LONE PINE (CA) BRANCH OF THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD UPDATE(2)

On Thursday, December 10, 1998, I explored along the south end of the
abandoned Lone Pine Branch line, beginning at a point north of Searles,
where the line crossed US395. I found railcars still parked on the old
mainline to a point near the crossing. Between a pile of dirt that
marked the end of the track still in use and the highway, salvagers had
pulled rails and ties, both were stacked on opposite sides of the grade.

Continuing south, I drove along the grade between US395 and Brown Road.
Rails and ties were all pulled out. Midway I came across a front-end
loader with a blade attachment backing along the grade, smoothing it for
use by trucks that will come later to retrieve ties and rails. It was
the same operator that I had found earlier operating the backhoe with
jackhammer attachment.

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Friday, December 18, 1998
Took to the northern end of the line, north of Pearsonville. First of
all drove to where the south end of the tracks were last visit, 1/3rd
mile south of the Inyo/Kern County line. I found that the end of the
tracks and ties were as I had found them previously.

Drove onward north and then west to Pearsonville, I found that the ties
in the tie yard had been bundled and bound for later shipment. A few
rotted or broken ties were piled at one end. No one was working and the
Bobcat and one tractor, possibly that I found with the jackhammer
attachment previously, were parked.

I continued driving north along US395 and found tracks were still in
place. I pulled onto the access road north of South Haiwee Road to see
if ties had been removed and that the rails still ended there. I found
all the same as last visit.

Continuing north to Sage Flat Road, I found that the tie pile had
enlarged considerably. There was a Bobcat parked and two men were
talking when I drove by.

Northward I found all as I had found before, ties and rails still stacked
on opposite sides of the grade.

___________________
David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

Tie yard at Pearsonville. October 15, 1998.

Removal equipment S of Inyokern, Oct. 17, 1998.

Backhoe w/jackhammer attachment loosening rails. December 2, 1998.

Removing ties near Olancha. December 2, 1998.

Removing ties near Olancha. December 2, 1998.

Removing rails S of Inyokern. December 4, 1998.

Before and after shots, October 17, 1998 and December 4, 1998 from same place S of Inyokern.