401 EDWARDS MOTOR CAR

Motor Car No. 401 was built in October 1926 by the Edwards Railway Motor Car Company of Sanford, North Carolina for the Tucson Cornelia and Gila Bend Railroad. It is their “model 10” and cost $10,465.

The TC&GB operated the car daily between the Phelps Dodge copper mine at Ajo, Arizona and the Southern Pacific connection at Gila Bend. As built, the car had a seating capacity of 30 passengers, but in 1928 two rows of seats were removed in response to dwindling demand, and the bulkhead was relocated to its present position. The car originally had traps and gates on its rear platform, which were apparently removed about this time. In 1943 its original Continental Motor Corp. 100 HP gasoline engine was replaced with a reconditioned engine from a white truck. The radiator had to be moved forward to accommodate the larger engine.  With the advent of good highways and reliable automobiles, the TC&GB discontinued passenger service on December 31, 1947. By that date the car had had logged 783,053 miles. It continued to see occasional use until being finally retired at the end of 1955.

Check out the Timetable to get your ride.