SAGINAW AND MANISTEE FLAGSTAFF OPERATIONS: 1941-1952 (10/25)

  

SAGINAW AND MANISTEE FLAGSTAFF OPERATIONS: 1941-1952

 On March 1, 1941, the Saginaw and Manistee leased the Arizona Lumber and Timber Company from manager Joe Dolan. The S&M had acquired vast timber holdings in the area of Mormon Lake; the lease of the AL&T allowed them to harvest these holdings. 

    The Saginaw extended the Howard Spring line an additional 14 miles to Allan Lake, located South of Mormon Lake. The Allen Lake Line was essentially a steam engine powered, reasonably straight conveyor belt to and from the mill. With the exception of several short spurs and a "Y" near the southern end, the line was fed by trucks. Mechanized logging had replaced the need to constantly relay spurs into the forest. A steady flow of quality timber was provided to the leased Flagstaff mill, and during WWII made a significant contribution to the war effort.

   In October of 1944 the Saginaw and Manistee purchased its' first and only 2-6-6-2 articulated mallet locomotive. Not just any articulate, but a true mallet with high- and low-pressure steam cylinders. It had previously been used in the Pacific Northwest. Later, in 1953, it was sold to Southwest Lumber Mills, then scrapped in 1956 (Schuppert, pages 96, 97.)     

     South-West Lumber Mills took control of the AL&T and the Saginaw lease in 1952-53. The next reorganized company, South-West Forest Industries, ran the line until March of 1966 (Kuhn 1981:101; Glover 1965; Stein, Report #19, page 33.)  

 "NEW LOGGING LINE IN ARIZONA OPENS FOR SERVICE

    Operating the only logging railroad in either Arizona or New Mexico, Saginaw and Manistee Lumber Co. and Southwest Lumber Mills, Inc., both of Flagstaff, Arizona, in May of this year secured the railroad from the Arizona Lumber and Timber Co. It is now about 26 miles long, extending into the Cocconino (sic) National Forest, with eight miles of new line expected to be built this summer. A 2 1/2 mile section was rebuilt to 1 percent eliminating a switchback and 4 percent grades. 

    Longe range plans are to eventually build 75 miles of line in about 20 or 30 years to reach into the companies' timber reserves.

    Motive power at present includes three locomotives, one of which is a shay. The roundhouse is located at the Southwest mill and the shops at the Saginaw mill are being enlarged to handle the railroad equipment." ("The Western Railroader" (published by the Southern California Railroad Club, Volume 6, Number 6 (60); Summer, 1943.) 

    It was hoped that the operations would continue for decades, which it did under new ownership and with a number of changes to the aforementioned plan. The article mentioned additional branch lines and rebuilding of the mainline into the woods. What eventually occurred was the use of trucks to haul the loads to the rail line, and then transporting the logs to to the mill site. Other than a few additions and changes, the main rail feeder remained much the same. I did research on this feeder line several years ago, and there were indications of rebuilding in the rock fill structures. It would be interesting to do further field research and find the switchbacks and old right of way. Another project, for another day.