The Arizona and California Railroad

The Arizona and California Railroad (reporting marks, ARZC) is a shortline based out of Parker, Arizona with quite an interesting past. Today the railroad operates nearly 300 miles of trackage between Matthie, Arizona and Cadiz, California with a southern branch to Ripley, Ca and is part of the RailAmerica family of companies. Its connections are with the BNSF Railway to the east at Phoenix, via trackage rights, and west at Cadiz. Here is a more detailed assessment of the railroad’s layout:

* A 190 mile mainline from Cadiz, CA (the western BNSF Interchange) to Matthie, AZ (the eastern BNSF Interchange).

* 57 miles of trackage rights over the BNSF Railway from Matthie to Phoenix, Arizona.

* A 50-mile branch line extending from Rice to Ripley, CA.

Below is a roster of the railroad courtesy of The Diesel Shop:

#2001-2005 - EMD GP20: Ex-SECX, ex-Union Pacific

#3001-3005 - EMD GP30M: Ex-OHCR, ex-CSX, ex-Chesapeake & Ohio

#3501-3503 - EMD GP35: Ex-Conrail, ex-Penn Central, ex-Pennsylvania (#3503 ex-Southern Pacific)

#3802, #3803, and #3892 - EMD GP40r: Ex-GATX, ex-Baltimore & Ohio

#3894 - EMD GP38AC: Ex-Union Pacific, ex-Katy, ex-ICG/IC

#3901 - EMD GP39-2: Ex-Katy

#4001-#4004 - EMD SD40M-2: Ex-HATX, ex-CSX, ex-Seaboard System, ex-Seaboard Coast Line (#4002 Ex-HLCX, ex-Southern Pacific)

What makes the railroad so interesting is its past, which is similar to that of the Wheeling & Lake Erie, a “reborn” operation. The railroad, originally known as the Arizona and California Railway, was initially constructed in the early 20th century connecting the same points it now operates and its original main line opened in 1910. Shortly thereafter it became an affiliate of the Santa Fe, and eventually wholly owned by the much larger Class I.

Interestingly, history repeated itself in the early 1990s when the ParkSierra RailGroup repurchased the original A&C’s main line from the Santa Fe and named it the Arizona and California Railroad. It operated under private ownership until 2002 when RailAmerica acquired it although the railroad continues to keep its green and white livery, a classy paint scheme for a railroad of its size.

For more reading on shortlines like the Arizona & California Railroad consider the book American Shortline Railway Guide from author Ed Lewis. The book has gone through several updated editions to keep up with the ever-changing world of the shortline industry. Today, the publication highlights almost 600 shortlines across the country with general background information about each (such as roster information, rail line history, radio frequencies, etc.). If you have any interest in shortlines you will very likely enjoy this book.