Lost Locomotives

The lost locomotive has taken on the character of the classic urban legend. The loss of a Santa Fe RR loco in the Rio Grande near Hatch, New Mexico, surfaces every few years. The story was based on the temporary loss of ATSF 196 in 1884 and its recovery two years later. But it is still remembered down and people ask about it.
The baby-gauge locos (20" gauge) are a more complex story. They were not abandoned, but were simply left in place by the owner, Phelps Dodge Corp. I photographed them in 1974, long before active mining neared their perch above the Coronado Incline. The three were brought out in 1990, and two were restored and placed on display, one at Morenci and one at the Mining and Mineral Museum in Phoenix. The third is apparently in a shop at Safford, AZ, its restoration stalled out for lack of money. There are two more baby gauge locos around, one more in Phoenix and the famous COPPERHEAD at Clifton, AZ, for a total of five.