Western Railroad Discussion > Navajo Trasitional Energy

Over on the Eastern board is a thread showing newly rebuilt units for the Navajo Transitional Enery Company. With a quick search and found this article talking about shutting down the electric railroad and replacing it with the engines (the ones in the other thread). Where does the current railroad route run? Anyone have any photos of the electric units? I've seen the electric railroad that runs east from Page, AZ, but I don't remember if we saw another one in New Mexico on our Boy Scout trip years ago. So if this one closes, how many electric freight operations will be left in North America?

http://www.daily-times.com/story/news/local/navajo-nation/2017/01/28/ntec-officials-take-over-navajo-mine-management/96545818/

Eastern board thread - https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,4313910

Nathan

When the ex-Amtrak E60's went to Navajo Mining in the 1980's, they were set out at Bernalillo, NM and trucked the rest of the way to the isolated rail line near Farmington. Be interesting to see if these guys go the same way. Geographically, Antonito, CO is a closer railhead than Bernalillo, but the roads between there are Farmington may be less desirable for heavy-haul trucks.

Four corners generating station, 25 miles west of Farmington, NM.

A million years ago, the Rio Grande went there from Durango. Hauled out some of the ore which ended WW2.

Posted from Android

High green graphics posted shots here couple years ago.

Electrified captive coal hauling railroads seem to have gone out of favor. The Muskingum Railroad in Ohio has been scrapped, Texas Utilities Generating Railroad is gone and now the Navaho Mine Railroad will be deelectrified. That leaves Desseret and Black Mesa as the remaining electrified lines.

I wonder if either of those lines can part out the Navaho locomotives to keep their units active?

fbe Wrote:
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> Electrified captive coal hauling railroads seem to
> have gone out of favor. The Muskingum Railroad in
> Ohio has been scrapped, Texas Utilities Generating
> Railroad is gone and now the Navaho Mine Railroad
> will be deelectrified. That leaves Desseret and
> Black Mesa as the remaining electrified lines.
>
> I wonder if either of those lines can part out the
> Navaho locomotives to keep their units active?

Unfortunately, I believe both the Deseret and Black Mesa operations aren't long for this world either. Electrified freight railroads in the U.S. may disappear fairly soon.

From my Trainorders post of 5/28/17; "Well, maybe. I had conversations with management personnel at the Deseret Power Ry. just this past week about this very subject. My contact thinks that Deseret Generation’s agreement to limit the total coal consumption to 10 million tons is negotiable and could be lengthened/increased by the installation of more modern scrubbing equipment. That much coal will run the plant for 10 years or so. Unfortunately, the Bonanza Plant is located smack dab in the middle of the Greater Natural Buttes gas field, so conversion might only mean the purchase or modification of equipment for the plant."

I think the Deseret Power Ry is safe for 9 or 10 more years. But you never know when the greenies are involved.

Dick Ebright
Roosevelt, Utah

heres one from 2010 of one of the electrics in action,

Randy Allard

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How interesting the line may be "de juiced". I was lucky to get it pre juice, so it will go full circle. It was
a real blast to get the ALCO's when they were "real", not control cabs. All on company land. They had to take my brother and myself,
in a pickup, to all spots.

first: At MK Boise 9/73. Using the LOD 9 to spot a UP E
second: at the loading site 3/76 complex air filters added due to coal dust problems
third: LOD 8 leads loads back to the plant

LOD = Locomotive diesel

Keith A (ft)

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We made a couple attempts to make sales calls on that facility which I would summarize as less than
successful. Though our office was in ABQ they insisted on buying everything through their commodity
supplier and as much local as possible. From what I could see, very interesting operation, thanks
for the shots, always nice to know what you missed!

Out