| Ash Fork Former ATSF station |
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| Address | I-40 Bus. (Lewis Avenue) Ash Fork, Arizona |
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| Lines | Main Line (1882–1960) Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (Phoenix Branch) |
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| Structure | at-grade | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Opened | 1893 (first station), 1907 (second station) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1905 (first station), 1969 (second station) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | BNSF Railway | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Ash Fork Station is a railway station previously used by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Also on the station site was the Harvey House Escalante hotel. Service to Ash Fork began in the early 1880s when the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (predecessor of the Santa Fe) built through town. After the completion of a line in 1895—the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway—to Phoenix, Ash Fork became an important junction point for the Santa Fe.[1]
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The first station in Ash Fork was a 1893 structure made out of red Coconino sandstone, and built in the same style as the current Flagstaff station.[2] The structure was one of the first made by the railroad and became too small to handle the amount of passengers at Ash Fork. It was destroyed in a 1905 fire.[1][2]
Built in 1907, the second structure was built as part of the famous Esclante hotel and restaurant. It was part of the Fred Harvey Company, although built after Harvey's death.[3][4] The cost of construction was $150,000 (now $2.6 million due to inflation).[5] Ash Fork was a meal stop; all trains stopped so passengers could eat.[1] The Harvey House eventually closed in 1948—nothing remains on the site presently.[6]
Ash Fork's service on the main line lasted until 1960, when the Santa Fe completed a bypass around Ash Fork. This was done to avoid the steep Johnson Canyon, west of Ash Fork.[7] The junction point shifted to Williams Junction and the line to Phoenix became the only service through the town.[8] The former main line west of Ash Fork was abandoned.[9] This, combined with I-40 bypassing the town, began the decline of Ash Fork.[3]
The final regular passenger service to Ash Fork ended in April 1969, when train number 42, nicknamed the Hassayampa Flyer, was discontinued.[8][10]
