Murphy's Impossible Railroad

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Completed in 1904, "Murphy's Impossible Railroad" linked the town of Crown King with the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railroad at Mayer .

Frank Murphy began construction of the narrow gauge railroad in 1895. Construction was was completed in 1904 when it reached Crown King. The tracks were torn up in 1927, leaving what is now known as FR 259.

The railroad got its name from the fact that Crown King is 2,000 feet higher than Mayer and the terrain between the two places is very steep. It's this fact that cause naysayers to believe that the two towns could not be linked by rail. In all, the railroad required five switchbacks, a tunnel and extremely high trestles to make the ascent to Crown King.

[edit] References

  • Philip Varney, Arizona Ghost Towns and Mining Towns: A travel guide to history, Phoenix, Arizona Highways Books, 1988, 117 pages.
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