Nostalgia & History > Maricopa, AZ water tower

This water tower in Maricopa, Arizona seems too far from the UP mainline tracks to have once been used for watering the steam engines. Anyone know how they used the tower in those days?
Incidentally, this crossing is scheduled to get an overpass for state highway 347. That will delight the locals because the Sunset Limiteds, #1 and 2, block the grade crossing with multiple stops for the really short station platform. Maricopa is also a crew change point.

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There would have been a separate, stand-alone spout at trackside.
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> This water tower in Maricopa, Arizona seems too
> far from the UP mainline tracks to have once been
> used for watering the steam engines. Anyone know
> how they used the tower in those days?
> Incidentally, this crossing is scheduled to get an
> overpass for state highway 347. That will delight
> the locals because the Sunset Limiteds, #1 and 2,
> block the grade crossing with multiple stops for
> the really short station platform. Maricopa is
> also a crew change point.

Posted from iPhone

tucsonsp Wrote:
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> This water tower in Maricopa, Arizona seems too
>
far from the UP mainline tracks to have once been

SP? I am old school.

Uncle Joe
Seffner,Fl.

Take a look at the standpipe next to the tank in this view
http://www.carrtracks.com/az15.htm
Maricopa was the start of an SP branch up to Phoenix. The stub of the tracks still exists from Phoenix (tempe area) down to Chandler, Arizona. The remaining roadbed has been reclaimed by the desert and the highway to Maricopa
Don

What does the "3/4" sign signify?

3/4 mile marker; 1/4 miles to next mile post. wag216

Could this Barriger pic be taken from
an eastward train leaving Maricopa,
scanned backwards?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/12239602603/in/album-72157640346919596/

timz Wrote:
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> Could this Barriger pic be taken from
> an eastward train leaving Maricopa,
> scanned backwards?
>
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/1223
> 9602603/in/album-72157640346919596/


Appears so.