| Railroads Served | None (AT&SF withdrawn 1980s?) |
| Depot History | Built 1907. |
| Passenger Service | AT&SF discontinued 1964. |
| Elevation | 5354' |
| Population | 26,455 (1990 Census) |
Prescott was the Territorial Capital of Arizona. Today its depot has been re-used, but unfortunately all rails into and around Prescott have been removed.
At about the same time Santa Fe by-passed Williams with the Crookton Cut-off, they opened the Skull Valley Cut-off and bypassing Prescott on the "Peavine" line.
The mileage via the Skull Valley Cutoff between Ash Fork and Phoenix is 193.7, essentially the same as before the bypass; however, many grades and curves were eliminated. The former route between Skull Valley and Prescott via Iron Springs went right through the Sierra Prieta mountains...beautiful scenery but slow running. Leaving Prescott, the line passed through Granite Dells' colorful rock formations and crossed several miles of prairie before rejoining the current alignment at Abra, near Paulden, Arizona.
The branch from Abra to Prescott remained until 1992. There were several abortive attempts to develop a short line on this branch, but, by that time, the freight business had dwindled to an unenticing level, and the more scenic Verde Canyon Railroad excursion train--just an hour's drive away--had opened. Also leading to the abandonment were two major washouts on the line and several minor ones.
Subsequent to the scrapping of the Prescott branch, the area really started to grow in population, and a casino opened on a nearby Indian reservation. As Prescott grows in size, traffic is already becoming heavy, and there have been vague rumors about developing a light rail line on the old abandoned right-of-way.
Taken from the
Southwest, September 1993 photo: John Crawford
Taken from the
Southeast, May 1980 photo: John Crawford
Taken from the
Northwest, May 1980 photo: John CrawfordSee also: