The Trona Railway brings a coal train north in the desolate Searles Valley. Every railfan has likely experienced waiting for the train, which is taking longer than you expected, and watching your ... (more)

A coal train to Trona begins its very slow creep out of Searles with nary a puff of smoke as they come out of the interchange with the UP on a downward grade.

Crossing Searles Station Road in Searles, CA, two of Trona Railway's fleet of approximately 50-year-old UP and SP castoffs smoke it up for the last bit of grade they will face.

The Trona Railway arrives at the lonely junction in Searles, where they will shove their train for the UP up the remaining stub of the SP Jawbone Branch and then grab the second half of a coal tra... (more)

Trona's Searles' Turn passes by the "alien-looking" Pinnacles. The Pinnacles are tufa spires, some as high as 140 feet, that rise from the bed of the Searles Dry Lake basin, and are a ra... (more)

Trona's Searles' Turn has just begun its run out to Searles Junction as it rounds a curve near West End. Power is a mix of old SP and old UP SD40 variations.

Trona Railway SD40T-2 #2005 leads three SD40-2s past the Trona Pinnacles, as they bring a cut of loaded coal hoppers down the hill.

Trona Railway's "Daily Run" crosses Searles Station Rd on it approach to Searles, where the crew will interchange with the Union Pacific before returning to Trona.

Fading light and aging EMD locomotives combine to create a sense of nostalgia as the Trona Railway delivers the day's interchange to the Union Pacific at Searles.

Pulling away from the yard at Oxy, where they just set out the majority of their inbound train, Trona Railway's afternoon job is headed back home. I liked this spot because you can see the majorit... (more)

The Trona Railway heads south past the Searles Valley welcome sign outside of Trona.

A short Trona Railway Searles Turn near West End, Trona CA, 07/31/23.

Electro Motive A vintage quartet of EMD power run towards Searles to pick up a coal train off the Union Pacific interchange. The power is moving along the edge of an ancient lakebed that ... (more)

With an unusual 2 set as opposed to the normal 3-7, Trona's afternoon job is in full dynamics as they wind down the hill towards the storage yard at Oxy. Behind them are a small portion of the fam... (more)

Soon after clearing the storage yard at Oxy far in the distance, the engineer has all 5 of his sun beaten locomotives in the corner as they start up the stair step grade that will soon have the tr... (more)