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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Parker, Arizona |
| Reporting mark | ARZC |
| Locale | Mojave Desert -Sonoran Desert |
| Dates of operation | May 9, 1991– |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge |
| Length | 205 miles (330 km)[1] |
| Other | |
| Website | gwrr |
TheArizona and California Railroad (reporting markARZC) is a class IIIshort line railroad that was a subdivision of theAtchison, 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 companyRailAmerica. TheGenesee & 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.[1]
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AtCadiz, California, the railroad begins in the interchange with theBNSF Railway and continues southeast across theMojave Desert toRice, then east to cross theColorado River Arizona/California state line atParker, Arizona. The railroad continues southeast toHope nearVicksburg then northeast to Matthie (nearWickenburg, Arizona). At Matthie, ARZC has trackage rights over the north-south BNSF line that connectsPhoenix to BNSF's mainline atWilliams. It also had a branch that runs from Rice south through Blythe, terminating at Ripley.
Arizona & California operates over 262 miles (422 km) of track, consisting of the following segments:
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.[4] In 1909, theArizona and Swansea Railroad that connectedSwansea from Bouse was completed.
| # | ATSF# | Builder | Built | SN | Type | Retired | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 2433 | Alco Brooks | 1903 | 27602 | 4-6-0 | 12/1923 | Scrapped |
| 15 | 2434 | Alco Brooks | 1903 | 27603 | 4-6-0 | 12/1925 | Scrapped |
| 16 | 2435 | Alco Brooks | 1903 | 27604 | 4-6-0 | 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.[4]
As late as 1937, there were several daily passenger trains on the line: #170-117 and #118-181 operated daily betweenPhoenix Union Station and Cadiz, with connections toLos Angeles andSan 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.[4] Trains #170-117 and #118-181 as of June 1954 were hauled by Santa Fe's onlyALCO RS-2, and shortly after were supplanted by a motor car; the trains were discontinued effective October 1, 1955.[6][7]
In 1914, the California Southern Railroad (not to be confused with theearlier railroad linkingBarstow andSan Diego) was incorporated to build 42.2 mi (67.9 km) from a town then known as Blythe Junction (nowRice, California) to Blythe. The first spike was pounded on August 23, 1915 by Floyd Brown. TheInterstate Commerce Commission reported the line as the longest built in the country in 1915.[8] 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.[9][4] Blythe passenger service ended shortly afterWorld War II, according to Santa Fe agent Ruben Gonzales.[8]
On March 12, 2009, citing declining revenues and worn out track structure, the ARZC petitioned theSurface 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.[10]
A Blythe area committee formed to oppose the petition had found a customer willing to purchase the line, the owner of theBG&CM Railroad of Idaho.[11] 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.
The diesel roster during ARZC's early years included fiveEMD GP20s, oneGP38AC, three GP38Ms (formerGP40s), and twoMP15DCs.[12][13] The railroad acquiredGP30s andGP35s to replace the GP20s.[4] In May 2001, the railroad received four SD45Ms (two rebuiltSD45s and two rebuiltSD45-2s withSD40-2 specifications and bigger cooling systems) from VMV Paducahbilt.[14] In 2022, the railroad received fourGE C44-9W's and oneGE Dash 8-40B to replace its aging fleet ofEMD SD40-2's andEMD SD40M-2's.
The railroad also owned or leased freight cars including twenty fiveGunderson double stack cars, and possesses a former Santa Fecrane.[15] The railroad also owned the formerGreat NorthernApekunny Mountain observation car, followed by former Santa Fe official car No. 58 which is on display in theWestern America Railroad Museum inBarstow, California.[4]
| Locomotive model | Road no. |
|---|---|
| GE C44-9W[a] | 4400 |
| 4401 | |
| 4402 | |
| 4403 | |
| GE Dash 8-40B | 4014[b] |
| EMD SD40M-2 | 3996[c] |
| 3997[d] | |
| 4001[e] | |
| 4002[f] | |
| 4003[g] | |
| 4004[h] | |
| EMD SD40-2 | 3998[i] |
| 3999[j] | |
| EMD GP20[k] | 2001 |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | |
| EMD GP30M | 3001 |
| 3002 | |
| 3003 | |
| 3004 | |
| 3005 | |
| EMD GP38-2 | 3112 |
| EMD GP35 | 3501 |
| 3502 | |
| 3503 | |
| EMD GP40R | 3802 |
| 3803 | |
| 3892 | |
| 3893 | |
| EMD GP38AC | 3894 |
| EMD GP39-2 | 3901 |
