Friday September 29th 2017

Today I returned to tourist mode and took a ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad. This is an excursion train along the Verde River and through the Verde Canyon. The train travels eighteen miles north and west from the town of Clarksdale AZ. It starts in the open high desert type territory near the old smelt works for the mines in Jerome AZ. The route proceeds down into the canyons and along the steep cliff like walls. At Perkinsville the train reverses direction and returns to Clarksdale.

The route of the Verde Canyon Railroad

The train before departure.

–

Wild burros feeding in what little shade they can find along the tracks.

Verde River.

Once again I went crazy with the camera. I took over 350 pictures. Some of the better more descriptive photos are included in this blog entry. I spent most of my time on the open air car behind the coach passenger car containing my official seat. The weather was perfect for an outside ride. The sky contained scattered clouds and the temperature was in the low 80s. The train traveled between fifteen and twenty miles an hour. It took a little over an hour to get to Perkinsville. After about a half an hour for the engines to be moved one end to the other the train returned to Clarksdale. The journey lasted a little over three hours total.

Front of the train around the side of the canyon

–

There were about 24 cars in the train.

–

–

Canyon sides were often very close to the train. In the 680 foot curving tunnel they were supposed to be closer, but it was too dark to know for sure.

–

–

–

Pair of engines passing down the side of train on a side track to hook onto the caboose for the trip back.

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–