Shoshone to Death
Valley Junction
In March 2001 I toured the neglected segment of the old T&T
Railroad
bed from Shoshone to Death Valley Junction. From Shoshone to Eagle
Mountain,
the modern highway follows the T&T roadbed so closely that it is
hardly
worth diverting from it, and the old roadbed can be reached comfortably
on foot. However, from Eagle Mountain to Death Valley Junction
the
T&T took a very direct straight-line route which passes close to
the
sink of the Amargosa Desert, while for some reason the modern highway
skirts
a consderable distance to the west. There is a dirt access road
alongside
the old rairoad grade all the way along this section. It can be
accessed
by turning off the highway at the north end of Eagle Mountain at a
point
where the highway bends to the west. (This is in the vicinity where the
Deadman Pass road leaves the highway to cross the Greenwater Range to
the
west). There are two lines of telephone poles heading towards Death
Valley
Junction in this vicinity; the T&T access road follows the older
set
that is closest to the highway.
 |
 |
| View near Eagle Mountain looking along grade towards Death
Valley Junction.
Bridge showing old wood and newer concrete abutments |
Approaching the old bridge abutments; T&T grade raised in
background. |
The access road requires high clearance due to many ditches and
washouts
across it. Towards the north end it also requires 4 wheel drive or may
even be impassable depending on the season. When I travelled this
segment,
it was clear that this is not a popular part of the old roadbed, but is
one that is well worth exploring. It also gets far enough away from the
modern highway to experience a feeling of solitude. There are many
interesting
washed-out bridges with concrete abutments and sawn-off remains of the
presumably earlier wooden ones. Quite a few ties left here, including
one
stretch of a hundred yards or so where almost every single tie is still
in place!
 |
 |
| Closer to Death Valley Junction the grade (visible on berm at
left)
passes through a low-lying salty area. |
View along grade towards Death Valley Junction from same spot
as at
left. The abundance of ties is limited to this section. |
At the north end of this section, the road goes through some very
salty
ground which can also be treacherously wet and muddy in season. The
railroad
grade enters Death Valley Junction by the "Industrial" route, the mill
dump and ruins of the milling operations. From the vicinity of the
milling
ruins, the narrow Gauge Death Valley Railroad grade is easily visible
curving
off to the west. Narrow gauge spikes are also visible in this area. A
few
yards further north you can drive through the portals of one of the old
buildings and emerge onto the paved highway at a point just south of
the
picturesque Hotel.
 |
| The "Tradesman's Entrance" to Death Valley Junction from the
south
along the T&T grade (near telephone poles at left). Ruins of mill
and
old tanks dominate the scene. |
