This line was chartered under the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway in May of 1891. Construction started in August of the next year at Ash Fork, and completed to Prescott in April of 1893.
The line traversed Limestone Canyon, and featured severe grades, curves and bridges. Derailments and rock slides were a constant problem.
In 1901, the AT&SF completed a route, also between Ash Fork and Prescott, with greatly reduced grades and only two bridges at Hell's Canyon. This route through limestone canyon was abandoned soon after.