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New venture to operate steam trains in Mojave Desert
I wonder if the locos will be oil fired. This is beautiful country.
any word yet on which will be their primary steam locomotives?
I was unexpected about the news of an upcoming tourist train between Cadiz and Parker. I don’t live very far from that line, so if train succeeds, there will be place where I can see an operating steam locomotive!
I’m looking forward for the train, but too bad it doesn’t serve my town.
I’ve read about this plan before, and it’s interesting to see the details, but I’ll believe it when it starts rolling. Cadiz Inc. is mostly about getting its hands on the desert aquifer and profiting by pumping its water in a way that would create an environmental disaster for the living desert and its residents and businesses. The steam excursion plan is likely just a sweet-sounding dodge to gain approval for the real purpose.
BTW, I chased the 3751 excursion train shown in the photo. It sure looked great pounding across the desert!
Cadiz?? Just getting there takes a lot of driving through a lot of desert just to ride a train through a lot more desert. I dunno–I’ll have to see it to believe it would actually fly.
Only a ‘green’ company could get away with making all that smoke without criticism.
Or maybe it just hasn’t started yet.
A winter only steam excursion from Phoenix to Wickenburg would make a LOT more “cents”, with a population base of 3.687 million to draw from. Maybe some more “thunking” needs to be done by Cadiz, Inc, et al?
That would be a really great ride, that is one of the most beautiful deserts in the world.
They could use effluent water. That is water that’s output red from sewer treatment plants. Technically as clean, if not cleaner, as drinking or potable water. This would be a green way to operate steam in the desert. Another would be to fire with used motor and cooking oil.
Maybe the train will be air conditioned. The down sides of air conditioning are that you can’t hear the engine well and you really bake if it fails. However, a dome would provide nice views of the engine.
No way does it make sense. But it is exciting to a railfan.
This has got to be some kind of scam. Cadiz is so far from civilization…heck, the Mars rover is probably closer…and talk about HOT. There’s just no way this “tourist” railroad could make money. There’s no bustling nothing out there…
That area is known for terrible water, for steam boilers. Hope they can put a fresh water tanker in the consist.
That area is known for terrible water, for steam boilers. Hope they can put a fresh water tanker in the consist.
Even if there is an ‘angel’ investor behind this, how do they expect it to make any money, let alone break-even? It sounds like an interesting ride but as the other poster said its location is too remote to draw that many people. I don’t think many of the Havasu (party & boating) crowd would be interested in a steam train.
Best wishes on the proposed operation. Have taken the ATSF 3751 3 times across this trackage. The last time it was mostly at 10 mph because the proper FRA track inspections to allow passenger train operations at higher speed had not been made over most of the line. Maybe they can make an agreement to use the Grand Canyon steam engines as they are not used except on special occasions.
Re one of the comments:
The trackage from Phoenix to Wickenburg is BNSF owned and operated… It is unlikely that the BNSF would allow regular steam operations over these tracks. They did not allow the
3751 to operate to Phoenix on the its last trip to the Grand Canyon.
Best wishes on the proposed operation. Have taken the ATSF 3751 3 times across this trackage. The last time it was mostly at 10 mph because the proper FRA track inspections to allow passenger train operations at higher speed had not been made over most of the line. Maybe they can make an agreement to use the Grand Canyon steam engines as they are not used except on special occasions.
Re one of the comments:
The trackage from Phoenix to Wickenburg is BNSF owned and operated… It is unlikely that the BNSF would allow regular steam operations over these tracks. They did not allow the
3751 to operate to Phoenix on the its last trip to the Grand Canyon.
Water is the key to operating a steam loco. in the desert. Normally the available water is “hard” from disolved salts. These salts will encrust the tubes as well as the interior of the firebox. Formerly railroads would treat the water in the tender with chemicals to keep the salts in solution. So what are they doing now?
I rode behind 3751 late spring of 2012 and the desert between Cadiz and Parker isn’t particularly scenic and very HOT!