La Junta, CO The Capri Motel and other stuff Part 1 in Tales of the Jointed Track

I crew changed here on the Interdivisional “Q” trains in the late 80’s to early 90’s. La Junta was 2200 population at that time. It is the county seat for Otero County. I visited La Junta, while working the local in 2008, on my days off, to attend a retirement party. It said POP 3100, so sadly the town is on the decline. It is mostly Ranching and Agriculture, or the BNSF Railway (former Santa Fe ).

So lets take a tour of this old crew change town. La Junta on the Santa Fe went basically four directions out of the terminal. La Junta to Dodge City,KS. La Junta to Boise City, via Las Animas,CO at Las Animas Jct. La Junta to Raton, NM via the Second Subdivision. La Junta to Pueblo, via the Pueblo Sub. There were various branch lines as well. The AV, CV, Lamar,Garden City and Manter Districts have been either sold off or abandoned.

The Capri Motel La Junta,CO

This was our layover place. It was probably the most “modern” motel that the railroad endorsed. It was manned 24 hours a day, but if the clerk wasn’t there, the yellow tags in the Key compartments, meant a vacant room. You then took the key, signed the log, and took the yellow tag out. A spiral notebook, you logged that and the tag. Gotta love it. You Executives, and business people, how would that work for you? HARRRRRRRRRR.

An older 60’s photo of the Capri in La Junta. Hasn’t changed much. Was shut down, when I went to a retirement party in 2008.

A Capri Motel key LOL who knew

There was in Downtown La Junta the Kit Carson. This was probably a great Hotel in its day. One block from the La Junta train depot.

An old black and white of the Kit Carson, time period unknown, I’d say 40’s or 50’s

A newer shot of the old Kit Carson Hotel

I never had the privilege of staying at the Kit Carson, but knew many that did. It basically turned into a flop house, and a bad place to stay. The Lodging Committee for the Santa Fe, Union and Company, met and toured the “Kit” and deemed it unacceptable. That is when the Capri came into our railroad lives.

An old neon sign Better times for the Kit Carson

A picture of the demolition of the Kit Carson Hotel in 2012