Arizona Eastern 4001 West w/ #203 at Tunnel 4 S. of Clifton AZ
According to the local historical society, the railroad was initially intended to go around the hill (that the train is tunneling through) and end up closer to what is now US 191, but they changed the routing after figuring the difficulty of boring through the larger hills that are behind me. Instead, they opted to bore through this hill, add in a fill, and loop around the larger ones. If you find yourself in Clifton with extra time on your hands, I highly recommend a visit to the local historical society. They have some amazing pieces from the local area and a vast knowledge of the mining and railroading history of both Clifton & Morenci.
Arizona Eastern 4001 West w/ #203 at Tunnel 4 S. of Clifton AZ
According to the local historical society, the railroad was initially intended to go around the hill (that the train is tunneling through) and end up closer to what is now US 191, but they changed the routing after figuring the difficulty of boring through the larger hills that are behind me. Instead, they opted to bore through this hill, add in a fill, and loop around the larger ones. If you find yourself in Clifton with extra time on your hands, I highly recommend a visit to the local historical society. They have some amazing pieces from the local area and a vast knowledge of the mining and railroading history of both Clifton & Morenci.