Learn About Our Train

Come visit and see the history come alive as you experience a journey back in time

Our Region

Legend tells that the community of Globe was named for a sphere-shaped silver nugget said to resemble “the Globe”. Initially looking for gold, prospectors staked the first claims for silver mines in 1870. Silver mining expanded quickly and prospectors and miners poured into the area. By 1881 Globe had grown sufficiently to become the seat of a new Arizona county – Gila County. But silver soon began glutting the market and prices fell, so Globe turned to copper mining.

The restoration of our historic railroad buildings began with the freight office in 2005, followed by the passenger lobby, beginning in 2007. Historic Globe Main Street Program volunteers put in countless hours recovering the lobby space. The freight office and lobby have won state preservation and economic restructuring awards. Make sure you come early to view the beautiful lobby.

 

Before	After

 

Historic Downtown Globe

The charm of this community is that you can stand on a corner and be carried back in time. Many of the structures of the Golden Age are still standing. Highlights include the 1916 Arizona Eastern Railway Passenger Station, the 1906 Gila County Courthouse, now the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts, and the 1910 Gila County Sheriff's Office and Jail. These two county buildings are among the finest remaining from Territorial Arizona. The courthouse has amazing copper banisters and detailed stone craftsmanship. The jail is a unique Old West experience, with cell blocks pre-dating the structure itself, having come originally from the Yuma Territorial Prison.

Our Route

Transporting ore in the region began with a train…a Mule Train, that is. The Old Dominion mine site had already extracted 50 million pounds of copper between 1881 and 1891 ($176 million in 2007 dollars). However, there was no railroad for transport and the enormous challenge of hauling by wagon meant many losses incurred by overturned loads and flooding in the Gila Valley. The Gila Valley Globe & Northern Railroad was created to assist in the endeavor, but was hard-won as it slowly was constructed in increments from southern Arizona to the border of the San Carlos Apache Nation---It took both Presidents Cleveland and McKinley’s involvement and many a negotiation to finally see the track make its way to Globe. The first train reached the Globe depot on December 1, 1898 after 5 years of construction.

The GVG&N had a star locomotive, the Jupiter, which had previously been used for the historical Golden Spike ceremony in Promontory, Utah for the connecting of the transcontinental railroad. The Jupiter served here in Globe before being scrapped in 1909, its historical significance unappreciated at the time. The GVG&N suffered a rocky decade of initial service, still prone to wash-outs and derailments, even nicknamed the “Goes Slowly & Nervously Railroad”. In 1909, the Arizona Eastern Railway was born and remained independent until Southern Pacific absorbed the line in 1924.

Globe was once an optional transcontinental stop between New Orleans and Los Angeles. A rail-auto detour from the main line ran from 1916 to 1932 to show California-bound passengers Globe, the Tonto National Monument’s cliff dwellings, Roosevelt Dam and the Salt River Valley. Once called the Arizona National Reserve Route, it was renamed the “Apache Trail” and served as the name in heavy advertised campaigns during the 1920’s in the golden age of rail travel. After WWII, passengers began to frequent the use of autos and the passenger train became used less and less. The train was renamed the Gila Tomahawk and converted from steam to diesel but continued operating losses. Finally, despite civic opposition, the last passenger journey (until now!) was made on Dec 31, 1953.

 

Our Cars

These full-length dome cars were built in 1954 for the Santa Fe Railway and were used on luxury long-distance trains. They feature seating for 66 passengers on the upper level, with a 22-seat dining area on the lower level. These cars are air-conditioned and restroom-equipped. Due to the dome stairs, they are not wheelchair-accessible. Seating is open.