I found that the road between the park and the railroad track is a nice place to walk. I go for walks there occasionally now. You see things when walking that are missed when driving.

2022  More railroad walks.

February 2022

I saw this machine on a side track. More machines were on a side track further south. They repair and maintain the tracks. A homeless camp under a tree west of the tracks had an arch, a shelter, made from a reed screen and some fencing. The usual trash and cloth things too. Homeless people are often mentally ill and/or drug addicts too. The Palace of the Homeless King is gone. It was a mound of concrete chunks, dirt, tarps, and outdoor chairs. Only the chunks remain. No longer a mound. Tents appeared under the bridge. Some time ago a large red tent was there. Maybe this one is it but not fully assembled.

I saw some trees west of the electrical station and decided to explore. I passed the machinery for the city's electricity. Interesting but photographing such things is frowned upon due to concerns of sabotage. So no photos of that. Walking toward the trees I saw the old sawmill from a different viewpoint. A large concrete object covered with graffiti was beside the road. It seems to be solid. It is about 7ft (2.14m) tall. Several electrical things were on the ground around the electrical station. Steel cables, metal things for cables, and these insulators. The brown parts are about as large as a dinner plate. There were no paths into the trees and the grove was protected by reeds. There were no camps, kids forts or tree houses, or other items there.

The long park east of the tracks has its own tracks. The Toy Train Depot operates a small amusement park train here. These passenger cars await repair. An old kaboose is here. The depot has model trains and equipment and historical information. The tracks encircle part of the park. People enjoy riding the train when it is operating.

One and one half minutes of train.

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2021

I saw a great kid's fort or homeless mansion at the intersection of two large ditches. That place is not visible from roads. Large pieces of concrete with a dirt mound over them provided the base for a tarp and other cloth things. On top of the mound was a folding yard chair. A throne to survey his kingdom. Later I saw someone there who looked like a homeless person. One time I explored some trees visible from first street across the tracks. There was a ditch there and a few homeless camps.

These reeds grow along the back of the fenced part of the park. The railroad tracks, old saw mill and some other abandoned buildings are to the west. I want to do urban exploring in those buildings but there are probably cameras to catch trespassers. The saw mill opened in 1899 and closed in 2001 when it was operated by the Mescalero Apache tribe. The cone of "tee pee" burner is still there. When it was operating people would get the burned sawdust to use in gardens. I don't know the history of the Community Public Service Company.

Years ago there was a missile park where missiles from White Sands Missile Range were displayed. Some of those missiles are now in a fenced area west of the tracks.

I went farther south, on the edge of town, and saw a building with artwork and "I like your face" painted on a wall. Then I heard music. The singer spoke thanking the audience and servers so it was live music. It came from the yellow building with several parked cars, people walking, and festive lighting. I thought of the possibility that it was a speakeasy where people were semi-secretly gathering and acting normal, avoiding restrictions. Further investigation revealed it is the 575 Brewing Company.

It has been a mild winter but it got cold around the middle of February. The only reasonable thing I could do was go for a walk while it was snowing. 19F (-7.2C)

Three minutes of train.

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