TRONA Railway: Old Diesel Trains in the Desert - Following a Freight Train Ep. 6

Welcome to another episode of Following a Freight Train! In the middle of California's Mojave Desert, there is an incredibly unique industrial railroad that has been transporting minerals for over a century. The Trona Railway stretches 31 miles from Trona to Searles, CA where it interchanges with the Union Pacific. Railroad enthusiasts from all over the US are drawn to this unique operation because of the railroad's fleet of old former Southern Pacific and Union Pacific SD40 type locomotives. In this special episode of Following a Freight Train, we will take an in depth look at the Trona Railway, covering details about the region, history of the railroad, and then significant points along the line. Chapters: 00:00 Video Intro 00:17 Trona Railway Introduction 03:41 Area Background 07:12 Argus Facility 14:01 Westend 19:40 Searles 27:28 Return Trip 33:07 Conclusion Sources: https://www.svminerals.com/ https://webmaps.blm.gov/program_apps/BLM_Natl_Recreation_Opportunities/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPIOu7wIIX8 https://railfan.com/trona-railway-today/ https://www.trains.com/pro/freight/short-lines-regionals/trona-tonnage-tumbles-slowing-rail-operations/ This video was made possible by my supporters on Patreon: Beyond Aviation Ben Edrich Brian Zimmerman Callum McNamara Hayden M Ivan de jesus Rosiles espinoza Jackson Gorski Jim Walker Jovanni Cruz Lachlan B. Lane's Trains Lyle C Mateo Estrera Peter Della Flora Thee Baumann And many more! CoasterFan2105 is the home of all sorts of train and railroad related video content. Stop by every Friday at 9 AM Pacific time for an all new railroading adventure and be sure to check out all of my social media pages @coasterfan2105 for even more great railroad content. Thanks, and I'll see you down the line! ©2026 Mike Armstrong Media