Magma Arizona

Company History: The MAA was built in 1915 by Magma Copper Company as a 3’ gauge railroad from a connection with Southern Pacific at Magma to Queen Creek, Arizona. It was standard gauged in 1923. Traffic was copper and, when in season, cattle. The first diesels didn’t arrive until 1958 and steam continued to operate through the 1960s. The end of steam on the MAA finally came in December of 1971 when the fires of 2-8-0 #5 were dropped. The final job for the engine was as a prop for the filming of “How The West Was Won.” (Note the Mobile & Gulf still gets credit for having the last regular use of steam because MMA’s #5 had been demoted to stand-by service for sometime before its 1971 final run.) MMA’s growing fleet of Baldwin diesels took it from there. The parent company was sold to BHP in 1996 and the Magma Arizona Railroad ended operations the following year. A billion ton copper ore deposit has since been discovered relatively near the railroad at Superior so it is very possible the MAA may rise from the dead.

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