Lordsburg NM - AZER - Clifton AZ
1. Arizona Eastern (AZER) B40-8s 4007-4005-4004 parked at the entrance to UP’s (ex-SP) yard at Lordsburg NM. This freight could have come directly from Clifton AZ or possibly from Globe via trackage rights over UP. Tuesday 04-30-2019. Lordsburg NM.
2. AZER B40-8 4007 is ex-UP (presumably ex-SP). Lordsburg NM.
3. AZER 4005 B40-8. Lordsburg NM.
4. AZER 4004 B40-8. Lordsburg NM.
5. AZER Arizona Eastern B40-8 Logo.
6. AZER 4007 B40-8. View 2. Lordsburg NM.
7. AZER 4007. View 3. Lordsburg NM.
8. AZER 4007 B40-8. View 4. Lordsburg NM.
9. InkedHammond AZ map 2_LI Clifton-Morenci. Click here for a slightly larger image.
10. AZER map. Click here for a slightly larger image.
11. Travelling from Silver City NM, to Clifton and Morenci AZ, this is the view looking west from AZ 78 of the big Morenci copper mine many miles distant. Wednesday 05-01-2019.
12. From US 191, this view looks west at the town of Morenci AZ. The copper concentrator is the upper right. Clifton is down in the valley.
13. Behind the town, the huge copper mine pit dominates everything. View from US 191 of Morenci AZ.
14. Clifton brochure page 1.
15. Clifton brochure page 2.
16. Clifton brochure page 3.
17. Clifton brochure page 4.
18. Clifton is the older of the two towns and is the county seat. AZER is now down to the level of the San Francisco River and runs in front of the Greenlee County court house, that 2-story tan structure in the center. South Clifton AZ.
19. AZER crosses the San Francisco River between South Clifton and Clifton. The river has been known for some disastrous floods. AZER bridge. Clifton AZ.
20. AZER bridge. View 2. Clifton AZ.
21. Coming down that very steep grade is Freeport-McMoRon’s railroad (former Phelps-Dodge) from up on the mountain at Morenci. Four F-M GP38s would make quite a site coming down that grade. F-M AZER junction. Clifton AZ.
22. Just around the curve is the beginning of Arizona Eastern’s yard (ex-SP) where they interchange with Freeport-McMoRon. AZER yard. Clifton AZ.
23. The former Southern Pacific (nee Arizona & New Mexico Ry.) depot now houses a visitors center and other civic offices. In the distance was Phelps-Dodge’s (ex-Arizona Copper Co.) office. The excavated hillside beyond that at the mouth of Chase Creek was filled up with Arizona Copper’s smelter. The A&NM’s track and engine house ended in the shadow of the smelter where a convenience store now stands. AZER yard and ex-SP depot. Clifton AZ.
24. “East side” was where copper company management lived. The ornate building in the foreground was built in 1928 as Clifton Mineral Hot Springs and Bath House. View of East Side of Clifton AZ.
25. Must have put a shot off up at the mine. AZER yard. Clifton AZ.
26. Chase Creek St. was once the main drag of old Clifton. The Greenlee Historical Museum was not open. Clifton AZ.
27. Years ago the lower end of this street would have been filled with a copper smelter and railroad terminal. Chase Creek St. Clifton AZ.
28. Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Clifton AZ.
29. US 191 climbs the mountain to Morenci via a couple of hairpin curves. We’re leaving Clifton and heading up to Morenci and the copper mine. The 2 ft. “baby gauge” Coronado Railroad once hauled ore down this mountain to the smelter. Freeport-McMoRon’s railroad faces the same obstacle, but on a better engineered route. Clifton AZ from US 191.
All for now.
Train images used by permission of Everett N Young.