Black Mesa & Lake Powell - Arizona

so what's the deal with the idle AZ operation? did the coal run out or was it emissions/environmental matters that shutdown the operation?

i seem to think the latter.

maybe those E60s could come east for some worktrain service on AMT/NJT/MARC/SEPTA.

Guys, as far as the Navajo RR, I'll try to see if I can get up there in the coming months. It's a haul, but I'd been meaning to get up to Farmington and look for it. I kept confusing it for Deseret Western until I checked my (now ancient) Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. I doubt anyone at the LHS knows (they don't seem to be into the prototype stuff), so I may just have to do it on spec.

Something about a coal mine at Fruitland and a power plant at Farmington, but I don't think anyone else has ever seen the humor in those names that I do...

Hi All,

Just some additional information on the Black Mesa RR. They only have one power station, hence the really high catenary voltage. They also originally used dedicated coal trains led by a single cab E-60, not double ended. Essentially, the RR is a loop at each end, so that the dedicated train can pick up and deliver its coal without changing the position of the engine or moving cars around. Only a few such trains make up the system. For that RR, Coal is King.

Thats too bad about the BM LP. It looks to be a nice operation, I drove by it several times on the way to and from Phoenix. I love love the sound of electrified engines going by rather than the ground shaking diesels we have here.

according to the wikipedia article the BM&LP is still running

The coal mines are a series of mines connected by miles of conveyors that bring the coal to the BM&LP filling area. You can see how extensive the connection is by looking at satellite photos of the Black Mesa area from Google Maps.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/bu ... /97866668/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The utilities that own the Navajo Generating Station coal-fired power plant near Page are tired of overpaying for power and decided Monday to close the plant when their lease expires at the end of 2019.

To run that long, the utility owners need to work out an arrangement with the Navajo Nation, which owns the land, to decommission the plant after the lease expires. Otherwise, the owners will have to close at the end of this year to have time to tear down the plant's three generators and be gone by 2020.

. . .

The closure will affect not only about 430 workers at the plant but also another 325 at Peabody's Kayenta Mine 80 miles away, which straddles the Navajo and Hopi reservations and has nowhere else to sell its coal, especially with the fuel falling out of favor nationally.

Not specifically mentioned in this article but alluded to in other articles: BM&LP is toast with the plant closing and the mine losing nearly all business prospects and 300 jobs from the plant closing. The flag falls for good on the electric freight operation in 12-24 months.

Figure on the Navajo and Hopi tribes to find away to keep that plant running,by getting a stake(share)
of the plant,and getting the needed pollution controls installed.
As it is the Navajos have a stake in the 4 Corners power plant(serves PNM)























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Is the BM&LP still running? Is it difficult to follow when railfanning?