The Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (SFP&P) was a common carrier railroad that later became an

operating subsidiary An operating subsidiary is a subsidiary of a corporation through which the parent company (which may or may not be a holding company) indirectly conducts some portion of its business. Usually, an operating subsidiary can be distinguished in that ...

of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in Arizona. At

Ash Fork, Arizona Ash Fork is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. Its population was 396 at the 2010 U.S. Census, down from 457 in 2000. Geography Ash Fork is located at (35.221236, -112.487100). According to the United States ...

, the SFP&P connected with Santa Fe's operating subsidiary, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad mainline, that ran from California to Chicago. The SFP&P's line extended the Santa Fe Railway south into Phoenix. The SFP&P extended another to the east from Phoenix to Florence and Winkelman via the

Phoenix and Eastern Railroad The Phoenix and Eastern Railroad was a railroad company in the state of Arizona. It was chartered in 1901 to construct a line from Phoenix, Arizona to Benson, Arizona via the Gila River, a distance of . The company would be leased by the Arizona E ...

(which would become a

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

subsidiary in 1907). The SFP&P also served several mines in the Prescott area, including the Derby Mine by way of the Summit (flag) Station at 'Prieta' in the Sierra Prieta range, through its various subsidiary railroads. Sierra Prieta Summit Station SFPPRR

On December 28, 1911, the line was merged into Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway's non-operating subsidiary (

paper railroad In the United States, a paper railroad is a company in the railroad business that exists "on paper only": as a legal entity which does not own any track, locomotives, or rolling stock. In the early days of railroad construction, paper railroads h ...

) of the

California, Arizona and Santa Fe Railway The California, Arizona and Santa Fe Railway was a non-operating subsidiary (paper railroad) of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). It was incorporated in 1911, and was merged into the ATSF in 1963. California, Arizona and Santa Fe w ...

. Today the line from Ash Fork to Phoenix is operated by the

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

. Due to its many winding curves and bridges, the route was popularly known as the Peavine. In the 1960s, the AT&SF built a new line to avoid the worst grades and curves, bypassing the city of Prescott, called the New Peavine Bypass.

History

Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railway 1893

The SFP&P was

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

ed on May 27, 1891. Construction commenced on August 17, 1892, from the Atlantic & Pacific connection at Ash Fork. By April 1893 trains were operating between Ash Fork and Prescott. On March 13, 1895, the line ran all the way to Phoenix. On June 30, 1899, the SFP&P began operating the

Prescott and Eastern Railroad The Prescott and Eastern Railroad (P&E) was a non-operating subsidiary of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (SFP&P) in Arizona. The 26.4 mile (42.5 km) common carrier railroad was built to serve the mines in the region. The railroad ...

that ran between Entro (near Prescott) to

Mayer Mayer may refer to: *Mayer (name) Places * C. Mayer (crater), named after Christian Mayer * Mayer, Syria * Mayer, Arizona, United States * Mayer, Minnesota, United States * Mayersville, Mississippi, United States * Mayerthorpe, Alberta, Canad ...

. In 1901–02 the SFP&P also operated its subsidiary the

Bradshaw Mountain Railroad The Bradshaw Mountain Railroad was a subsidiary of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (SFP&P) in Arizona. The railroad was built to serve the mines in the Bradshaw Mountains. The railroad built from a connection at Poland Junction and ...

. On November 27, 1904, the SFP&P started operating Santa Fe Railway's subsidiary, the Phoenix and Eastern Railroad between Phoenix – Florence – Winkelman. The SFP&P stopped operating the Phoenix & Eastern when Southern Pacific Railroad acquired the Phoenix–Winkelman line on March 13, 1907. On November 1, 1905, the SFP&P began operating the

Arizona & California Railway The Arizona and California Railroad is a class III short line railroad that was a subdivision of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). The ARZC began operations on May 9, 1991, when David Parkinson of the ParkSierra RailGroup purchas ...

that ran from a connection with the Santa Fe Railway in the Mojave Desert at

Cadiz, California Cadiz (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Cádiz'') is an unincorporated community in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located just south of the Marble Mountains (San Bernardino County), Marble Mountains near ...

, to a connection with SFP&P at Matthie, Arizona, (located between Prescott and Wickenburg). By the end of 1909 the Arizona & California was an

of the SFP&P, using 3

4-6-0 A 4-6-0 steam locomotive, under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, has four leading wheels on two axles in a leading bogie and six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles with the abse ...

locomotives made by Brooks Locomotive Works. On December 29, 1911, the SFP&P was merged into the

, a non-operating subsidiary (paper railroad) of the

Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and S ...

Motive power

The SFP&P operated a fleet of about 27 steam locomotives. 21 of the locomotives were Brooks Locomotive Works

(also known as a ''Chesapeake'' or ''Ten-wheeler'', UIC classification 2'C) steam locomotives built between 1893 and 1903. Most of these locomotives would be renumbered ATSF #2421-2435. The SFP&P also had six Brooks Locomotive Works

2-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels. ...

(also known as a ''Consolidation'') steam locomotives built between 1904 and 1906. These locomotives would be renumbered ATSF #2439-2444.

Operating railroads

* 1897–1911 by the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railway * 1912– by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway

Route

Mainline

* Ash Fork * Paulden * Prescott * Alto * Summit Station (Prieta) * Iron Springs * Skull Valley * Kirkland * Congress *

Wickenburg Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa and Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 7,474, up from 6,363 in 2010. History The Wickenburg area, along with much of the Southwest, became part of ...

* Phoenix The original mainline ran via Prescott, the Peavine Bypass runs from Paulden to Skull Valley farther west.

Branches

Prescott & Eastern Railroad The Prescott and Eastern Railroad (P&E) was a non-operating subsidiary of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (SFP&P) in Arizona. The 26.4 mile (42.5 km) common carrier railroad was built to serve the mines in the region. The railr ...

** Entro – Dewey – Poland Junction – Mayer *

** Poland Junction – Poland ** Mayer – Turkey Creek – Saddle – Crown King *

(1904–1907) ** Phoenix – Mesa – Florence – Kelvin –

Winkelman Winkelman is a town in Gila and Pinal counties in Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town was 353, all of whom lived in Gila County. History The community was named after Peter Winkelman, a local catt ...

** Cadiz – Parker, Arizona – Bouse –

Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμη), also known as Salome III, was a Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II, son of Herod the Great, and princess Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great, an ...

– Matthie The Arizona & California gave ATSF a more direct route from Los Angeles to Phoenix.

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Fe Prescott Phoenix Railway Defunct Arizona railroads Predecessors of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Prescott, Arizona Former Class I railroads in the United States Railway companies established in 1891 Railway companies disestablished in 1911 Historic trails and roads in the United States