Last week's severe earthquake and aftershock in California's Searles Valley hit right where the Trona Railway runs. The track was displaced in places as a result, and the railroad shut down operations until repairs can be made. Since everyone who works on the Trona lives either in Trona or Ridgecrest, they all have their hands full dealing with damage which may have occurred to their homes. They may have the railroad open again by now, but I cannot say for certain.
Let us hope that none of their employees suffered personal tragedies as a result of the quake. The folks there have always been friendly and easy-going. I was out there in the late 1960's taking photos of their Baldwins, and they not only gave me permission to go all over the property, but insisted that I ride the train to Searles and back. So, I rode a center-cab DT6-6-20 out to Searles and an AS-616 back to Trona, with an ex-Santa Fe Engineer.
They're good people who have just been dealt a dose of pain and misery.
