Cloudcroft Water Tank

Cloudcroft Water Tank. Village of Cloudcroft. Steam engines need water... Lots of it! There were three water stops - El Valle, Wooten, and Cloudcroft - on the Alamogordo and Sacramento Railway between Alamogordo and its end at Russia, four miles south of Cloudcroft., The water came from Pumphouse Canyon at the east end of the Cloudcroft ski area and was pumped uphill by steam powered pumps., Prior to the 1920s Cloudcroft was, in fact, not a railroad town. There were no railroad repair shops, no crew changes, and very limited supplies for maintenance of the railway. The youngster in the bottom right of this historic photo is probably thinking about how to persuade the conductor to let him ride along with the train., This motorcar house was about 150 feet south of the water tank. The motor car was used by the section crew to inspect and maintain track, bridges, and buildings near Cloudcroft., Made possible by the Evon and Esther Sheldon Trust, helping to preserve local history. , This sign was created and is actively maintained by volunteers from the New Mexico Rails-to-Trails Association-501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization - in partnership with the Village of Cloudcroft. For more information or to find out how you can help us maintain these important paths through nature and history, please contact us at nmreilstotrails.org or find us on Facebook at /NMRailstoTrails.