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What Happened To Railhead?


Cholla

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I was talking to some folks about Railhead in Williams, AZ. I just saw another mention of it. What happened to make it cease?

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Was at the last couple of Railheads.  City's mayor said that by the time of the last match we shot there the range would be improved.  Didn't happen.  Ground was, I believe, correct me if I am wrong, not very ground up volcanic rock that was very hot and miserable to walk on. 

ACSA said goodbye Williams, AZ.

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3 hours ago, Lone Spur Jake SASS #7728 said:

Was at the last couple of Railheads.  City's mayor said that by the time of the last match we shot there the range would be improved.  Didn't happen.  Ground was, I believe, correct me if I am wrong, not very ground up volcanic rock that was very hot and miserable to walk on. 

ACSA said goodbye Williams, AZ.

Was it at the cinder quarry to the west of the city? When was the last match?

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Railhead was a great shoot.  It was put on by the Arizona Cowboy Shooter's Association.  (ACSA)  It started in the 1980's and was held in Buckskinner Park around a lake.  Around 2003 the lake was supposed to be expanded to provide a source of water for fighting forest fires so the shoot could no longer take place there.  The lake was never expanded.  Around 2008 meetings were held with the city to see if the shoot could be restarted.  Buckskinner Park was off-limits but the city offered a location north of town.  It was basically a cinder pit.  An agreement was reached for the use of the land and the shoot was restarted in 2009.  ACSA tried to make things railroad oriented.  The shooter badges were shaped like rail cars with the idea that you could form a train if you attended enough shoots.  The little kangaroo was given to some of us by an Australian couple we had taken to dinner.  I met them again at EOT this year.

 

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The match was set to be the week after EOT in New Mexico so shooters could stop at Railhead on their way home.  Everything used at the match had to be hauled 160 miles from Phoenix and it took multiple trips and multiple heavy duty trailers.  All the props, tents, and even the porta potties had to be hauled to the site.  ACSA even borrowed one of the trains and some other props from Winter Range on occassion.

 

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The awards were HO trains.

 

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The awards ceremony was held in "Old Town" Williams.

 

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So what happened?  It was backbreaking work to haul all the steel and props back and forth and each round trip to Williams and back to Phoenix took six hours.  If ANYTHING was forgotten the nearest town with a Home Depot or other supplies was Flagstaff.  People got old, people got tired and it was decided to pull the plug.  I really miss it.  It was a great shoot and partying in Williams was loads of fun.

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That's my life story. A day late and a dollar short. We love Williams but we live in Prescott so not as far to drive as many.

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Yep, those were the good old days at Williams Az. Miss that shoot & think of it many times.

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I don't know if they did it later, but at least the first coupla years, the railroad up to the Grand Canyon made a run for the cowboy shooters using period (replica?) equipment.  I didn't go, but several who made the ride were impressed and had a good time.

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