Four GE B40-8 diesel locomotives of Arizona Eastern Railway in Clifton, AZ, in March 2015.

(Jab2373, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

ARIZONA EASTERN RAILWAY

Not to be confused with San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway.

The Arizona Eastern Railway (reporting mark AZER) is a Class III railroad that operates 206 miles (332 km) of railroad between Clifton, Arizona, and Miami, Arizona. This includes trackage rights over the Union Pacific Railroad between Lordsburg, New Mexico, and Bowie, Arizona. The railroad serves the copper mining region of southeastern Arizona, and the agricultural Gila River Valley. The railroad offers a transload location for lumber, building materials and other consumer commodities at Globe, Arizona, and can handle railcars weighing up to 286,000lbs. As of 2023, AZER has one interchange, with Union Pacific in Lordsburg, New Mexico.

History

What is now the Arizona Eastern Railway was chartered as the Gila Valley, Globe and Northern Railway (GVGN) on January 5, 1885. Before completion to Globe in 1899, the GVGN came under the control of the Arizona Eastern Railroad (AE). The Arizona Eastern was leased by the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) in 1905 and merged into the SP system in 1924. SP sold the Bowie – Miami line to Kyle Railroad in 1988. Kyle was purchased by shortline holding company StatesRail in 1995, which was eventually purchased by RailAmerica in 2001. RailAmerica sold the railroad to Permian Basin Railways, a subsidiary of Iowa Pacific Holdings, in December, 2004.

Of historical note, the Gila Valley Globe & Northern Railroad's first locomotive, apparently GVGN No. 1, was purchased from the Central Pacific Railroad, originally No. 1195 (Jupiter). The locomotive was the Central Pacific locomotive that met with Union Pacific No. 119 at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869, for the driving of the golden spike, commemorating the completion of the First transcontinental railroad. Despite its historical significance, in 1909 the GVGN, by then controlled by Central Pacific successor Southern Pacific, sold No. 1 for $1000 as scrap.

In 2006, Arizona Eastern announced the construction of a new 10-mile (16 km) spur from Safford to the new Safford Mine of Freeport-McMoRan Corporation, north of Safford. The mine opened in 2008.

In 2008, AZER purchased the Clifton Subdivision from Union Pacific. The Clifton subdivision serves the Morenci Mine near Clifton, Arizona, and interchanges with UP at Lordsburg, New Mexico.

In December 2008, weekend excursion service under the name Copper Spike began operating from Globe to the Apache Gold Hotel Casino near San Carlos. Trains operated four daily round-trips through the winter and spring, on Thursdays through Sundays. The Copper Spike excursion train did not resume operation for a 2011–2012 season due to the transfer in ownership.

On 2 August 2011, Genesee & Wyoming Inc. announced that it planned to purchase the Arizona Eastern from Iowa Pacific for US$90.1 million, with the deal expected to be completed by the end of the year. The deal was closed on 1 September 2011.

A Heisler locomotive in AZER's railyard in Miami, Arizona.

(Doug Smith from Phoenix, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

Current operation

Cities served

Clifton, AZ
Guthrie, AZ
Duncan, AZ
Lordsburg, NM
Bowie, AZ
Solomon, AZ
Safford, AZ - freight dock
Pima, AZ
San Carlos, AZ
Globe, AZ
Claypool, AZ - freight dock

An E8 locomotive which was used on the Copper Spike train in 2010.

(Pecan314159, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

Rolling stock

The following are locomotives operated by the Arizona Eastern:

Arizona Eastern previously operated AZER No. 6070, an EMD E8 locomotive. Built for the Chicago and North Western Railroad as CNW No. 5029B in June 1953, it pulled passenger trains for its railroad including Chicago commuter train service. It was repainted in a scheme reminiscent of Southern Pacific's "Black Widow" livery, since Arizona Eastern was owned by Southern Pacific. As of August 2011, the locomotive was transferred to the Saratoga and North Creek Railroad.

ARIZONA EASTERN RAILROAD - Arizona - April 2024

A compilation of scenes recorded in mid April 2024 of trains operating on the ARIZONA EASTERN RAILROAD around Clifton. Recorded by Ross Wall on a Canon EOS R6 Mk2 camera fitted with a Rode Stereo VideoMic Pro external microphone.

Overview

Headquarters: Claypool, Arizona
Reporting mark: AZER
Locale: Arizona
Dates of operation: 1988–present
Technical
Track gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Other
Website: www.gwrr.com