Shoving cars down the line into Snowflake for storage

On a day that most likely will be the last time we will see 6 Alcos lashed up together on the Apache Railway, under stormy skies they head north to pick up the remaining 50 blue coal hoppers of th... (more)

Little did I know in May that shooting coal trains on the Apache would become a thing of the past less than a year later. Given recent events, I'm really glad I made the driver over from Flagstaf... (more)

Very sad news out of Snowflake, AZ today as Catalyst Paper announced the permanent closure of its Snowflake recycle mill and its subsidiary railroad that serves the mill, the Apache Railway Compan... (more)

The turn from Holbrook climbs its last grades as it nears the yard at the end of the line at the Snowflake paper mill.

The Apache Railway's not-so-blue-today looper works its last few miles toward the huge paper mill outside Snowflake, AZ.

The Apache Railway's Blue Looper climbs out of Holbrook as it goes by Mile Post 5 on its way to Snowflake to drop off its load.

6 Alcos in uniform throttle up to assault the next grade with the Blue Looper coal train in tow on 5/5/11. The train is at the windmill farm, which is at MP 26, and will top out at MP 30 before de... (more)

The Blue Looper coal train, with 6 alcos in uniform and 60 loaded coal hoppers, are climbing the grade out of Holbrook with all of their might at MP 5 5/5/11.

APA 98 leads 4 other Alcos on the Blue Looper coal train at Milepost 5 on the Apache Railway. 1/5/12

The loaded Blue Looper coal train curves down to Snowflake as it hauls a long string of coal cars from an interchange off the BNSF back in Holbrook.

Sometimes things just work out. I drove to Flagstaff to take care of some business on a Thursday. A friend of mine took the Chief from LA to Winslow where I picked him up on Friday morning. Our go... (more)

I guess they don't bother to give the Cows an Operation Lifesaver lecture in these parts. They didn't even look, let alone listen ;)

While not as busy as their neighbors to the south, the Apache Railway is just as friendly to railfans as the Copper Basin. A quick swing by the yard office and I had all the information I needed f... (more)

departing Holbrook, AZ