Wellton Cutoff — Hyder (Sunset Limited Sabotage Site)

AZ · Dateland → Arlington

An unsolved act of sabotage, in the middle of nowhere.

Heads up: Out of service but still owned by Union Pacific — stored freight cars may be sitting on this track, and the ends connect to lines that still see trains.

Southern Pacific built this cutoff between Wellton and Phoenix in the 1920s, and passenger service started in 1928. For decades the Sunset Limited used it on its way between Los Angeles and New Orleans.

On October 9, 1995, someone pulled spikes and rigged the track on a trestle near Hyder, then left a note signed by a group called 'Sons of the Gestapo.' The Sunset Limited derailed into a dry wash, killing sleeping-car attendant Mitchell Bates and injuring dozens. The FBI never solved the case.

In 1996 Union Pacific took the 64-mile middle of the cutoff out of service. Since then it has been used to store freight cars. A 2014 state study priced reopening at $165–420 million and concluded it wasn't justified.

So is it abandoned? No — it's out of service. Union Pacific still owns the line and has said it has no plans to bring it back, but no plans to abandon it either.

⚠️ 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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