5 Charming Old Railroad Towns In New Mexico

At one point, roughly one-third of all working men in Albuquerque were employed in railroad yards, showing just how deeply railroads shaped New Mexico’s economy and settlement patterns. Beginning in 1878, when the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway expanded into the territory, tracks brought with them boomtowns, tourism, and new infrastructure across the state. Towns like Las Vegas, Lamy, and Raton grew directly from these rail lines, while others still preserve depots, hotels, and working rail yards from that era.

Today, while the Golden Age of railroads has passed, these communities remain tied to that legacy. A handful of towns across New Mexico continue to showcase how train travel defined their streets and local routines, from historic depots to restored Harvey Houses and active rail lines that still pass through town.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas, New Mexico, is a true railroad boomtown. The Santa Fe Railroad rolled into town for the first time on July 4th, 1879, anointing Las Vegas as a New Mexican mercantile center and bringing with it plenty of trouble. Legend has it that many of the most prominent outlaws in the west have passed through Las Vegas - Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and Doc Holliday have all sworn that ‘this town isn’t big enough for the both of us.’

These days, the town doesn’t get the same rail traffic, nor are there many outlaws roaming in the midst. Instead, the town is centered on showcasing its historical railroad legacy. To see it, head to The Railroad District, a compact stretch of downtown along Railroad Avenue. You can travel by train here along Amtrak’s Southwest Chief and depart from the Las Vegas Railroad Depot, which doubles as a visitor center and a functioning station that has been welcoming train travelers since 1899. Wandering the streets, you might think that this town feels like a movie set. That's because it is. “No Country for Old Men,” “Red Dawn,” and “Blind Horizon” were all filmed in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Extend your trip with a stay at the Castañeda Hotel, a remodeled historic hotel that hosted the first-ever Rough Rider Reunion in 1899.

Lamy

This census-designated place was originally nothing more than a railroad station in the middle of nowhere. Located about 18 miles southeast of Santa Fe in the open high desert, this town exists because railroad engineers wanted to bypass Santa Fe’s steep 7,000-foot elevation. Lamy began as nothing more than a junction linking Santa Fe to the intercontinental train lines, and, aside from its proximity to Santa Fe during the secretive buildup of Los Alamos in the 1940s, it has largely remained a quiet railway junction.

Modern-day Lamy has around 100 residents. The town’s most famous landmark is the stucco walls and red tile roof of its Mission-style train depot. Across the street from the railroad is the “oldest operating bar in New Mexico,” known around these parts as the Legal Tender Saloon and Eating House. The saloon also houses the volunteer-run Lamy Railroad and History Museum. After watching trains roll through town, you can cross the tracks toward the nearby Galisteo Basin Preserve, where miles of easy desert trails wind through arroyos and rolling hills just minutes from the historic depot.

Chama

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is one of the highest and longest steam trains still running in America, and it departs from a historic depot in downtown Chama, one of two towns where you can still board this historic railroad. The steam lines that run through Chama take you on scenic journeys of 64 miles of New Mexico and Colorado wild country while ascending the Cumbres Pass, the highest elevation ever reached by a steam railroad in North America. You might recognize parts of the journey from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

The magic of this train ride begins in Chama, which preserves a still-functioning historic railyard. In this town, they still work on trains the old-fashioned way, complete with an operational roundhouse, coal tower, and steam engine maintenance on full display. Chama’s historic downtown plays the role of a historic railroad town perfectly. Walk past preserved storefronts that developed alongside the railroad boom and book a night at the Iron Rail Inn just steps from the depot.

Raton

The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad set up a maintenance stop on the southern end of the Raton Pass in 1880. Less than a year later, nearly 3,000 residents had moved in alongside the railroad, and hotels, saloons, and performance halls quickly followed, as well as flocks of rail passengers, coal miners, and traders. You can ride the same tracks that brought them here on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief route and retrace their steps along five blocks of historic downtown Raton.

You’ll enter town through the 1903 Santa Fe Depot, a Mission Revival-style structure that once handled regular passenger and freight service along one of the Southwest’s busiest rail corridors. From there, you can explore streets lined with Victorian brownstones and early commercial buildings, many constructed between the 1880s and 1910s during the railroad’s glory years. Grab a coffee at 111 Park Espresso Bar, housed inside a former saloon that serves delicious sausage burritos in the morning and lighter lunch options. You should also check the schedule at the Shuler Theater, a performance hall that’s over 100 years old and still hosting live shows. Stretch your legs a bit outside of town at the Sugarite Canyon State Park. One of the park's most iconic trails is the Coal Camp Interpretive Trail, which guides you through the remnants of the Sugarite Coal Mine.

Belen

Steel rails and Fred Harvey restaurants were once central to travel and dining in the rail era, and Belen still has both. Also called “the Hub,” Belen is home to one of the largest train depots in the Southwest, and still sees over 100 trains per day. For context on it all, head straight to the Belen Harvey House Museum right by the tracks. The building is a former Fred Harvey house that now serves as a cafe and museum. It features full exhibits on the Harvey Girls, icons during the railroad’s heyday who served meals in this depot and were allegedly the only single women for miles around. The museum also tells the story of the 1907 Belen Cutoff that made the town a major junction for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway.

Once you’ve learned the lay of the land, mosey on down a few blocks to Becker Avenue’s vibrant art scene and community gardens. Or, take a beer at Hub City Brewing, which has an outdoor patio next to the station where you can watch freight trains rolling into town while enjoying taco Tuesdays.

Take A Trip Through Rail Country

The trains came through New Mexico more than a century ago, and in a lot of ways, they’ve never left. These old railroad towns carry on the railroad's legacy, and many of them still serve as active or heritage rail stops. You can even ride into Raton, Las Vegas, and Lamy daily on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief Route. Take the train or plan a drive through the state’s rail country to spend time around the depots, museums, and small-town streets that developed thanks to rail travel.