Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, usually shortened to the ATSF or just the Santa Fe Railway, ran through most of the western United States. It was chartered in 1859, began construction in Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and began expanding west over the next twenty years. Coincidentally, when the railroad actually reached New Mexico, the engineers in charge of the project decided against going through Santa Fe because of the mountains. It was only after the rail was established that a branch line was built to connect the city to the main line. When the railroad was completed, it was one of the earliest methods to cross from one side of the country to the other in a short time, and the rails remain in operation to this day. However, the company would not fare so well. In 1996, it merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad to form the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway.