Ludlow in San Bernardino County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad Shops

Photographed by Michael Kindig, December 5, 2009

1. Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad Shops Marker

Inscription. 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, Nevada, Francis 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 the 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.

Erected 2007

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by Billy Holcomb Chapter No. 1069 of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus in cooperation with the Knoll Family and the Bureau of Land Managament. (Marker Number 133.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1906.

Location. 34° 43.418′ N, 116° 9.802′ W. Marker is in Ludlow, California, in San Bernardino County. It is at the intersection of National Trails Highway and Crucero Road, on the right when traveling east on National Trails Highway. Marker is located in front of the Ludlow Coffee Shop. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 68315 National Trails Highway, Ludlow CA 92338, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles,

in the Mojave Desert,

in the Peninsular Ranges,

and specifically in the Transverse Ranges.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

on the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

T & T Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Kindig, December 5, 2009

2. T & T Marker

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Project Carryall (here, next to this marker); Site of Ragtown (approx. 4.4 miles away).

Tonopah & Tidewater R.R.Co. The Nevada Short Line image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Kindig, October 14, 2007

3. Tonopah & Tidewater R.R.Co. The Nevada Short Line

T & T Railroad Shops Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Adam Margolis, February 3, 2024

4. T & T Railroad Shops Marker

Photographed by Adam Margolis, February 3, 2024

5. Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad Shops Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 9, 2012, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. This page has been viewed 1,342 times since then and 78 times this year. Last updated on November 3, 2014, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 9, 2012, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. 4, 5. submitted on February 12, 2024, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.