Arizona

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe [Burlington Northern Santa Fe]
Corva, Arizona
September 22, 2000




The Santa Fe's Arizona mainline between between Williams and Ash Fork, where the "Peavine" (Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix) branched off to head south to Phoenix, was always a problematic piece of railroad, including severe grades (3%) and a tunnel. In 1911 an alternate route was built, taking off at Daze and rejoining the mainline just before Supai Summit, reducing the maximum grade to 1.8% for eastbound trains, with the old line retained for westbounds.

When the Santa Fe's Crookton Cutoff was built in 1960 the westbound main was abandoned entirely, with the eastbound main through Corva, Arizona becoming the only means of accessing the Peavine (the stretch between Crookton and Ash Fork was abandoned entirely). This location is accessible only via gravel desert roads; uinfortunately no train was to be seen during the short time available.




This page posted 2/1/2018; revised 11/1/2018. Text and photo ©2018 Lamont Downs.