Randsburg Railway: Difference between revisions

Randsburg Railway
Overview
Locale	Johannesburg, California
Dates of operation	January 17, 1898–December 30, 1933
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length	28.5-mile (45.9 km)

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Latest revision as of 21:44, 7 July 2024

The Randsburg Railway was a 28.5-mile (45.9 km) branch line railroad in California's Mojave Desert. It originated at the main line of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad (AT&SF) at Kramer Junction, California, and terminated at Johannesburg, California, with a stop at Atolia. The Railway served as a supply link to the Rand Mine, which produced more silver than any mine in California. The Rand mine closed in 1929, as it was no longer profitable.^[1]^[2]

The line was completed on January 5, 1898, and began operation on January 17, 1898. The railway was acquired by the AT&SF in 1903. During its 35-year history, the Randsburg Railway served a number of local mining operations; it also provided passenger service.

The Randsburg Railway ceased operations on December 30, 1933, a victim of the Great Depression and a decline in the mining industry. The rails were removed the following year. Portions of the grade are still visible along U.S. Route 395 between Kramer and Johannesburg.

References

^ Bakersfield Daily Californian December 22, 1896
^ "Randsburg Railway". randdesertmuseum.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020.

External links

Randsburg/Johannesburg Railroad
"Randsburg Railway History". Archived from the original on June 1, 2008.

This United States rail–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This article about transportation in California is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Bakersfield Daily Californian December 22, 1896

[2] "Randsburg Railway". randdesertmuseum.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020.

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[2]

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 }}
 [[File:CA Randsburg 1903 62500.jpg|thumb|Route in 1903]]
-The '''Randsburg Railway''' was a significant {{convert|28.5|mi|km|adj=on}} branch line railroad in California's [[Mojave Desert]], crucial for transporting supplies to the [[Rand Mine]], one of California's leading silver producers. Originating at Kramer Junction on the main line of the [[Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad]] (AT&SF), the railway terminated at [[Johannesburg, California]], with a stop at [[Atolia, California|Atolia]] along the way. The Rand mine closed in 1929, as it was no longer profitable.<ref>''Bakersfield Daily Californian'' December 22, 1896</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://randdesertmuseum.com/site/?p=867 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918114631/http://randdesertmuseum.com/site/?p=867 |archive-date=September 18, 2020 |publisher=randdesertmuseum.com |title=Randsburg Railway}}</ref>
+The '''Randsburg Railway''' was a {{convert|28.5|mi|km|adj=on}} branch line railroad in California's [[Mojave Desert]]. It originated at the main line of the [[Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad]] (AT&SF) at Kramer Junction, California, and terminated at [[Johannesburg, California]], with a stop at [[Atolia, California|Atolia]]. The Railway served as a supply link to the [[Rand Mine]], which produced more silver than any mine in California.  The Rand mine closed in 1929, as it was no longer profitable.<ref>''Bakersfield Daily Californian'' December 22, 1896</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://randdesertmuseum.com/site/?p=867 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918114631/http://randdesertmuseum.com/site/?p=867 |archive-date=September 18, 2020 |publisher=randdesertmuseum.com |title=Randsburg Railway}}</ref>
 [[File:Trona Railway Route.jpg|thumb|Route in 1930]]
-Completed on January 5, 1898, the Randsburg Railway began operation on January 17, 1898. It was acquired by the AT&SF in 1903 and played a vital role in supporting various local mining operations, in addition to providing passenger services.
+The line was completed on January 5, 1898, and began operation on January 17, 1898.  The railway was acquired by the AT&SF in 1903. During its 35-year history, the Randsburg Railway served a number of local mining operations; it also provided passenger service.
-However, the decline of the mining industry, compounded by the onset of the Great Depression,
+The Randsburg Railway ceased operations on December 30, 1933, a victim of the Great Depression
-Subsequently, the rails were removed in the following year. Today, remnants of the railway grade can still be seen along [[U.S. Route 395]] between Kramer and Johannesburg.
+and a decline in the mining industry. The rails were removed the following year. Portions of the grade are still visible along [[U.S. Route 395]] between Kramer and Johannesburg.
 ==See also==