Arizona Eastern #4009 exits Tunnel #1 with an upgrade train leaving Clifton.

Freeport McMoran #49 is in full dynamic as the loaded train descends the steep grade to Clifton.

Freeport McMoran #63 throttles up the start of the steep %.5% grade out of Clifton yard. This train will climb over 1200 feet vertical over the next 6 miles of railroad, the steepest operating fre... (more)

Freeport McMoran #63 storms up the 5.5% grade out of Clifton with a heavy train for the Morenci Mine.

Arizona Eastern B40-8 #4005 carefully descends the 2.5% grade downhill into Clifton, AZ with inbound cars for the Morenci Mine.

Arizona Eastern B40-8s #4009 and #4002 crawl uphill out of Clifton with outbound cars from the massive Morenci smelter, which can be seen in the far background.

Freeport McMoran GP38 #55 storms up the 5.5% grade out of Clifton, AZ with the first cut of cars for the smelter and mine. This train will climb nearly 1300 feet vertical in the next 6 miles.

Arizona Eastern B-boat #4002 leads the downhill Clifton Switcher through the narrow cut at MP1210. The width of this cut illustrates the narrow gauge heritage of the line.

Arizona Eastern B-boat #4012 sorts empties for at South Siding deep in the Arizona High Desert.

Arizona Eastern B-boat #4012 leads the inbound train from Lordsburg, NM uphill towards Clifton, AZ. This train is struggling up the stiff 2.5% grade out of the Gila River Valley and will soon reac... (more)

Arizona Eastern B-boat #4009 slugs uphill with the morning freight out of Clifton. Soon the train will enter Tunnel 6 and surmount the hill, before tying down the train at South Siding.

Five Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold geeps begin the climb towards Morenci with 25+ cars leaving the small town of Clifton in a cloud of exhaust.

The 203 job begins their climb out of Clifton with a long train of copper traffic.

Arizona Eastern 203 pokes out of one tunnel and into another as it works upgrade out of Clifton with a pair of ex-SP GEs leading almost 60 cars bound for the UP in Lordsburg.

The FMI interchange job returns from the Arizona Eastern yard in Clifton with cars for the copper mine in Morenci. Leading the train up the cartoonish 4.5% grade on this branch is a GP38-2 still i... (more)