Moctezuma Copper Co. (Coronado/Morenci Southern counterpart in Mex)

ROW explorer's posting on the Morenci Southern inspired me to put together a quick post on Phelp's Dodge's other narrow gauge railroad system about 150 miles south of Cliton/Morenci AZ. The Moctuzuma Copper was owned and operated by Phelps Dodge, and had many of the same people in charge and even interchanged some of the 3' engines and equipment. They also utilized an incline to access some of the mines and the town of Pilares, which is now a forgotten ghost town in the hills of the Sierra Madre reminiscent of a smaller Jerome or Bisbee. I am putting together the finishing touches on a book on narrow gauge railroads in Sonora and visited the site to GPS the line and see what was still there a few months ago, here are a few pics from that trip:



Directly behind the Datsun is the Porvenir tunnel and the remains of the incline in the notch-I'll post another picture of the incline in operation

The ghost town of Pilares, old company store and school house