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Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad Display

Route 66, Ludlow, CA
Phone:

East < GO > West

This monument was dedicated on October 14, 2007 in honor of the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad's headquarters and shops that were located close-by.

The marker reads as follows

TONOPAH AND TIDEWATER RAILROAD SHOPS

SEEKING A MORE EFFICIENT WAY TO GET BORAX FROM HIS MINES ON THE EAST SIDE OF DEATH VALLEY TO PROCESSING FACILITIES NEAR LOS ANGELES, AND HOPING TO TAP THE BOOMS AT RHYOLITE, TONOPAH AND GOLDFIELD, NEVADAFRANCIS MARION SMITH BUILT THE TONOPAH AND TIDEWATER RAILROAD. CONSTRUCTION STARTED AT LUDLOW IN AUGUST 1905 AND PROCEEDED QUICKLY ACROSS BROADWELL DRY LAKE (JUST NORTH OF LUDLOW) , REACHING DUMONT BY MAY 1906, HOWEVER, IT TOOK NEARLY A YEAR TO BUILD THROUGH THE DIFFICULT TERRAIN OF THE AMARGOSA GORGE. ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO EXTEND FROM TONOPAH TO SAN DIEGO, THE LINE REACHED ITS TERMINUS AT BEATTY, NEVADA IN OCTOBER 1907. WHILE THE T&T WAS A LIFELINE FOR EAST MOJAVE DESERT RESIDENTS, IT RARELY TURNED A PROFIT. IN 1933 THE 26 MILES OF TRACK BETWEEN LUDLOW AND CRUCERO WERE ABANDONED AND THE TRAINS STOPPED RUNNING JUNE 1940. THE TRACKS WERE TAKEN UP IN 1942 AND 1943 ONLY THE ROADBED REMAINS. THE SHOPS AND HEADQUARTERS OF THE T&T WERE LOCATED HERE AT LUDLOW, JUST SOUTH OF THIS MARKER. LITTLE REMAINS OF THE FACILITIES THAT FOR 18 YEARS SERVICED THE LOCOMOTIVES AND ROLLING STOCK OF THE NEVADA SHORTLINE.

The plaque was dedicated on October 14, 2007 by the Ancient and Honorable Order of the E. Clampus Vitus in cooperation with the Knoll family and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

There are three small mining cars on display next to the T&T marker, they weren't part of the T&T itself, but are kind of interesting. One of the small Ludlow Mining Company mining cars on display, this one from the Ludlow Mining Co. The "1882" apparently refers to the founding of the town.

The Ludlow Mining Company Dynamite Car #1 seems to be in a little trouble, thankfully it appears that the larger Mine Car #5 seems to be keeping the little Dynamite Car from going completely off the rails.

Photo(s): 2009