As we were driving from Tuba City, AZ to Cortez, CO we were
surprised to see what looked like an setup for electric powered trains. We saw
a westbound train of coal cars pulled by 4 engines with pantographs that picked
up power from the lines above the tracks. The tracks paralleled Hwy 160 until
near Kyenta, AZ. There we saw part of a long conveyor (it is 17 miles long) that ran south
out of sight. The conveyor fed 4 silos that temporarily stored coal for the
train.
Some online research indicated that the coal was for the largest coal
fired powerplant in the West, near Page, AZ. When running at full capacity it
takes three 80 car trains, 100 tons per car, a day to keep the three 750
megawatt generators burning. It takes the train 6-7 hours to make a round trip
on the 78 mile track.
The utilities that operate the plant are planning on
shutting it down in 2019 because they say then can buy, cheaper electricity from
other plants that burn natural gas. The Navajo tribe will probably end up owning the
track. The plant and mine that provides the coal employs about 750 people,
almost all of whom are members of the Navajo and Hopi tribes. The mine provides those on the reservation with all the free coal and water they want to haul away.
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