Santa Fe Railroad
Across the Puerco River, the tracks of the
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad stretch for
miles to the east and to the west. With no landforms
or forests to block your view, you can see very long
trains from beginning to end. More than 60 trains a
day pass through the park.
The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad built this
important line across the southwest in 1882. That
sparked the founding of many northern Arizona
towns, including Holbrook and Winslow
to the west.
The Fred Harvey Company, famous for excellent
meals and hotels along the Santa Fe line, hosted
guided tours into the Petrified Forest National
Monument during the 1930s. Passengers
disembarked at the Adaman station one mile (1.6
km) to the west to tour "petrified forests" in open-
roofed "Harvey Cars."
The advent of automobiles brought visitors to the
park along Route 66, which was later replaced by
Interstate 40. Although the whistle-stop town of
Adamana has disappeared and Route 66 through the
park is mostly overgrown by the short grass prarie,
trains still roll along the Burlington Northern Santa
Fe Railroad traks.
In a photo from an old
postcard, right, a tour groups
of visitors to the Petrified
Forest prepares to leave
Adamana by stage. Left, the
Santa Fe Railroad logo.
Passengers on a Harvey Car auto tour from Adamana visit Rainbow Forest.
Don't miss the rest of our virtual tour of Petrified Forest National Park in 1519 images.