Apache Railway

Infobox SG rail
railroad_name=Apache Railway
logo_filename=
logo_size=
old_gauge=
marks=APA
locale=Holbrook-Snowflake, Arizona
start_year=1917|end_year=Present|hq_city=Snowflake, Arizona

The Apache Railway Reporting mark|APA is an Arizona shortline railroad that operates from a connection with the BNSF Railway (BNSF) at Holbrook to the Abitibi paper mill at Snowflake, Arizona, convert|38|mi. The APA was acquired by Abitibi Consolidated from the Stone Container Corporation in 1999.

Traffic

16,000 cars per year (1996 figure)
*recycled fiber
*pulpwood
*wood chips
*coal
*paper
*chemicals
*grain

History

The Apache Railway was incorporated on September 5, 1917. Grading for the APA began on October 1 and by March 1918 the rails were being laid. One year later, on September 6, 1918, the track reached Snowflake. The railroad continued building south from Snowflake and reached McNary on April 5, 1919. Construction of the entire convert|72|mi|adj=on line from Holbrook to McNary was completed on July 1, 1920, and the APA was listed as a class II railroad common carrier.

From October 1, 1931, until 1936, amid the great depression, the APA was placed in receivership.

The White Mountain Scenic Railroad operated steam powered passenger excursions over the Southwest Forest Industries-owned line from McNary to the logging camp of Maverick, AZ, beginning in 1964. As track conditions deteriorated the excursions were cut back in later years to a point about half way to Maverick. In the final years it operated north from Pinetop Lakes to a place called Bell on US Route 60. In 1976 the White Mountain Scenic Railroad ceased operations and moved its equipment to Heber City, UT to be used on an excursion there known as the Heber Creeper. The line from Maverick to McNary, with some elevations exceeding convert|9000|ft, was removed in 1982 after the McNary sawmill closed.

By the 1980s the APA was Arizona's only remaining logging railroad. The track from Snowflake to McNary was abandoned in 1984.

Passenger Service

The Apache Railway offered passenger service until the 1950s. In July 1954, the mixed train on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, departing McNary at 7:15am, arriving Holbrook at 12:15pm, departing there at 1:30pm and returning to McNary at 7:00pm. [Citation
journal = The Official Guide of the Railways
pages = p. 937
date = July 1954
year = 1954]

Motive Power

Today'swhen| date=September 2008 APA uses ALCO Century 420 (C420) and C424s.

Route

*Holbrook (interchange with BNSF Railway's Gallup Subdivision/formerly Santa Fe Railway)
*Blair
*Snowflake Pig Farm
*Tours
*Snowflake Junction
*Apache Railway Shops
*Snowflake Paper Mill (Abitibi Consolidated)

*Snowflake Junction
*Snowflake

Abandoned routes

Abandoned in 1984.
*Snowflake (interchange with the now defunct Standard Lumber)
*Taylor
*Silver Lake
*Bell (Sedan)
*Sponseller (with several lumber spurs into the forest to the east)
*Pinetop Lakes (with several lumber spurs into the forest)
*McNary (interchange with Southwest Forest Industries)
*Camp 28 (with several lumber spurs into the forest)

In addition, a 2 to 3 mile (3-5 km) section of track used to run from south of Tours to Snowflake. Today's line runs from Tours to Snowflake Junction.

References

*cite book | author=Robertson, Donald B.| title=Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History: The Desert States: Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah|pages=65|edition=| publisher=The Caxton Printers| location=Caldwell, Idaho|year=1986| editor=| id=ISBN 0-87004-305-6
*cite book | author=Stindt, Fred A. | title=American Shortline Railway Guide|edition=5th Edition| publisher=Kalmbach Publishing| pages=25|year=1996|location=Waukesha, Wisconsin| editor=| id=ISBN 0-89024-290-9
*cite book | author=Walker, Mike| title=Steam Powered Video's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - Arizona & New Mexico|Edition=| publisher=Steam Powered Publishing| location=Kent, United Kingdom|year=1995| pages=11-12|editor=| id=ISBN 1-874745-04-8
*cite web
last = Carr
first = Wes
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 2004
url = http://www.trainweb.org/southwestshorts/apa-index.html
title = Apache Railway - the Southwest Railfan
work =
publisher = trainweb.org
accessmonthday = March 17
accessyear = 2006
*cite web
last = Cloud
first = Karol
authorlink =
coauthors = Komanesky, John
year = 2005
url = http://www.thedieselshop.us/Apache.HTML
title = Apache Railway motive power
work =
publisher = TheDieselShop.us
accessmonthday = March 17
accessyear = 2006