Navajo Mine and Railroad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Navajo Mine and Railroad |
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Navajo Mine and Railroad, mining status as of 2016
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| Overview | |
| Status | Operating |
| Locale | San Juan County, New Mexico |
| Termini | South Terminals: coal load outs in the Navajo Mine North Terminal: Four Corners Generating Station |
| Service | |
| Type | Freight railroad for sub-bituminous coal |
| Services | push-pull operation between mine and power plant, 12 trains per day |
| Rolling stock |
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| History | |
| Opened | 1974 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 13.3 miles (21.4 km) |
| Track length | 17.8 miles (28.6 km) |
| Number of tracks | 1 |
| Character | single track main line two branches |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Electrification | 25 kV 60 Hz (AC) overhead catenary |
The Navajo Mine is a large coal mine in New Mexico, United States. It is located within the Navajo Nation. The mine is owned and run by the Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC). It is about 20.5 miles (33 km) southwest of Farmington, New Mexico. The Navajo Mine Railroad is a special railway that carries coal from the mine. It has 13.8 miles (22.2 km) of track. The railroad connects the Navajo Mine to the Four Corners Generating Station, a power plant nearby.
Contents
The Navajo Mine started operating in 1963. It was first run by a company called Utah International. This mine is the only place that supplies coal to the Four Corners Power Plant. Over the years, the mine was owned by different companies.
In 2013, the Navajo Nation Council created the Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC). By the end of that year, NTEC bought the Navajo Mine. This was a big step. NTEC then got permission to keep the mine running for another 25 years.
In 2018, NTEC also bought a small part (7%) of the Four Corners Power Plant. This made NTEC the only Native American tribal company to own part of a coal power plant. Later, NTEC became the third-largest coal producer in the United States. This happened when they bought three more coal mines in Wyoming and Montana.
On October 1, 2021, NTEC took over all operations at the Navajo Mine. This made it the first coal mine on tribal land to be fully run by a tribal company. The Navajo Mine employs about 370 people. A large number, 86%, are members of the Navajo Nation.
Building the Railroad
The Navajo Mine Railroad was built in 1974. It was first 7 miles (11 km) long. It connected the power plant to a coal storage area. In 1983, the track was made longer, reaching its current length of about 14 miles (22.5 km).
The railroad is not connected to any other train lines in the country. So, the first trains and coal cars had to be brought in by large trucks. At first, only one train ran. There were some problems with dust clogging the diesel engines. New filters helped fix these issues.
Changes in Train Power
In 1984, the railroad started using electric trains. This was because it was cheaper than using diesel trains. More coal cars were bought, allowing two trains to run at a time. Each train had 18 cars. However, in 2019, the electric trains were stopped. The railroad went back to using diesel locomotives.
NTEC is also exploring other energy sources. They are investing in solar power. They have also started working with helium, which is another type of energy resource.
The Railroad Route
The Navajo Mine Railroad runs from the Navajo Mine. It goes north-northwest to the Four Corners Generating Station. This power plant is located about 25 miles (40 km) west of Farmington, New Mexico. As mentioned, the railroad does not connect to any other train lines.
How the Trains Operate
The trains on the Navajo Mine Railroad use a special system. They have an electric GE E60 locomotive at one end. A diesel-electric ALCO Century 420 locomotive is at the other end. This is called a "push-pull" operation. When the empty train goes back to the mine, the diesel locomotive helps control the electric one.
The railroad usually runs two trains. Each train has 21 coal cars. Each train makes about 12 round trips every 24 hours. Only one crew member works at a time. This person takes an empty train to get loaded with coal. Then, they take the loaded train back to the power plant. While one train is moving, the other train is being loaded.
The electric power system for the trains uses 25,000 volts of electricity. This power comes from overhead wires called a catenary.
At the mine, large machines called front-end loaders put coal into the train cars. Each car can hold between 100 and 125 short tons (90 to 113 metric tons) of coal.
In 2020, the company that owns the Four Corners Generating Station announced plans to close it. If the power plant closes, the Navajo Mine and its railroad might not be needed anymore.
Types of Locomotives (Trains)
The Navajo Mine Railroad has used different types of locomotives over the years:
- General Electric E60 electric locomotives. These trains were first used by other railroads like Amtrak and Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (Mexico's national railway).
- ALCO Century 425 diesel-electric locomotives. These trains were originally used by the Norfolk & Western railway.
- Two General Electric ET44AC diesel locomotives. These were brand new when they arrived in 2017.
See also
- Mine railway
- Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad – another electric freight railroad on Navajo land, now closed
- Deseret Power Railroad – another electric freight railroad
