Arizona & California Railroad in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts: 30 Years of ARZC

In this video, C. Vision Productions takes you to the Sonoran and Mojave deserts to view train operations on the Arizona & California Railroad. We document the railroad's mainline from one end to the other, with coverage over 30 years between 1992 and 2022. We'll see ARZC trains powered by classic EMD locomotives grinding up mountain grades, racing through the desert, and performing a little switching along the way. Rebuilt SD45s and SD45-2s wearing the attractive Arizona & California paint scheme were our primary focus in this production, with a supporting cast of GP38s, rebuilt GP20s, and RCPE SD40-2s also featured. Other visitors include CEFX SD40M-2s, MRL GP19-1 151, and a pair of BNSF road units. Genesee & Wyoming colors appear in this program as well, as many of the long-term ARZC locomotives received fresh coats of G&W orange in recent years. Arizona & California’s mainline travels through beautiful desert country for most of its length, with magnificent mountain landscapes visible along much of the route. The railroad encounters a true mountain pass between Harcuvar and Vicksburg, Arizona, known as Granite Wash Pass. This steep 1.6% grade is where battles are fought and won by ARZC crews, and is where our coverage of the railroad begins. From Granite Wash Pass, we’ll head east to the BNSF interchange at Castle Hot Springs, located on BNSF’s Phoenix Subdivision. Commonly referred to as the “Peavine”, this route accommodates the interchange of trains between BNSF and ARZC. After our coverage of the Peavine concludes, our focus shifts back to Arizona & California’s mainline. On our westward journey, we’ll visit the railroad’s home base of Parker, Arizona, before crossing the Colorado River into California. From there, we’ll head into the Mojave Desert on our journey to Cadiz. We’ll pass through several ghost towns as we explore the desolate west end of the railroad, all with fascinating histories. Once we arrive in Cadiz, the Arizona & California is seen interchanging freight with the Santa Fe. During the interchange process, a high-stepping eastbound hotshot passes by on the mainline powered by a quartet of ATSF EMDs. Mountains, wide open desert, unique small towns, and of course, classic locomotives operating on a unique shortline railroad. It’s all here for you to enjoy in this C. Vision video presentation.

Original Music:
Erik Shicotte

Locomotives commonly seen:
ARZC 4001
ARZC 4002
ARZC 4003 (ARZC 3996)
ARZC 4004 (ARZC 3997)
RCPE 6414 (ARZC 3998)
RCPE 6434 (ARZC 3999)

Thank you for watching. Stay tuned to C. Vision Productions for more railroad content produced just for you. Links to additional videos can be found below:

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