Trona Railway

Trona Railway

Reporting mark	TRC
Locale	Mojave Desert, California
Dates of operation	March 12, 1913–Present
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Headquarters	Trona, California

The Trona Railway (reporting mark TRC) is a 30.5 mi (49.1 km) short-line railroad owned by Searles Valley Minerals.

The TRC interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad (former Southern Pacific Transportation Company) at Searles, California.

History

The railroad was built by the American Trona Company in 1914, to serve the mining company's shipping from Searles Station to a junction with the Southern Pacific Railroad.^[1]

The company and its Trona Railway has had various subsequent owners, including American Potash & Chemical Corporation, Kerr-McGee Corporation, IMC Global, Sun Capital, LLC, before the current ownership of Searles Valley Minerals, Inc.

Operations

Traffic

The TRC handles 18,000 cars annually (1996 estimate). Commodities hauled include:

• Sulfuric acid
• Soda ash
• Potash
• Salt cake
• Borax
• Coal
• Minerals
• Material for the U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake

Passenger Service

Passenger train service was offered on the TRC, from 1914 until discontinued in 1937.

References

1. Searles Valley Historical Society.org: Searles Valley History Timeline

• Fickewirth, Alvin A. (1992). California railroads: an encyclopedia of cable car, common carrier, horsecar, industrial, interurban, logging, monorail, motor road, shortlines, streetcar, switching and terminal railroads in California (1851-1992). San Marino, CA: Golden West Books. ISBN 0-87095-106-8.
• Stindt, Fred A. (1996). American Shortline Railway Guide (5th ed.). Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0-89024-290-9.
• Walker, Mike (1997). Steam Powered Video's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - California and Nevada (Post Merger ed.). Kent, United Kingdom: Steam Powered Publishing. ISBN 1-874745-08-0.