Carlsbad, New Mexico

While looking at a railroad map of New Mexico, I saw that there are two branch lines heading east from Carlsbad, NM. I was wondering where these lines went, and what kind of traffic, they had, or still have. Thanks!

Phosphate mines.

They are still active, as is the branch that goes east down at Loving. As doghouse mentioned, they go to the mines, where potash trains are loaded. The local mine trains pull the cars each day, then take them to the La Huerta, or "new yard" as we call it, which is located northeast of the depot. Unit trains are then built, and these run daily, from Carlsbad to Clovis, where they are handed over to the BNSF. The Southwestern Railroad is the lessor/operator, of this line and the surrounding branchlines as well. Those potash trains are run using BNSF power, and trains over 14,000 tons are run out of Carlsbad as DP trains, with remote locos operated on the rear. Check out this link, for more info. SOUTHWESTERN I worked for this railroad in 2006, running the potash trains and grain trains, over the road. Hope this helps.....

Dusting off an old thread <cough>: ProgressiveRailroading.com

Brief, fair-use:

Rail expansion slated for crude-oil transload facility

Murex LLC and Cetane Energy LLC have agreed to a major capacity expansion of a crude-oil transloading facility in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Expected to be completed in the third quarter, the expansion will include a 100,000-barrel tank, additional lease automated custody transfer units for offloading trucks and expansion of the existing rail-car loading rack, Murex and Cetane officials said in a press release.
...

This is a line the BNSF took back from the Southwestern Railroad [??]a few years back. It's seeing more traffic these days, and apparently will see even more in the future.

BNSF reclaimed the Carlsbad sub from the Southwestern a couple of years back,Southwestern's down fall was the wreck at Hagerman,
where a switch was left lined for the passing siding and the WB train slammed into a parked train,NTSB calls this human error caused.
BNSF had leased power on both trains,most of the power was hauled away for possible repairs.

Everything south of the NM/Tx border has been abandoned,Loving Jct is where 2 branches wander off to Potash Mines in the area.