THE AT& SF RAILWAY IN WILLIAMS, ARIZONA PART III: YARD FACILITIES WEST OF THE ROUNDHOUSE:
The Trackside Refueling and Water Treatment Facilities, the Brick Station and Freight Building
Part III will identify the trackside fuel service facility, the original location of the brick depot and freight house and other structures. The map covers the area just west of the roundhouse, and just east of the Frey Marcos Station.
#82004: Fred Harvey "Phostint" Trademark, Detroit Publishing Company
Above image is an overview of the yard facilities. The facilities covered in this part are in the center of the yard area. The brick station has been moved to its current location.
"Sheet No. SLT 24B of Valuation Section No. 2 of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, from survey station 9454 plus 00 to survey station 19504 plus 00. Chief Engineer, The A.T.&S.F. Ry. Co., Coast Lines. Williams Station Plat, The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Operated by The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Co. Coast Lines, Albuquerque Division, Arizona June 30, 1915."
The large Track Chart Map provides an overview as to the location of the structures. The map area is located west of the Roundhouse Facility. The Water treatment plant was northeast of the Trackside Fuel Facility, on two separate spur tracks off of the mainline. Further west, and located on the north side of the mainline, was the Trackside Fuel Facility.
The Brick Depot and Freight House are west of the Trackside Fuel Facility, situated between two-yard tracks, just south of the mainline.
The above map also shows another structure that was northeast, and across the mainline. It is long and narrow; the map notations state "Tile and stucco, bunkhouse." This was of similar construction as a section house and probably served the local track gang.
The Trackside Fueling and Water Treatment Facilities
Close-up view of the Fuel Service and Water Treatment Facilities
The Water Treatment Plant: (Blue Arrows) The plant was northeast of the Fuel Facility, on two separate spur tracks off of the mainline. The treatment plant was one of the more important facilities for servicing engines. It was important that the water was treated to reduce chemicals, sediment and minerals that could cause foaming in the boilers, and the build-up of scale. The water was used specifically for engine service; however, it is possible that the treated water was supplied throughout the yard. Deciphering the myriads of lines and notations on the map can prove to be a challenging task.
Continuing west on the treatment plant spur is a 700-foot water flume, basically a track pan under the rails (White Arrows.) The spur ends in a building designated Cess Pool. This could be where the passenger car's holding tanks (hoppers) would be dumped and cleaned. The flume would contain any spillage and could be flushed into the cess pool. This area is now covered by the coach tracks for the Grand Canyon Railway.
One of the questions that requires an answer is how the steam engines on the mainlines and yard tracks receive water? To uncouple the engine and move to the treatment plant would be a laborious and time-consuming task. The answer is a water column, fed by a 10" pipe, that led to the plant. The water column could have been a number of columns providing water to the more important tracks. This is marked on the map three tracks south of the Fuel Facility, near the Oil Crane (Orange Arrows.) It is assumed that a water column was located at the Trackside Fuel Facility.
Notations on Map for structures, east to west:
Steel Water Tank
Steel Treating Tank
Treating House
Overhead Steam Line (from roundhouse)
Tel. (telephone) Maintainers Tool House
The Trackside Fuel Facility: (Red Arrows) Further west of the Water Treatment Plant, and located on the north side of the mainline, was the Fuel Facility.
An Oil Crane, presumably used to fill the tenders on the steam engines, was located three tracks south of the facility. This was in addition to the assumed ability to refill at the trackside facility. (Orange Arrows.)
Notations on Map for structures, east to west:
Oil Delivery Tank (odd, shaped tank; a 6" pipe provided oil from the storage tanks)
Pumphouse
Stone Cistern, Wood Top 34' Diameter
The Signal Maintainers House, and Signal Relay (Green Arrow)
An additional structure is located on the first track, south of the Fuel Facility. This is designated as the Scale and Scale House.
The Brick Station and Freight House
Close-up view of the Brick Depot and Freight House
The Brick Depot and Freight House are west of the Fuel Facility, situated between two-yard tracks, just south of the mainline (Blue Arrows.)
Notations from Map, reading east to west:
Office
Wood Platform (north side)
Brick Platform (south side)
Freight House
Concrete Platform (north side)
Another structure is just to the west of the facility, identified as the Icehouse (Red Arrow.).
The Cess Pool and Track Pan from Part II are White Arrows.)
To the north of the Freight House are two structures, identified as a cottage and a house (Green Arrows.) The house was one of four that were northeast of the FREY MARCOS complex. Given that these were located on railroad property, it can be assumed that they were for company employees.
A reasonably sized brick passenger depot and freight house were built circa 1901, on the Atlantic and Pacific mainline in Williams (later the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.) These was probably the replacements for the old wooden structure dating to 1884. With the opening of the Frey Marcos Hotel and station complex in 1908, the brick passenger depot was redundant. However, there was still a need for a freight station since the new complex did not include this.
As the new Frey Marcos complex was being built, the City of Williams petitioned the Santa Fe to place a vehicle crossing over the tracks at Third Street. They countered with the offer of placing it on Second Street, to which the city agreed. Due to its location blocking the new crossing, the depot had to be moved to another location. The two brick buildings were move approximately 300 feet, combined and became the freight depot (now used as the Williams Visitor's Center.) According to this Yard Chart the station was still in the original position in 1915.
This resulted in the main north entry to the downtown area (now Grand Canyon Boulevard) passed the red-light district. This may not have been what the city fathers intended; then again times were different back then.
A close-up view of the brick Depot, built in 1901
This is from a Sanborne Map, the Brick Depot, which was later moved to its present-day location. It is marked R.R. DEPOT, and divided into two waiting rooms, an office and a baggage room. This and the freight building were moved to their current location, apparently being combined in the process. It now serves as the Williams Visitor's Center.
NEXT: PART IV: THE FREY MARCOS STATION COMPLEX
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