Magma Arizona Railroad
The Narrow Gauge Route
This section will start at about MP 24.1 and
head east as a forest road now occupies the grade. The grade can be driven
up to about MP 24.7 or so.
The first shot is taken from the grade at the point where the grade merges
with the forest road (looking to the east).
The grade along along here seems pretty stiff and probably provided a
challenge for the little 2-4-2s. Fortunately most of the cars would be empty
heading back towards Superior.
The crest of this steep segment is coming up ahead. Apache Leap can be
seen off in the distance with a portion of Picketpost Mountain visible on
the right.
The grade is fairly level once over the crest. The route is mostly tangent
with the modern road making a slight bend to get around a washout.
The grade passes through a shallow cut as it makes a turn towards the east.
This is the only location where the road deviates from the grade along this
segment. The grade heads off in to the brush while the road bends to the
left to avoid the washout.
Here is a view of the grade beyond the washout before it joins back up with
the road.
The road and the grade converge again as we travel alongside the power lines.
Another shallow cut and the grade bends to the right.
The NG grade is once again coming into range of the SG route with the
rail just visible above the dirt bank to the right.
Another small washout where the road makes a slight bend as compared to
the grade.
We have hit the "T" where I first picked up the road on the grade. The
truck is parked on the entrance road that leads down to NF-8 on the right.
Up ahead is a very short segment that can be driven but quickly turns off
to the right to go back down to NF-8.
Through the cut and around the bend the road turns off to the right and
heads back down to NF-8. Straight ahead through the prickly pear is the NG
route. As the grade continues east it will diverge from the SG by about a
mile. The ultimate destination is the mine in the mountains in the distance.
That will end this segment at about MP 24.7.
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