Randsburg Railway
Encyclopedia
The Randsburg Railway was a 28.5-mile 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
.
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.
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
. It originated at the main line of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad (AT&SF) at Kramer Junction, California
Kramer Junction, California
Kramer Junction is a small community in the Mojave Desert at the intersection of U.S. Route 395 and State Route 58.Solar Energy Generating Systems sites SEGS III-VII are located less than a mile to the northwest....
and terminated at Johannesburg, California
Johannesburg, California
Johannesburg is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, in a mining district of the Rand Mountains. Johannesburg is located east-northeast of Randsburg, at an elevation of 3517 feet . The terminus of the Randsburg Railway was here from 1897 to 1933. The population was 172 at the...
.
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
U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395 is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border near Laurier, where the road becomes Highway 395 upon entering British Columbia. At one time, the...
between Kramer and Johannesburg.