Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad

[@georgeb1364]

I owned an adobe house in Apple Valley CA that was built in 1954. The original owner was able to acquire many huge-rustic beams and hardware from the railroad that were repurposed to support the roof and porch overhang around the perimeter of the building. The original developer of Apple Valley, Newt Bass, somehow got the timbers and used many for the construction of the Apple Valley Inn that was later bought by Roy Rogers. I assume the timbers at my house were left over from the Inn construction as the owner worked for Newt Bass.

[@ronstanek2851]

I have the original Tonopah and Tidewater 1930s railroad map in pristine condition and really enjoy using it for research on siding’s and old mining camps 😀

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

@@ronstanek2851 fantastic! Pretty rare item there. I've seen a few of them but glad you have one and enjoy and use it!

[@davec9244]

got any more thank you

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

Coming soon.

[@davec9244]

@@goldcreekfilmsGCF thank you

[@grantglow4206]

Thank you Ted for putting this video together. It put a smile on my face

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

Well, it makes the work worthwhile! Thank you!

[@casedoumasr656]

Hello in 2019 I went on a 6month vac retirement trip to Death valley area east and west north and south and points in between Bishop laws museum Carson city Virgina city, and and the list goes on and on seen alot heard a lot and rode some trains and took pictures and stood in some at all these places at which were visited I would try to sit down and close my eyes an thought what it was like in the days of long ago and now Iam home sitting watching and listening again to the days of long ago thank you for this video Case from wash state 🤔🇺🇸

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

Thank you for your heartfelt comment. It's amazing how we can somehow touch the past in places as remote and barren as California and Nevada's desert regions.

[@Wheres_Bobby]

Excellent video!!!

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

Thank you!

[@grantglow4206]

I have one of their rails at my claim site in panamint Valley, been waiting to bring it home. Need a bigger truck though

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

Well, that's interesting!

[@keithrosenberg5486]

T&T was not a narrow gauge.

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

Thanks, Keith. That's right but the song had already been recorded and we went with it since it was in the music and there was no time to change it. It was also only 200 miles and not 400 miles. Ken and I discussed it but I chose some artistic license and used the song anyway. All the details I couldn't do here are in the film your Dad was in "The Great Desert Railroad Race. " Best, Ted

[@SouthernPacific8984]

It was changed in other recordings to “52 pound rail” instead of “narrow gauge rail”

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

@@SouthernPacific8984 Correct. After Ken Graydon and I collaborated on this I asked if he could come up with something to make it more historically accurate and he changed it up. If you listen to the music video which I just posted you'll hear the corrected version. Thank you for your concern and attention to the details!

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

@eclemensen Hi! Thank you for your good questions. The routes of the Carson and Colorado and the T&T were very far apart geographically. The T&T only ran from Ludlow to Gold Center, Nevada just south of Beatty, then eventually went into Beatty itself. The T&T in later years connected with the Bullfrog and Goldfield Railroad so that it did, in a sense, make it all the way to Goldfield. The line never made it to Tonopah and thus would not have made it far enough to connect to the Carson & Colorado at Mina northwest of Tonopah. In terms of rail lines into Death Valley the closest rails ever got to Death Valley proper was the eleven mile track which went from Death Valley Junction to the borax mines in Ryan in the mountains above Furnace Creek Wash. No tracks ever reached Furnace Creek Ranch or into Death Valley proper. With regards to the Union caboose at Rhyolite it would have come from Los Angeles to Las Vegas where it would have connected with the Las Vegas and Tonopah (LV&T) to be taken into Rhyolite. It only makes sense as William Andrews Clark owned both the Salt Lake to Los Angeles line as well as the Las Vegas and Tonopah line. He sold the Salt Lake line to the Union Pacific and the caboose likely would have gone out over the LV&T to arrive in the depot at Rhyolite. The LV&T was abandoned in 1918.

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

Yeah, the song was already written and recorded. But good catch.

[@davidcomfort7292]

pretty polished little film, what with only some still photos, a song and a few interviews.

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

Thank you!

[@thomasbroderick6388]

Who sang the song?

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

Hi Tom, This song is by Ken Graydon.

[@goldcreekfilmsGCF]

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[@thomasbroderick6388]

@@goldcreekfilmsGCF Thank you so much. Loved the video by the way.