United States Potash Railroad
The United States Potash Railroad was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge railroad built in 1931 to carry potash from the mines to the mill at Loving, New Mexico where the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad had a spur that went out to the refinery to carry out the processed potash. The 16-mile (26 km) railroad was located at Loving, New Mexico, just east of Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park.[1]
History
[edit]The railroad was originally built and operated with former Death Valley Railroad equipment, rails and employees. The two 2-8-0 Baldwin locomotives from the Death Valley Railroad, along with another engine of similar design coming from the Morenci & Southern Railroad, pulled the trains until about 1948 when they were replaced by specially-built diesel-electric locomotives from General Electric.
The railroad ceased operation in 1967 when U.S. Potash merged with Pacific Coast Borax Company to become the U.S. Borax & Chemical Corporation. Then they were bought out by Rio Tinto Minerals and moved their mining focus onto the borax at Boron.
Preservation
[edit]Whilst the three diesels were scrapped, the three steam engines that worked the line all survived. No. 1 is currently on display near Municipal Beach Park at Carlsbad, New Mexico, No. 2 is on display at the Borax Museum at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, as she was Death Valley Railroad's No. 2 and sports her former railroad's colors. No. 3 is on display at the RailGiants Train Museum at Fairplex, Pomona, California. Death Valley Railroad's No. 5, a Brill railcar was used to transport workmen from Loving to work at the mine and the mill and she is now preserved at the Laws Railroad Museum at Bishop. A few trucks from the old DVRR ore cars and caboose are now at the Laws Railroad Museum. Two tankcar bodies, also ex-Death Valley Railroad, are located near Carlsbad.
See also
[edit]- Trona Railway: a potash railroad in California
References
[edit]- ^ *Myrick, David F. (1990). New Mexico's Railroads – A Historical Survey – Revised Edition. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 0-8263-1185-7.
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