Introduction
Albuquerque is an important locomotive repair center. It is involved in an extensive program of rehabilitation the railroad system that has been neglected for quiet some times. Albuquerque is located in Santa Fe at the junction of the low grade main transcontinental and the El Paso line. The two transport system lines that cross each other at Albuquerque are the main traffic arteries hence they are important to the economy of Santa Fe. The main purpose why the largest locomotive center was placed in Albuquerque was to enhance economic activities in the region.
Soon after the construction of the railroad in Albuquerque, an urban center started to mushroom in that area. The first shops in Albuquerque were built immediately after the main railway line was extended towards the coast. The construction of shops was a sign of more big things to come to that remote side of Santa Fe. The major construction that took place in Albuquerque was the construction of the repair shop of the railroad in 1881. The first repair shop was constructed with red sandstones walls that supported the tile roof and the frame trusses. Nonetheless the repair shop that was constructed did not last for long because of the weak materials that were used to construct it.
After the first layout of the repair shop become inadequate, more attention was pay to construction of new repair shop. Strategies were formulated on how the new repair shop will look like. A plan was also initiated on how the entirely new construction will be designed. All the stakeholders who were involved in the construction program of the new repair shop were of the opinion that the new construction should be constructed using strong materials for purposes of durability. After thorough consultation, it was agreed that the new repair shop should be constructed the same location where the old construction was located.
The program of constructing the new repair shop commenced in 1913 when an additional land was purchased in order to accommodate the new structure. The land was brought at the end of the old repair shop. By 1914 several units of the new repair shop was constructed. At the end of 1915 a store house, a frame car repair, a concrete carpenter shop, three lavatories and a frame coaling were already put in place. The construction process continued to progress smoothly without any problem until 1917. The construction process of the new repair house was dealt a big blow by the outbreak of the First World War. The services of all men were required in the military; hence all men who were involved in construction process went to fight. As a result, labor supply was cut causing the construction process to come to a standstill.
However, in July 1920 the construction process commence again after the war end. The construction site was cleared freshly to pave way for new structures to be constructed. This time round more attention was directed to the construction of the locomotive repair shop. Heavy and strong materials were used in constructing the locomotive repair shop. The building was to be used to store important railroad materials and facilities hence it was constructed using heavy and strong material to prevent theft of railroad materials. The locomotive repair house was mainly constructed using steel. The techniques that were used to construct the locomotive repair shop in Albuquerque are still used up to date to construct railroad.
