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| Posted: Sat Mar 26th, 2011 05:11 am |
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1st Post |
MinerFortyNiner
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Well, I finally fulfilled one of my 'bucket list' items, got myself down the road to Clifton and Morenci, Arizona to photograph two of the last surviving 20" gauge Porters operated by the Arizona Copper Company. The ACC, nicknamed the 'baby gauge', was the first narrow gauge railroad in Arizona.
Here's #8, the Copper Head, on display near the railroad station in Clifton. She is definitely showing her age, I hope she gets a new coat of paint before too long. This is the only surviving 20" gauge 0-4-4 in its as-built configuration.
This is #5, the Forman, which was cut down around 1900 before being hoisted up the Coronado Incline to serve on the high line, shuttling cars along a short 20" line between the mine and the upper incline station. After she and two of her sisters had been abandoned for 63 years on the mountain following closing of the mine, she was hauled down and restored.
This is Detroit Copper #2, which served the mines around Morenci. She was preserved by a former engineer and is now on display at the Adobe Mountain Railroad Park in north Phoenix, Arizona.
I have more info. about the history of these amazing lokies on my website here: http://members.cox.net/vgniner/concept/history/history.html
And i have some photo CDs available for anyone interested here: http://members.cox.net/vgniner/trading/trading.htmlLast edited on Sat Mar 26th, 2011 05:17 am by MinerFortyNiner
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Verne Niner
Chief Overseer of Trivial Details
The Estrella & Sonora Grande Railroad
See my website here: http://sonoragrandeenterprises.com/esgrr/home.html
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26th, 2011 01:38 pm |
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2nd Post |
W C Greene
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I trust you stopped for a brew at The Cave in Clifton when you were there! Looks like you made a great tour of 20" loco locations. I will get there again one of these days. Great photos!
Woodie
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It doesn't matter if you win or lose, its' how you rig the game.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26th, 2011 01:39 pm |
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3rd Post |
Herb Kephart
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Thanks, Vern!
Interesting that 5 and 8 were built with diamond stacks (which IMO adds nothing to their looks) when I would assume that the area that they ran in was pretty devoid of anything that would burn---or am I missing something?
Herb 
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Fix it again, Mr Gates--it still works!"
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26th, 2011 05:28 pm |
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4th Post |
MinerFortyNiner
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Well dang it all Woodie, I forgot about The Cave. Looks like I have to visit again soon and get that cold brew!
Herb, they all burned wood early in their careers, and then all were converted to burn oil later in their service careers (except #5 and her two sisters who worked on the high line between Coronado Mine and the incline). They burned mostly mesquite, as did the early boilers and furnaces for the mining operation. Entire forests of mesquite were cleared along the banks of nearby Gila River to supply to fuel needs. When these locos were restored, they got wood burning stacks...whether out of necessity or preference I don't know.
As for esthetics, I typically don't like diamond stacks much, but these are more like Congdon stacks with a shallower angle on the lower half. They are an acquired taste, and I've developed a certain appreciation for them
!
____________________
Verne Niner
Chief Overseer of Trivial Details
The Estrella & Sonora Grande Railroad
See my website here: http://sonoragrandeenterprises.com/esgrr/home.html
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26th, 2011 06:28 pm |
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| Posted: Sat Mar 26th, 2011 06:38 pm |
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elminero67
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Vern-great pics, glad to hear that you made it out to Clifton/Morenci. As you saw, much of the historic landscape around Clifton/Morenci is gone, but there is still alot to see there if you have a little imagination.
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| Posted: Sun Mar 27th, 2011 06:07 am |
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7th Post |
MinerFortyNiner
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Thanks Duane...I guess massive open-pit copper mines have a way of swallowing up a lot of history! Too bad, the Chase Creek canyon would have been an amazing place to watch trains.
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Verne Niner
Chief Overseer of Trivial Details
The Estrella & Sonora Grande Railroad
See my website here: http://sonoragrandeenterprises.com/esgrr/home.html
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| Posted: Sun Mar 27th, 2011 02:51 pm |
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8th Post |
W C Greene
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Verne-when you were checking out Copperhead in Clifton, did you visit the jail-right in front of the loco? We went inside and down to where the "cells" were. I can't imagine being held there, I am sure it made malfeasers and miscreants change their ways after being chained to the cave floor all night. Also, did you get to visit the museum/station? It was closed when I was there last.
Woodie
____________________
It doesn't matter if you win or lose, its' how you rig the game.
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| Posted: Sun Mar 27th, 2011 03:25 pm |
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9th Post |
MinerFortyNiner
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Yes and no...the station was open as I was leaving town, but I was already facing a 4-hour trip home after a very busy day trying to see everything. It is now the office for the Chamber of Commerce, so hopefully it will be open regularly.
Agree that the Jail is most disagreeable.
I was able to meet a very nice docent at the Greenlee County Historical Society museum in the Chase Creek district, I was luck and it was open in the afternoon. Joe Brinkley showed me some interesting artifacts at the museum, and told of stealing honey from a beehive made in one of the boilers of the three abandoned Porters on Coronado Mountain when he was a spry lad. Heh, Porter Brand honey!
Last edited on Sun Mar 27th, 2011 03:25 pm by MinerFortyNiner
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Verne Niner
Chief Overseer of Trivial Details
The Estrella & Sonora Grande Railroad
See my website here: http://sonoragrandeenterprises.com/esgrr/home.html
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| Posted: Sun Mar 27th, 2011 04:00 pm |
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10th Post |
elminero67
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I have a paper I wrote on Clifton/Morenci with good mappage of the narrow gauge. Unfortunately it is in PDF: Does anyone know how to attach a PDF?
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