WATER SERVICE RECORDS
Thatcher, Colorado

The Eastern Archives holds a system set of water service records covering all of the four regions of the Santa Fe as organized in the early 1960's. These records show the extensive facilities necessary to provide the steam locomotive with the abundant supply of water required as well as to supply domestic water for the railroad facilities along the line.

The records vary in historical completeness by region and time due to varying methods of updating the record. At times when facilities were retired the pages involved were removed from the record and lost to history. At other times they were simply marked as retired and left as part of the record. For the old New Mexico Division we have in the archive the original linens for the removed pages making a record which covers three eras of water service 1900-20, 1920-40,1940 to end of steam. We also hold an 1888 Western Grand Division water service ledger listing the water service facilities at each station of the Colorado Midland, Rio Grande, New Mexico and Western Divisions as of this date.

The detail of the record varies by region of the company with the Eastern region being the least extensive and the Western Region being the most extensive. The Eastern region records consist of a listing of facilities at each location and may be a sketch of building location. The other Regions add to this for most locations a station plot to scale on one or more pages and on the western Region large fold out plots of the station facilities. The Western Region adds to this well logs, machinery layout drawings for inside the pump house and an occasional drawing of the water tower, windmill etc.

Water Service 

	Western Region

		New Mexico Division

			Thatcher, Colorado 

			     Water Facilities Layout 1924 till cica the 40's
			      Scale 1=100â 8 x 54 price $1.50 

			      Pump House Machinery layout 8.5 x 11, price $.20
	
			      Well Log 8.5 x 11 price $.20			     

			      Water Facilities prior to 1924 
				2 sheets 8.5 x 11 price $.40