Cloudcroft Power House

Cloudcroft Power House. . The railroad built this power plant during the summer of 1899 to provide power for the Pavilion and Lodge. Lines were extended to the business district of Cloudcroft, residences and later east to new electric water pumps near the present ski area. Hours of operation were limited, and the power was flashed on and off fifteen minutes before shutting down for the night., The plant was built down in the depression before you right in the center of a horseshoe bend in the main rail line leading to the depot. The power plant was often a passenger's first glimpse of Cloudcroft. Note the power lines still go down to the site of the plant!, The Southern Pacific Railroad sold the plant and all the local distribution lines in March 1941 to the fledgling Otero County Electric Cooperative (OCEC). This plant and another similar one at Wimsatt (Twin Forks) generated all the coop's power until the local electric system was connected to the regional Plains Electric Generation and Transmission Cooperative grid ca. 1951-52, The boilers in the plant initially burned cord wood but switched to coal shortly after the railroad was extended to a large coal mine at Dawson, NM in 1903. Oil discoveries in West Texas allowed another switch to more economical fuel oil sometime during the 1910s or 20s. This rail spur above the plant allowed fuel cars to be spotted conveniently next to a chute (later a pipe) dropping down to the plant., Otero County Electric Cooperative, Inc. - 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 us maintain these important paths through help nature and history, please contact us at nmrailstotrails.org or find us on Facebook at /NMRailstoTrails.