With the discussion of the railcars that carried livestock, I was wondering of places that have preserved stockyards (or at least abandoned but surviving)

Hackettstown, NJ on the DL&W. Stockyard still in place. Last time I looked the ramps up to a now torn out siding were still there. No idea when the last stock car was spotted there, but the company (Livestock Cooperative Auction Market of North Jersey) is stilll in business with cattle arriving by truck.

The Cumbres & Toltec has preserved stockpens at Chama, NM, Lobato, NM, and Osier, CO. All are of course ex-D&RGW.

There is the Ft. Worth Stockyards.

Also a stockyards at Ft. Smith, AR that is pretty old, looks like it MIGHT Of been served by rail at one point?

The National Park Service at Cimarron, Colorado, has recreated stock pens used by the narrow-gauge D&GRW and has real stock cars at them. Cimarron is located between Gunnison and Montrose.

NPS: Historic Cimarron

As I recall, there is an abandoned cattle pen with chute along the Grand Canyon Ry. at Quivero, and another one/set along the now-abandoned Santa Fe line between Abra/Paulden and Prescott at Jerome Junction, on the east side of present-day Chino Valley.

Hi,

It was mentioned that Chama NM (C&TS) has an ex-D&RGW stock pen that loads on one leg of the Wye.

The stock pens near Lobato Bridge are still there but I think the railroad related loding chute is gone. I think the same is true at Osier CO.

There has been discussion to have some cowhands drive a few steers into the Chama pens and loading them for a short run on the C&TS. I think it has happend once (during the past 8-10 years) but I do not recall if this reinactment actually happened.

It would be a heck of a job to clean out a stock car after that reenactment.

Doug vV

In the surviving category are the rail served portions of the St. Joseph Stockyards in St. Joseph, MO. Went on a bus tour of the place earlier this month and had a chance to walk though the active portions of the sale barn operation. Feeder calves were being sold the day we were there. Livestock pens still border an unused side track served by one complete and one partial loading/unloading ramp for rail cars. Older portions of the runways were surfaced with brick pavers, newer portions were covered with concrete. Saw a number of old style switchlocks on some of the pen gates. No longer used, I did find one that would open with a switchkey. Our tour guide had been with the stockyards far enough back to remember when hogs for Farmer John were shipped out by rail.
Alex Huff