Atlantic and Pacific Railroad

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Atlantic and Pacific Railway cars on converging tracks near Winslow, Az., ca. 1890
Atlantic and Pacific Railway cars on converging tracks near Winslow, Az., ca. 1890

The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company was chartered in New York state in 1852. While the formative bond adhered to the provisions of the Mississippi and Pacific Act of 1853, the bond was rejected and cancelled.

A company was later chartered under the identical name by an act of the United States Congress on July 27, 1866. The railroad built the line that is today's BNSF Railway's northern Arizona/New Mexico mainline between Albuquerque, New Mexico and Needles, California. The Arizona/New Mexico route was constructed between 1880-1883.

On August 20, 1884, the Atlantic & Pacific leased 242 miles of track from Southern Pacific Railroad that ran west from Needles, California to Mojave via Barstow, and later to Bakersfield.

The A&P was an operating subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). On June 24, 1897, the A&P was sold to the ATSF under foreclosure and was operated from 1897-1902 under ATSF's subsidiary, the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad. In 1902 the Santa Fe Pacific was merged under the ATSF.

Although the Atlantic and Pacific was chartered by Congress in 1866 to build a transcontinental railroad, it was not the first. The first transcontintental railroad was completed on May 10, 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad at Promontory, Utah.


[edit] See also

[edit] References