Rough Riders Rail Rehab Organization

09/27/2026

It was a beautiful day Saturday, meeting new faces and familiar ones as well. We had a good time and we were proud to be there and represent the incredible railroad history of Las Vegas, New Mexico! We hope you all enjoyed all of the artifacts and information and we look forward to attending the New Mexico Railroad Days again next year.

God bless you riders,

Have a safe day!

09/24/2026

Good morning Riders!

We've been busy as usual but we haven't forgotten you. We are excited to announce that we will be present at New Mexico railroad days on the 26th and the 27th. We have brought some VERY exciting items that will surely intrigue guests and we look forward to sharing more wisdom and information we have regarding the organization and our next steps while celebrating New Mexico's railroad heritage! The event can be found on New Mexico Heritage Rail page.

Below is a great example of the original design of these prairie locomotives as delivered by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. These engines were quite handsome in those days and had some eye-catching features. One of those features, that shocks many is those spoked drivers. At 69" these engines could manage speed and pulling power in the early 20th century. Talk about TALL!

Another interesting fact brought to us by renowned engine (and bridge) preservationist Jason Sobczynski is 1129's L2,L4,R2,R4 Drivers which are not solid castings like the L3,L4 center drivers, but welded sections. This oddly might explain an early newspaper article of "burnt up drivers" on 1129 sometime in her career. While it could very well be the case that it was as simple as swapping tires, these spoked wheels were eventually destined for retirement. Thankfully they kept the spoke wheel design on engine 1129, rather than moving her to a mismatched or completely different set, which was all too common on prairie engines. They were frequent visitors at the shops for modifications out of necessity. 1129 still boasts some surprisingly unique features that you wouldn't know unless you were looking. Can't wait to share more in the future!

While we gear up, we wanted to share our gratitude to all patrons who have continued to support and encourage our work. There is so much to do here, and we are truly grateful for everything! Wishing you a happy Thursday!

We will see you there!

07/04/2026

Good morning Riders,

Wishing you a very happy 4th of July!

With the Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America, we figure we ought to come out with some news!

1. We owe a big thank you to Las Vegas First for giving us an opportunity to present our needs as an upcoming non-profit. With that Las Vegas First has raised the rest of our needed funding to officiate our filings as a 501c3. We owe them a major debt of gratitude and to the exuberant and kind Susie Tystee for her setting up a meeting to move us in the right direction.

2. A MJAOR thank you to Lawrence Lolo Medina who saw our needs to obtain our 501c3 status as a cry for wisdom. After speaking with Lolo, he set us on a direct and sure path to develop a comprehensive plan for the non-profits structure. In doing so, he has aided the organization in major movement for the application process and we look to working with him more to refine the organization and become the best version of itself it can. THANK YOU!

3. We have officially developed our Bylaws for the organization and our newest elected board members to start the non-profit have been given their respective titles. While there is much to do, and roles may change, these are the founding members of this organization and have assisted in the development of the organization since day 1.

4. Our board members: Brooks Potts Barbara Elwood , Dave Elwood, Chip Meston, Mariah Williams, which we will introduce shortly via an additional post. Some of these names the railroad community knows quite well, while others are beginning their journey with a new organization and are similarly driven by historic rail preservation!

5. We have acquired an AT&SFRy Locomotive Oiler (22") believed to be an Eagle. The provenance of this locomotive oiler has a major connection to the community of Las Vegas, NM. Owner Ray Tafoya of the Stern and Nahm building on Bridge streets father worked a stint for the Santa Fe, although he didn't retire, he was also a major collector throughout his life in Northern New Mexico. With it, he came into possession of this artifact. Ray has dwelled on letting go of this artifact for the past 2 years and we've always encouraged a new life for it on display for the community. These really spell out the mutual relationship of man and his machine. He agreed that something that was responsible for keeping the machines that moved the nation going, was worth it! While the artifact itself was not donated, as a member of the community of Las Vegas and as someone who cares about protecting that history and supporting local causes that benefit the community, the credit goes to him. This artifact will then move into a larger comprehensive donation from Brooks Potts' personal collection of local artifacts.

Happy 4th! Be safe and enjoy your day!

The 4ro Team

04/25/2026

04/05/2026

Happy Easter to all our friends and family who grace us with their love, wisdom, and warmth. Tomorrow is a day of wholeness, rebirth, and fresh beginnings. Whether you’re observing this profound holiday symbolizing the resurrection, or simply celebrating for the joy of it—have fun! Enjoy yourselves and spread kindness.

A little joy goes a long way!

P.S. To our fellow preservation outfits: please let that wily hare know he needs to stop storing his eggs in the smokebox—it’s NOT fun to clean up afterward! Shame on you, bunny. Shame!

04/02/2026

Brooks has been up to something!

Getting creative with advertising and having a keepsake can generate interest and excitement for patrons and friends. We have partnered with Warlocks Musings LLC to design a fun way for our patrons to take 1129 on the go with you!

Local companies are a great way to grow communities, and this company has great ambition and ideas! We will reveal the final product soon!

In the mean time, guess what it could be 😉

01/16/2026

Putting a long-standing rumor to rest regarding the original tender of locomotive No. 1129: at one point, this rumor circulated widely through various channels and eventually reached us as well (or rather, our ears). The claim was that 1129’s tender had been attached to one of her sisters in the class—specifically No. 1096, which was donated to the City of Blackwell, Oklahoma. Based on visual evidence alone, this seemed highly unlikely, but as with all things, the proof is in the pudding.

Many thanks to expert Melissa from the Top of Oklahoma Museum! We spoke with her regarding the park locomotive, and she was kind enough to stop by the park on her way home from work to photograph the tender badge. These images finally put to bed the rumor that 1129’s tender escaped the cutter’s torch, or certainly is MIA.

Now, eagle-eyed railfans may notice that the number on the tender corresponds with some famous motive power that had a very short lifespan on the Santa Fe system—the Mallets. As the badge reads, “1194.” These powerful machines were scrapped during the 1930s after suffering from significant mechanical problems and upkeep. The earlier iterations of these then-unusual locomotives were built by the Santa Fe in the Topeka shops in an effort to reduce lateral forces while working mountain-grade territory as passengers engines. That's a big "HMMM"...

A more rigid design resulted in significant force being applied to the outer rail during operation, leading to possible track failures and derailments. There are references in literature to dragging brakes, and lack-there-of on these monsters. The tender behind No. 1096 stands as a quiet reminder of the early advancement into articulated locomotive design—an evolution that can be seen on full display today in Western Maryland Scenic’s No. 1309 and Union Pacific’s Big Boy based in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Have a good one riders,

The 4ro team

01/13/2026

Sometimes a comment really catches our attention. We thought this one was particularly interesting on Rockierubicon's YouTube video about 1129.

Apparently, Las Vegas, Nevada is "The original Vegas." Having lived in Sin City for 7 years, Brooks Potts can confidently say that in the race to be the "original," New Mexico leaves everyone else in the dust!

The Historic record of New Mexico, and specifically Las Vegas is MUCH longer and if you haven't visited Las Vegas New Mexico, or plan to visit the land of enchantment, add Las Vegas on your list of places to go! You will not be disappointed!

As for locomotive 1129, in due time!

01/01/2026

2026 is here!

We wanted to share this special photo with you. While conducting research, we discovered a file containing what appear to be photo negatives of Locomotive 1129 being moved through Las Vegas, New Mexico, at the time of its donation. These negatives also include images of scores of individuals who helped cosmetically clean up the engine years later, as well as those who witnessed its official placement.

Locomotive 1129 faced major hurdles after its donation. One significant challenge was vandalism—many locals and newspaper articles documented the issue well, from BB guns puncturing the boiler jacket to petty theft. Eventually, a fence was installed to protect 1129, though it wasn't quite enough to fully safeguard her.

From the community's perspective, families fondly recall climbing into her cab, imagining themselves opening the throttle and becoming engineers for a moment. She served as a platform for local dreamers to briefly experience the feel of 200 tons of steel and steam power, sitting in the same seats occupied by countless engineers and firemen over her 50 years of operation.

As we continue our efforts to preserve her, please enjoy this special photograph of Locomotive 1129 arriving at her new home on the corner of Mills and Grand Ave.

Happy New Year, Riders!

The 4ro team

12/29/2025

Existing along the i25 between Santa Fe and Trinidad we get the fortune of other preservation outfits, enthusiasts, and steam locomotive professionals making pit stops by this little slice of railroading heaven.. One who frankly needs no introduction is Jason Sobczynski, or That Steam Guy for those that consume his content regularly. Jason has been involved in steam preservation for the better part of 14 years citing early influences from the famously known Southern Pacific's no.4449 (or daylight) at a crossing when he was 4 years old being the spark for his future in steam engine preservation.

Jason has an extensive mental repository of locomotive know-how, and something he finds to be a major motivating factor is the sharing of knowledge to do things right! While being contracted to assist the New Mexico Heritage Rail in a major turntable restoration at the Albuquerque rail yards we reached out to see if he would like to breath in that Meadow City air, and indulge in our incredible history here. It was an impromptu request but yesterday Jason popped up with friends in tow eagerly awaiting a tour. We showed Jason around Vegas and all of it's incredible railroad history. We also had a walk around 1129, and there were many things Jason found interesting, unusual, and outright crazy!

Jason has given us many things to think about. In the meantime we appreciate the visit and we hope you had safe travels back down to ABQ Jason! If you haven't already, go check out Jason's content. He posts daily to encourage preservation, and has a knack for all things steam! You may even learn something you didn't know that may cause you to become just as mad as we all are to preserve and protect these mighty machines!

Best wishes and a Happy New Year Riders,

The 4RO team