Bradshaw Mountain Railroad

Infobox SG rail
railroad_name=Bradshaw Mountain Railroad
logo_filename=
logo_size=
old_gauge=
marks=
locale=Central Arizona
start_year=1901|end_year=1912|hq_city=Prescott, Arizona

The Bradshaw Mountain Railroad was an Arizona paper railroad and was operated by, and a subsidiary of, the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (SFP&P). The 35.65 mile railroad was built to serve the mines in the Bradshaw Mountains. The railroad built from a connection at Poland Junction and at Mayer with the Prescott and Eastern Railroad. The Prescott & Eastern was also operated by the SFP&P.

History

The railroad was incorporated on February 6 1901. It commenced grading from the Prescott & Eastern connection at Mayer on September 10 1901. The line reached Turkey Creek on November 30 1902 and the following year it reached Saddle. Just prior to the line being completed to Crown King, on January 1 1904, the Bradshaw Mountain was leased to the SFP&P. On May 4 1904 the line was completed to Crown King.

The railroad also constructed a branch to Poland from a connection with the Prescott & Eastern at Poland Junction. The Poland Branch was completed on December 17 1905.

The railroad was operated by the SFP&P by two Brooks 2-8-0 locomotives SFP&P #51 and #56 (later ATSF #2439 and #2444) until 1912. On January 2 1912 the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad was merged into the California, Arizona and Santa Fe Railway. The California, Arizona and Santa Fe Railway did not operate the line as it only existed on paper as a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reporting mark|ATSF.

The Bradshaw Mountain Railroad was built to serve the mines of the southern Bradshaw Mountains. Unfortunately, these mines were never very productive, and the BMRR was a financial failure. The line from Middleton to Crown King was abandoned in 1926, and both the Crown King and Poland branches were abandoned in 1939. Much of the road to Crown King uses the old railbed.

Operating railroads

*1901-1912 by the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railway
*1912- by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway

Route

The line was eventually abandoned by the ATSF.
*Mayer
*Blue Bell
*Cordes
*Middleton
**Tunnel
*Crown King

Poland Branch
*Poland Junction
*Henrietta
**Tunnel
*Poland (the track was later extended to Walker)

ee also

Murphy's Impossible Railroad

References

*cite book | author=Robertson, Donald B.| title=Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History: The Desert States: Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah|Edition=| publisher=The Caxton Printers| location=Caldwell, Idaho|year=1986| editor=|pages=77, 102|id=ISBN 0-87004-305-6
*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| editor=|pages=15| id=ISBN 1-874745-04-8

*Sayre, John W. (1985), "Ghost Railroads of Central Arizona", Boulder, Colo.: Pruett, ISBN 0-87108-683-2