Arizona and California Railroad#Arizona and California Railway
{{Short description|Short line railroad in the Southwestern United States}}
{{Infobox rail
| railroad_name=Arizona and California Railroad
| logo_filename=Arizona and California Railroad (logo).png
| logo_size=100
| marks=ARZC
| system_map=Arizona & California Railroad system map (2011-).png
| map_size=300
| locale=Mojave Desert - Sonoran Desert| start_year=May 9, 1991
| end_year=
| gauge = {{Track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| hq_city=Parker, Arizona
| length={{convert|205|mi|km}}
| website={{URL|gwrr.com/arzc}}
}}
{{maplink|frame=yes|from=Arizona_and_California_Railroad.map|type=line|stroke-width=|stroke-color=|text=🔴 ARZC Cadiz Subdivision 🔵 Trackage Rights over the BNSF Phoenix Subdivision}}The Arizona and California Railroad {{Reporting mark|ARZC}} is a class III short line railroad that was a subdivision of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). The ARZC began operations on May 9, 1991, when David Parkinson of the ParkSierra RailGroup purchased the line from the Santa Fe Railway. ParkSierra Railgroup was purchased in January 2002 by shortline railroad holding company RailAmerica. The Genesee & Wyoming shortline railroad holding company purchased RailAmerica in December 2012. ARZC's main commodities are petroleum gas, steel, and lumber; the railroad hauls around 12,000 carloads per year.{{cite journal|date=June 2010|title=RailAmerica's Empire|journal=Trains Magazine|publisher=Kalmbach Publishing}}
Route
{{Arizona and California Railroad|collapse=y}}At Cadiz, California, the railroad begins in the interchange with the BNSF Railway and continues southeast across the Mojave Desert to Rice, then east to cross the Colorado River Arizona/California state line at Parker, Arizona. The railroad continues southeast to Hope near Vicksburg then northeast to Matthie (near Wickenburg, Arizona). At Matthie, ARZC has trackage rights over the north-south BNSF line that connects Phoenix to BNSF's mainline at Williams. It also had a branch that runs from Rice south through Blythe, terminating at Ripley.
Arizona & California operates over {{Convert|262|mi}} of track, consisting of the following segments:
- {{Convert|191|mi|adj=on}} mainline between Cadiz, CA (BNSF interchange) and Matthie, AZ (BNSF interchange).
- {{Convert|4|mi|adj=on}} spur at Rice, CA for railcar storage, formerly part of the abandoned {{Convert|50|mi|adj=on}} Rice-Ripley branch.
- {{Convert|2.5|mi|adj=on}} loop at Utting, AZ for Rose Acre Farms' Lone Cactus Egg Farm.{{Cite web|title=Grain Terminal and Railroad Line at Rose Acre Farms Dedicated|url=https://www.goodegg.com/news/2018/12/20/grain-terminal-and-railroad-line-at-rose-acre-farms-dedicated|access-date=2022-01-01|website=www.goodegg.com}}{{Cite web|title=Chicken Diesel: The Story Behind Our Rose Acre Farms MP15AC {{!}} MTH Electric Trains|url=https://www.mthtrains.com/blog/chicken-diesel-story-behind-our-rose-acre-farms-mp15ac|access-date=2022-01-01|website=www.mthtrains.com}}
- {{Convert|57|mi}} of trackage rights over the BNSF Railway between Matthie, AZ and Phoenix, AZ (UP interchange).
History
=Arizona and California Railway=
File: Parker-Arizona and California Railroad Bridge-1908.jpg
The mainline now used by ARZC was originally constructed between 1903 and 1910 by the Arizona and California Railway. The line between A&C Junction, AZ, and Parker opened by June 1907. The Colorado River bridge near Parker was completed in June 1908 and the track connection in Cadiz, California was made on June 10, 1910; service to Cadiz commenced on July 1.{{cite book|author=David F. Myrick|title=Santa Fe to Phoenix: Railroads of Arizona|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=afhBPQAACAAJ|year=2001|publisher=Signature Press|isbn=978-1930013056}} In 1909, the Arizona and Swansea Railroad that connected Swansea from Bouse was completed.
| class="wikitable"
|+Original Steam Locomotive Roster 1903-1911{{Cite journal|last=Wood|first=Sylvan R.|date=1949|title=The Locomotives of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Gee Railway System |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43520039|journal=The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin|issue=75|pages=1–182|jstor=43520039|issn=0033-8842}} !# !ATSF# !Builder !Built !SN !Type !Retired !Disposition |
| 14
|2433 |1903 |27602 |12/1923 |Scrapped |
| 15
|2434 |1903 |27603 |12/1925 |Scrapped |
| 16
|2435 |1903 |27604 |11/1926 |Scrapped |
On November 22, 1921, a rail motor car carrying Santa Fe officials derailed north of Wickenburg, with five killed and four injured. A&C Junction was renamed Matthie in honor of the Albuquerque Division superintendent William Matthie.
As late as 1937, there were several daily passenger trains on the line: #170-117 and #118-181 operated daily between Phoenix Union Station and Cadiz, with connections to Los Angeles and San Francisco; mixed trains #210-233 and #234-209 operated daily between Phoenix's Mobest Yard and Parker; and mixed trains #25 and #26 operated daily except on Sunday or Monday connecting at Rice for Blythe. Trains #170-117 and #118-181 as of June 1954 were hauled by Santa Fe's only ALCO RS-2, and shortly after were supplanted by a motor car; the trains were discontinued effective October 1, 1955.{{cite book|author=John F. Kirkland|title=American Locomotive Company and Montreal Locomotive Works|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gf-1AAAAIAAJ|year=1989|publisher=Interurban Press|isbn=978-0916374815|page=143}}{{cite news|last1=Kauke|first1=P. C.|title=Santa Fe Ends California–Arizona Motor Run|work=The Western Railroader, for the Western Railfan|publisher=F.A. Guido|date=1955}}
=Rice to Ripley branch=
File:AT & Sta Fe California Southern Railroad - Ripley Branch.jpg
In 1914, the California Southern Railroad (not to be confused with the earlier railroad linking Barstow and San Diego) was incorporated to build {{convert|42.2|mi|km|abbr=on}} from a town then known as Blythe Junction (now Rice, California) to Blythe. The first spike was pounded on August 23, 1915 by Floyd Brown. The Interstate Commerce Commission reported the line as the longest built in the country in 1915. The first train to Blythe arrived on August 8, 1916 and the branch was extended to Ripley in 1920. Santa Fe leased the line in November 1921 and completed its acquisition in 1942.{{cite book|author=Donald B. Robertson|title=Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History: California|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-aWhRfr3rdkC&pg=PA95|year=1986|publisher=Caxton Press|isbn=978-0870043857|pages=95}} Blythe passenger service ended shortly after World War II, according to Santa Fe agent Ruben Gonzales.{{cite news|last=Lundin|first=Diana|title=Riding the rails: New world opened in Blythe when first train arrived in 1916|work=Palo Verde Valley Times|date=1983-09-28}}
On March 12, 2009, citing declining revenues and worn out track structure, the ARZC petitioned the Surface Transportation Board to abandon all but the first four miles of the Ripley branch line. In its petition, the ARZC said no trains had run over the line since late 2007 and the cost to repair the branch line would be significant. On June 30, 2009, the Surface Transportation Board granted the ARZC petition.{{cite web|title=Fee Received|url=http://www.stb.dot.gov/decisions/readingroom.nsf/fc695db5bc7ebe2c852572b80040c45f/f2b2222848c9fc8b852575e400664e0a?OpenDocument|access-date=July 21, 2013}}
A Blythe area committee formed to oppose the petition had found a customer willing to purchase the line, the owner of the BG&CM Railroad of Idaho.{{cite web|title=Offer of Financial Assistance|url=http://docs.stb.dot.gov/?sGet&Dl5ZTH1WXw1zAAsBXBdTV0x6Sw1xfAMCXAEHCW4DFncBenELWAEFAW0DGgYBdBVRAlxHcUsOS1FELBVCO1RFS0ZcQQ0AfQcHS1deVEpdTl1VcAEAWAICDgoBamB0C20xNzgvMy8wME0zMgw%3D|access-date=October 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008153400/http://docs.stb.dot.gov/?sGet&Dl5ZTH1WXw1zAAsBXBdTV0x6Sw1xfAMCXAEHCW4DFncBenELWAEFAW0DGgYBdBVRAlxHcUsOS1FELBVCO1RFS0ZcQQ0AfQcHS1deVEpdTl1VcAEAWAICDgoBamB0C20xNzgvMy8wME0zMgw=|archive-date=October 8, 2011|url-status=dead}} By January 14, 2010, the Surface Transportation Board terminated the offer of financial assistance for the railroad. The rail line was scrapped in 2011 beyond the first four miles from Rice.
{{Clear}}
Rolling stock
File:Arizona and California SD40-2 4002 on January 13, 2017.png
The diesel roster during ARZC's early years included five EMD GP20s, one GP38AC, three GP38Ms (former GP40s), and two MP15DCs.{{cite news|title=Arizona and California Railroad Photographic Roster|url=http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?id=ARZC|access-date=2017-05-31|publisher=RR Picture Archives}}{{cite book|author=Edward A. Lewis|title=American Shortline Railway Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3i6K_Nf9e2EC&pg=PA27|year=1996|publisher=Kalmbach Publishing, Co.|isbn=978-0890242902|page=27}} The railroad acquired GP30s and GP35s to replace the GP20s. In May 2001, the railroad received four SD45Ms (two rebuilt SD45s and two rebuilt SD45-2s with SD40-2 specifications and bigger cooling systems) from VMV Paducahbilt.{{cite book|title=Railfan & Railroad|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=avFVAAAAMAAJ|year=2002|publisher=Carstens Publications|pages=7–11}} In 2022, the railroad received four GE C44-9W's and one GE Dash 8-40B to replace its aging fleet of EMD SD40-2's and EMD SD40M-2's.
The railroad also owned or leased freight cars including twenty five Gunderson double stack cars, and possesses a former Santa Fe crane.{{cite news|title=ARZC orders double-stacks. (Arizona & California orders rail cars from Gunderson Inc)|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-13974112.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119045935/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-13974112.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-11-19|access-date=2017-05-31|work=Railway Age|publisher=|date=1993-06-01|url-access=subscription }} The railroad also owned the former Great Northern Apekunny Mountain observation car, followed by former Santa Fe official car No. 58 which is on display in the Western America Railroad Museum in Barstow, California.
| class="wikitable"
!Locomotive model !Road no. |
| rowspan="4"|GE C44-9W{{efn|These units are former GECX/BNSF 4534, 4577, 4846, and 4527. They were acquired in 2022.}}
|4400 |
| 4401 |
| 4402 |
| 4403 |
| rowspan="1"|GE Dash 8-40B
|4014{{efn|Former GECX/CSX 5950.}} |
| rowspan="6"|EMD SD40M-2 |
| 3997{{efn|Sold to RCPE, then KYLE along with 3996.}} |
| 4001{{efn|Sold to RCPE along with 4002}} |
| 4002{{efn|Sold to RCPE along with 4001.}} |
| 4003{{efn|Renumbered to 3996}} |
| 4004{{efn|Renumbered to 3997}} |
| rowspan="2"|EMD SD40-2
|3998{{efn|Sold to CORP as of 2023}} |
| 3999{{efn|Sold to RCPE}} |
| rowspan="5"|EMD GP20{{efn|All units sold to NREX then to other railroads.}}
|2001 |
| 2002 |
| 2003 |
| 2004 |
| 2005 |
| rowspan="5"|EMD GP30M
|3001 |
| 3002 |
| 3003 |
| 3004 |
| 3005 |
| EMD GP38-2
|3112 |
| rowspan="3"|EMD GP35
|3501 |
| 3502 |
| 3503 |
| rowspan="4"|EMD GP40R
|3802 |
| 3803 |
| 3892 |
| 3893 |
| EMD GP38AC
|3894 |
| EMD GP39-2
|3901 |
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.gwrr.com/arzc/ Official ARZC Webpage]
- [http://algomacentral.railfan.net/AZCal.htm Pictures of early ARZC trains]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060104053928/http://www.movie-trains.com/arizonaandcalifornia.html Movies filmed on ARZC]
- [https://customer.bnsf.com/_layouts/Bnsf.SharePoint.Shortline/ShortlineDetail.aspx?SLNID=13 BNSF Railway Shortline Partner ARZC Profile]
{{Portal bar|Arizona|Railways}}
{{Genesee & Wyoming}}
{{US Class III - Arizona}}
{{California railroads}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arizona California Railroad}}
Category:Spin-offs of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Category:Transportation in San Bernardino County, California
Category:Transportation in Riverside County, California