Death Valley Railroad

DVRR locomotive at the Borax Museum at Furnace Creek, Death Valley National Park.

The Death Valley Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad that operated in California's Death Valley.

It was built in 1914 by the Pacific Coast Borax Company to carry borax with the route running from Ryan, California, located just east of Death Valley National Park, to Death Valley Junction, a distance of approximately 20 miles. Regular operation of the railroad stopped in 1928. Much of the railroad ran parallel to what is today State Route 190.

The line was constructed using equipment from the Borate and Daggett Railroad including one of its engines. After this railroad ceased operations, the equipment was transferred to the United States Potash Railroad in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

A locomotive from the railroad is at the Borax Museum at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park.

References

• Myrick, David F. (1992). Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California - The Southern Roads. University of Nevada Press. ISBN 0-87417-193-8. 

• Chappell, Gordon (TBA). To Death Valley by Rail: A Brief History of the Death Valley Railroad, Third Proceedings Death Valley Conference on History & Prehistory. 

Palazzo, Robert P. (2011) Railroads of Death Valley Arcadia Publishing

External links

• Craig Tice: The Death Valley Railroad
• Tonopah & Tidewater RR Database: Death Valley Railroad and its environs - webpage and images