New Mexico \ U.S. Potash Company \ Equipment Roster
Equipment Roster.
Steam Locomotives.
No 1 2-8-0 Baldwin 10-30E-126 c/n 41473, June 1914, 18x20, 120,000 lbs, 42” drivers
Built for Death Valley Railroad, to US Potash in 1932 with all other equipment from the DVRR
Placed on display near Municipal Beach Park at Carlsbad, New Mexico, 1962
No 2 2-8-0 Baldwin 10-30E-xxx c/n 42846, Feb. 1916, 18x20, 120,000 lbs, 42” drivers
Built for Death Valley Railroad, to US Potash in 1932 with all other equipment from the DVRR Donated for display 1955, now on display at the Borax Museum at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, as Death Valley Railroad No. 2
No 3 2-8-0 (outside frame), Baldwin, 10-28E- c/n 21882, 1902, 17x20, 134,000 lbs, 40” drivers
Built for Arizona Copper Ltd, Lettered, lettered at the factory for Coronado Railroad
This line is also known as the Arizona and New Mexico Railroad.
By the mid 1920’s all the railroads in the Clifton area fell under ownership of Phelps Dodge, and this locomotive was reassigned to the Morenci Southern Railroad, which shrank under the consolidation of Clifton area lines as the Morenci Industrial railroad. That railroad was standard gauged in 1937. The locomotive was sold to U.S. Potash in 1939, where it was used until set aside in 1946, and donated in 1955 to the Los Angeles chapter of the R&LHS for display at the RailGiants Train Museum at Fairplex, Pomona, California
Diesel Locomotives.
The railroad dieselized starting in 1948, using three General Electric diesels.
No 4, GE c/n 29296, March 1948, 70 ton, 540 hp
sold to B.R.&L., Birmingham AL, scrapped April 1975
No 5, GE c/n 30874, July 1952, 70 ton, 540 hp
sold to B.R.&L., Birmingham AL, scrapped Nov. 1974
No 6, GE c/n 32753, May 1956, 70 ton, 540 hp
sold to B.R.&L., Birmingham AL, scrapped Dec. 1974
Motorcars.
Death Valley Railroad's No. 5, a Brill railcar, was transferred to Carlsbad along with other rolling stock. It was used to transport workmen from Loving to work at the mine and the mill, but saw less use over time and was eventually set out on a side track out of service. The car was donated to the railroad museum at Laws California, near Bishop, where she has recently been restored to operation.
Rolling Stock
The railroad started with the rolling stock from the Death Valley Railroad, including 12 steel hoppers, and miscellaneous other cars including some former North Western Pacific railroad wooden box and flat cars, and former Borate and Daggett water cars.
Used 40 ton capacity hoppers acquired in 1939 from Morenci at the time locomotive No 3 was purchased. These cars were successful, and more were built in the company shops as well as purchased new.