A Slice of Arizona History in HO Scale
The Black Canyon Railroad is a mixed-revenue road. As a bridge route providing alternate routing between sections of the Santa Fe, the Black Canyon Railroad runs local freight and through and local passenger service between the towns of Exodus and Black Canyon, the two division yards. There is a variety of car movements, mostly between the two yards with stops in between to generate the ever-important revenue that keeps the Black Canyon Railroad in the black.
Harold Shelton, the current Construction Superintendent, started building the Black Canyon Railroad in 1975, in what was an Arizona Room off the back of his and wife Anne's modest house in the middle of Phoenix, Arizona. Different friends helped in the operation, but Harold alone is responsible for most, if not all, of the layout as it exists today. In the 1990's, Harold started having regular operating sessions with the help of a couple of friends; today, with the formation of the Black Canyon Railroad Corporation (a 501(c)(7) corporation) there is a formal Board of Directors to guide the growth and direction in the future of the railroad.
One aspect that has been noted among the current operators and by visitors is the close bond formed by the operators themselves. All of the founding members were essentially handpicked - not by any one person, but by an unspoken consensus among those present and, as a result, have become what one experienced member calls "one of the best operating groups I have seen anywhere."
The members, board, and operators of the Black Canyon Railroad are now in the process of looking for a permanent home where plans for expansion and the display of the layout for public viewing and education will go hand in hand.
