Gila Bend to Childs

AZ · Gila Bend → Childs

The copper line from Ajo, through what is now a bombing range.

The Tucson, Cornelia & Gila Bend Railroad was incorporated in 1915 and opened in 1916 to haul copper from the New Cornelia open-pit mine at Ajo north to the Southern Pacific at Gila Bend — about 44 miles. It was meant to reach Tucson someday, but never did.

Childs, about six miles north of Ajo, was named for Tom Childs, a rancher and prospector who helped discover the copper there. The line carried passengers as well as ore for decades.

The Ajo mine shut down in the 1980s and the railroad went with it. Phelps Dodge rebuilt the track in 1998, hoping mining would restart, but it didn't. The line runs through the edge of the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range. A TC&GB caboose is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

⚠️ Before you go: every railroad on this map is private property. A line that looks abandoned may still be owned by a railroad, used to store rail cars, or put back into service at any time — sometimes with no warning. Before going near any track, make sure it's truly abandoned (no recent use, rails not polished, no signals or cars stored on it) and that you're allowed to be there. Never assume a track is dead.

📷 Photos & stories from riders

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