Verde Canyon Railroad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Verde Canyon Railroad |
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Preparing to leave from Clarkdale
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| Locale | Yavapai County, Arizona, United States |
| Terminus | Clarkdale |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad |
| Operated by | Verde Canyon Railroad |
| Reporting mark | VCRR, AZCR |
| Length | 20 mi (32 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1912 |
| Closed | 1988 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1989 | Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad takes over the track and resumes freight service |
| 1990 | Verde Canyon Railroad started up |
| Headquarters | Clarkdale |
| Website | |
| Verde Canyon Railroad | |
The Verde Canyon Railroad is a special train ride in Arizona, USA. It's called a heritage railroad because it uses old tracks and trains to give people a fun trip. The train travels about 20 miles (32 km) between the towns of Clarkdale and Perkinsville. This passenger train runs on tracks that also belong to the Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad (AZCR), which is a smaller railway line.
The Verde Canyon Railroad has its main station, offices, and a cool railway museum in Clarkdale. This town is about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Sedona. The Verde Canyon Railroad and the Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad were under contract for purchase, awaiting approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Surface Transportation Board (STB).
Contents
Train Engines: Powering the Journey
The Verde Canyon Railroad uses classic diesel locomotives, which are like the powerful engines that pull the train cars. These specific engines are called EMD FP7s, numbered 1510 and 1512. They are very special because only ten of these types of engines are still running in North America!
These engines were first built in 1953 for the Alaska Railroad. They were made by a company called Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in Illinois. In 1997, these engines got a new look with an eagle-inspired paint design. Before they started pulling trains on these tracks, they were carefully fixed up and given new safety features. In 2019, they received an updated paint job and even more advanced parts to keep them running smoothly.
History of the Verde Canyon Railroad
The train tracks used by the Verde Canyon Railroad have a long history. They first opened in 1912. Back then, they were part of a longer railway line that connected a copper processing plant in Clarkdale to the copper mines in Jerome. This line then linked up with the main Santa Fe Railway tracks near a place called Drake.
The Santa Fe Railway owned and operated this 38-mile (61 km) branch line for many years, from 1912 until 1988.
New Ownership and Passenger Service
In 1988, a person named David L. Durbano bought this railway line. Two years later, in 1990, passenger train service started up again between Clarkdale and Perkinsville. This new passenger service was named the Verde Canyon Railroad.
Even though the passenger train stops at Perkinsville, the Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad (AZCR) still uses the tracks all the way to Drake for hauling freight. Freight trains carry goods and materials, not people.
The Scenic Route and Filming Locations
The Verde Canyon Railroad offers a fun 4-hour round trip. It starts in Clarkdale, goes to Perkinsville, and then comes back to Clarkdale. The train route follows the beautiful Verde River. Along the way, you'll cross many bridges and trestles, which are special bridges built over valleys or rivers. You'll also go through a 680-foot (207 m) long curved tunnel!
Some parts of the land along the railroad tracks are within the Prescott National Forest or the Coconino National Forest. This means you get to see lots of nature and wildlife during your trip. Interestingly, some scenes from the movie ... the West Was Won were filmed at Perkinsville in the 1960s.
Recognized as an Arizona Treasure
The Verde Canyon Railroad is very popular, carrying about 100,000 passengers each year. In 2005, the railroad celebrated a big milestone: its one-millionth passenger! The very next month, the Governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano, officially named the Verde Canyon Railroad an "Arizona Treasure."
John Bell Railroad Museum
If you visit the Verde Canyon Railroad, you can also explore the John Bell Railroad Museum. This museum is located right at the train station complex in Clarkdale. It's actually inside an old boxcar, which is a type of train car used for carrying goods.
The museum shows off many cool railway items and old photographs. A lot of these items came from John Bell's own personal collection, making it a unique place to learn about train history.
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of historic properties in Clarkdale, Arizona
