Rail Yards History
Albuquerque's original economic engine once employed nearly one-quarter of the City's workforce. Built throughout the late 1800's and early 1900's, the Albuquerque Rail Yards put the City on the map, and catalyzed the City's transformation from a farming village to a booming valley of innovation.
Timeline
1598 – “El Camino Real” Formally Established by the Spanish
1706 – Albuquerque Founded
1880’s – Rail Road Arrives, Establishes New Town Center Today Known as “Downtown”
1912-1924 – Rail Yards Rise, Employs 25% of Workforce
1926 – America’s Mainstreet Arrives “Route 66”
1940’s – WWII Employment Swells to Transport Troops and Goods
1950’s – Steam Engines Replaced with Diesel and Rail Yards Employment Declines
2007 – CABQ Acquires the Rail Yards
2008 – Rail yards Advisory Board Established
2014 – Development Plan Adopted; Rail Yards Market Opens
2018 – Contract with Master Developer Terminated; Mayor Tim Keller Makes Revitalization a Top Priority
Feb. 2019 – CABQ Demolishes Non-Historical Structures on North End
March 2019 – State of NM Allocates $7.5M to Rail Yards
Sept. 2019 – CABQ Removes 1150 Cubic Yards of Contaminated Soil on North End
Oct. 2019 – Rail yards Market has Record Year with Over 150K Visitors, 230 Vendors, and Annual Sales Over 1.1M
Nov. 2019 – CABQ Completes and Unveils New Plaza
2020 thru 2021: New roofs were put on the Boiler and Tender Repair Shop. The Flue Shop is now an occupiable building with HVAC, restrooms, and updated windows. Sewer and water utilities were extended up the spine of the site, providing hook-ups for all major buildings.
2021: Began design on 2nd streetscape improvements.
Historical Images
View and download historical images of the Rail Yards on Free ABQ Images.