UP main from Navasota to Austin. The interchange tracks are gone as is the depot at the diamond. BNSF trans are frequently on the north side of the diamond waiting clearance to go south. Trains are usually fleeted on this line, so if you see one, another may not be far behind.

Cameron is one of the larger towns you will pass. As you enter town on Hwy. 36, the road will turn to the right but you will notice a street going straight up the hill by an elevator and over the track - go straight and you will end up at the town square. This is a fine example of an old Texas downtown. If you stay near the tracks you will see a collection of tanks - a former ink works. You will also see some cotton warehouses. A track cuts off here and heads east as well. This was a former track to Rosebud.

From here you continue to Temple. As you first enter Temple look for Loop 363 to the east. It will take you over the south end of the fuel racks. Another bridge on S. 30th takes you over the north end. There is usually lots of activity there.