 CHIHUAHUA TO LOS MOCHIS
Points of Interest Along the Ferromex “Chepe” Railroad Line
LEAVING CHIHUAHUA
About one hour after you leave Chihuahua, you will go through a small range of mountains. It was in these small canyons that some of the first battles of the revolution were fought. Soon a stop will be made in the little town of San Andres. This is where Mrs. Villa was born, and it was also here that she met Pancho and married him I the little church you can see in the center of the town.
FARMING
As you continue, the road opens into a valley where you will see lots of cultivated lands. It is all dry farming, and the crops raised here are mainly corn and beans.
KILOMETER POST 380
At this point, to your left-hand side, a big plan can be seen. This is an Industrial Center.
LAKE
The lake you see to your right is called “Laguna de Bustillos”, a partly contaminated and very shallow natural lake.
MENNONITE COUNTRY
As you leave the little town of Anahuac, to your right will come in sight part of the Mennonite country. The small villages you see in the distance are where they live and are called “camps”.
TRADING CENTER
The next town you come to is Cuauhtemoc. It was named after the last Aztec Emperor, and it is here that the Mennonites do most of their trade and shopping.
ROUND HOUSE
Three hours have passed since you left Chihuahua. La Junta or Lopez Mateos station should be coming in sight by now. This is where most of the railroad shops were located. Some of them could be seen to the left. At this point another line branches north to Ciudad Juarez.
PINE COUNTRY
The rain will start climbing into timber country until you come to San Juanito, one of the main lumber towns along the line.
KILOMETER 563 – CONTINENTAL TUNNEL
To the right you can see part of the old line, the deviation of the line and the construction of this 4,134 foot tunnel, (second longest on the line) saving three kilometers in distance and achieving a 2% grade instead of 2.5% grade that existed.
CREEL STATION
You are now in the heart of the Tarahumara country. This is the center and the starting point for all the activities of the Tarahumara country. Beyond this point, small corn patches, where the Indians farm, will be seen on the hill sides.
KILOMETER 583
This point is called “Los Ojitos” and is the highest point on the line, 8,071 feet above sea level.
KILOMETER 585 – EL LAZO (THE LOOP)
From this point the unfolding of the line may be observed to form a loop and cross a tunnel precisely under the bridge you are crossing now.
KILOMETER 622 – DIVISADERO (LOOKOUT POINT)
This is where you will have a chance to take pictures of one of the main canyons, “Urique Canyon”.
KILOMETER 637 – SAN RAFAEL
This is a terminal. Some of the trains will change crews here. They will also take on water and fuel.
KILOMETER 704 – CUITECO
The orchards you see to your left are apple, growing practically wild along the creek. They are known to be the sweetest in the state.
KILOMETER 704 – TEMORIS
From this point you can observe the extraordinary development of the line unfolding in three levels. It was here that President of Mexico, Lic. Adolfo Lopez Mateos officially declared the line open, in November 23, 1962.
KILOMETER 728 – TACUINA
To your right and very close to the tracks, you will see the unusual sight of a tree growing out of a rock.
KILOMETER 748 – CHINIPAS BRIDGE
This is the highest bridge of the line, 335 feet high by 955 long.
KILOMETER 754 – LONGEST TUNNEL
This is tunnel number 86, the last and longest one of the line, 5,966 feet long.
KILOMETER 781 – RIO FUERTE BRIDGE
This is the longest bridge on the line, 1,837 feet long. It crosses the Rio Fuerte.
KILOMETER 883 – SAN BLAS TERMINAL
This is the connecting point with Ferromex “Chepe”. Your next stop a half hour from here will be Los Mochis.
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