Murphy's Impossible Railroad
Encyclopedia
Completed in 1904, the Crown King Branch of the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad
, also known as Murphy's Impossible Railroad, linked the town of Crown King
with the end of the Prescott and Eastern Railroad
at Mayer, Arizona
.
Frank Murphy began construction of the standard gauge
railway in 1895. Construction was completed in 1904 when it reached Crown King. The tracks were torn up in 1927, leaving what is now known as FR 259.
The railroad got its name from the fact that Crown King is 2,000 feet higher than Mayer and the terrain between the two places is very steep. It's this fact that caused naysayers to believe that the two towns could not be linked by rail. In all, the railroad required five switchbacks, a tunnel and extremely high trestles to make the ascent to Crown King.
Much of the current Crown King road (after reaching Cleator) follows the old railroad bed. The old trestles were used by risky drivers however they were removed and the road was fixed to accommodate passenger cars and trucks. This process included adding sharp turns to the road to connect the gap where trestles once stood. The road also goes around a collapsed tunnel where the tracks once went.
Bradshaw Mountain Railroad
The Bradshaw Mountain Railroad was a subsidiary of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway in Arizona. The 35.65 mile railroad was built to serve the mines in the Bradshaw Mountains. The railroad built from a connection at Poland Junction and at Mayer with the Prescott and Eastern Railroad...
, also known as Murphy's Impossible Railroad, linked the town of Crown King
Crown King, Arizona
Crown King is an unincorporated community in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, located at an elevation of 5,771 feet . Crown King has a ZIP Code of 86343; in 2000, the population of the 86343 ZCTA was 133. The site of a former gold mining town, Crown King is 28 miles west of Interstate...
with the end of the Prescott and Eastern Railroad
Prescott and Eastern Railroad
The Prescott and Eastern Railroad was a non-operating subsidiary of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway in Arizona. The 26.4 mile common carrier railroad was built to serve the mines in the region. The railroad built from a connection with the SFP&P at Entro and extended south to Poland...
at Mayer, Arizona
Mayer, Arizona
Mayer is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,408 at the 2000 census. Mayer includes three sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Mayer Apartments, Mayer Business Block, and Mayer Red Brick Schoolhouse.The 1993-1994 CBS...
.
Frank Murphy began construction of the standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
railway in 1895. Construction was completed in 1904 when it reached Crown King. The tracks were torn up in 1927, leaving what is now known as FR 259.
The railroad got its name from the fact that Crown King is 2,000 feet higher than Mayer and the terrain between the two places is very steep. It's this fact that caused naysayers to believe that the two towns could not be linked by rail. In all, the railroad required five switchbacks, a tunnel and extremely high trestles to make the ascent to Crown King.
Much of the current Crown King road (after reaching Cleator) follows the old railroad bed. The old trestles were used by risky drivers however they were removed and the road was fixed to accommodate passenger cars and trucks. This process included adding sharp turns to the road to connect the gap where trestles once stood. The road also goes around a collapsed tunnel where the tracks once went.