Copper River and Northwestern Railway
Encyclopedia
The Copper River and Northwestern Railway was a railroad built by the Kennecott Corporation between 1907 and 1911 to take copper ore from Kennicott, Alaska
to Cordova, Alaska
, a distance of 315 km (195.7 mi). The railroad was built by thousands of workers, who laid tracks around glaciers, across canyons and through deep snow and avalanche areas. 129 bridges were built for the railway at a cost of U.S $2.5 million. The most expensive bridge was the Million Dollar Bridge
, which cost $1.4 million. The total cost of the railway was $20 million. Telephone lines were strung at the same time as the rail lines.
The last spike in the construction, a copper spike, was driven on Wednesday, March 29, 1911, by Chief Engineer E. C. Hawkins and Superintendent Samuel Murchison at Kennicott. The railway was completed in 1911 so that the company could obtain some of the land beside the railroad tracks. In order to obtain the land, the railway had to be completed within four years.
The cost of the railway was well spent, because the mines produced $200 million worth of copper ore during their operation.
The good ore in the mines ran out and the last train ran on September 11, 1938. In 1941, the Kennecott Corporation donated the bridges and the land they owned around the tracks to the United States government as a highway route. 48 miles of the Copper River Highway
were completed, from Cordova to the Million Dollar Bridge, but the damage to the bridge in the Good Friday Earthquake
(1964) blocked further construction. The bridge has recently (2005) been repaired. The roadbed from Chitina
to McCarthy
now forms the McCarthy Road
.
The railroad's nickname
was "Can't Run and Never Will".
. The railway's bunkhouse was also added to the register on December 5 2002.
Kennicott, Alaska
Kennecott, also known as Kennecott Mines or AHRS Site No. XMC-001, is an abandoned mining camp in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska that was the center of activity for several copper mines. It is located beside the Kennicott Glacier, northeast of Valdez, inside Wrangell-St....
to Cordova, Alaska
Cordova, Alaska
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,454 people, 958 households, and 597 families residing in the city. The population density was 40.0 per square mile . There are 1,099 housing units at an average density of 17.9 per square mile...
, a distance of 315 km (195.7 mi). The railroad was built by thousands of workers, who laid tracks around glaciers, across canyons and through deep snow and avalanche areas. 129 bridges were built for the railway at a cost of U.S $2.5 million. The most expensive bridge was the Million Dollar Bridge
Million Dollar Bridge
The Miles Glacier Bridge, also known as the Million Dollar Bridge, was built in the early 1900s, across the Copper River fifty miles from Cordova in what is now the U.S. state of Alaska. It is a multiple-span Pennsylvania truss bridge which completed a railroad line for the Copper River and...
, which cost $1.4 million. The total cost of the railway was $20 million. Telephone lines were strung at the same time as the rail lines.
The last spike in the construction, a copper spike, was driven on Wednesday, March 29, 1911, by Chief Engineer E. C. Hawkins and Superintendent Samuel Murchison at Kennicott. The railway was completed in 1911 so that the company could obtain some of the land beside the railroad tracks. In order to obtain the land, the railway had to be completed within four years.
The cost of the railway was well spent, because the mines produced $200 million worth of copper ore during their operation.
The good ore in the mines ran out and the last train ran on September 11, 1938. In 1941, the Kennecott Corporation donated the bridges and the land they owned around the tracks to the United States government as a highway route. 48 miles of the Copper River Highway
Copper River Highway
The Copper River Highway extends from Cordova along the old railbed of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway. Construction began in 1945, and was originally intended to link Cordova with the state highway system at Chitina. The Million Dollar Bridge, which had carried trains until the CR&NW...
were completed, from Cordova to the Million Dollar Bridge, but the damage to the bridge in the Good Friday Earthquake
Good Friday Earthquake
The 1964 Alaska earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan Earthquake, the Portage Earthquake and the Good Friday Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that began at 5:36 P.M. AST on Good Friday, March 27, 1964...
(1964) blocked further construction. The bridge has recently (2005) been repaired. The roadbed from Chitina
Chitina, Alaska
Chitina is a census-designated place in Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 123.-Geography:Chitina is located at ....
to McCarthy
McCarthy, Alaska
McCarthy is a census-designated place in Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 42 at the 2000 census.- Geography and location:...
now forms the McCarthy Road
McCarthy Road
The McCarthy Road is a road that runs from the end of the Edgerton Highway in Chitina, Alaska, to about outside of McCarthy, Alaska.-Route description:...
.
The railroad's nickname
Railroad nicknames
The initials used to identify railroad and railway lines have often been used for humorous, disparaging or slanderous names. In a related category, portmanteaus, such as Amtrak, have also been lampooned....
was "Can't Run and Never Will".
Historic designations
On April 24 1973, the railway was added to the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The railway's bunkhouse was also added to the register on December 5 2002.