The Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (SFP&P) was a

common carrier A common carrier in common law countries (corresponding to a public carrier in some civil law (legal system), civil law systems,Encyclopædia Britannica CD 2000 "Civil-law public carrier" from "carriage of goods" usually called simply a ''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 The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

. 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. History Ash Fork has proclaimed itself "The Flagstone Capital of the World", due to the lar ...

, the SFP&P connected with Santa Fe's operating subsidiary, the

Atlantic & Pacific Railroad The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was an American railroad that owned or operated two individual segments of track. One connected St. Louis, Missouri, with Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the other connected Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Needles, Californi ...

mainline, that ran from California to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. 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 (which would become a

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...

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 The Sierra Prieta is a longArizona Road & Recreation Atlas, Benchmark Maps, c. 1998, pp. 74–75. mountain range in central-northwest Arizona. The range is the mountainous region west of Prescott, Arizona, Prescott, with prominent Thumb Butte, , ...

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 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 ...

(

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 ...

) of the California, Arizona and Santa Fe Railway. Today the line from Ash Fork to Phoenix is operated by the

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...

. 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. The old route in Prescott and Chino Valley became a

rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...

called the Peavine Trail.

History

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 ...

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 that ran between Entro (near Prescott) to Mayer. In 1901–02 the SFP&P also operated its subsidiary the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad. 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 that ran from a connection with the Santa Fe Railway in the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...

at Cadiz, California, 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 abs ...

locomotives made by

Brooks Locomotive Works The Brooks Locomotive Works manufactured railroad steam locomotives and freight cars from 1869 through its merger into the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1901. History When the New York and Erie Railroad (NY&E) relocated its shops faciliti ...

. On December 29, 1911, the SFP&P was merged into the California, Arizona and Santa Fe Railway, a

(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 largest Railroad classes, Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight tra ...

Motive power

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

(also known as a ''Chesapeake'' or ''Ten-wheeler'', UIC classification 2'C)

steam locomotives A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

built between 1893 and 1903. Most of these locomotives would be renumbered ATSF #2421-2435. The SFP&P also had six

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'')

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 A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

Wickenburg Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa and Yavapai County, Arizona, Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States. The population was 7,474 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and was estimated to be 7,920 in 2022. H ...

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

Branches

* Prescott & Eastern Railroad ** Entro – Dewey – Poland Junction – Mayer * Bradshaw Mountain Railroad ** Poland Junction – Poland ** Mayer – Turkey Creek – Saddle – Crown King * Phoenix and Eastern Railroad (1904–1907) ** Phoenix –

Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and standing distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks, such as shales, capped by a ...

–

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

– Kelvin – Winkelman * Arizona & California Railway ** Cadiz –

Parker, Arizona Parker (Mojave language, Mojave 'Amat Kuhwely, formerly 'Ahwe Nyava) is the county seat of La Paz County, Arizona, La Paz County, Arizona, United States, on the Colorado River in Parker Valley. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...

– Bouse –

Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...

– 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