The
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as
Santa Fe or
AT&SF, was one of the larger
railroads in the United States. Chartered in February 1859, the railroad reached the
Kansas-
Colorado border in 1873 and
Pueblo, Colorado, in 1876. To create a demand for its services, the railroad set up
real estate offices and sold farm land from the land grants that it was awarded by
Congress. Despite the name, its main line never served
Santa Fe, New Mexico, as the terrain was too difficult; the town ultimately was reached by a
branch line from
Lamy.