Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad facts for kids
 |
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Tonopah, Nevada; later, Seattle, Washington |
| Reporting mark | T&G |
| Locale | Mina, Nevada to Goldfield, Nevada |
| Dates of operation | 1905–1947 |
| Predecessor | |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad was a railway line in Nevada, USA. It was about 100 miles (160 km) long. This railroad connected the towns of Mina and Goldfield. It ran through the Excelsior Mountains and next to the Monte Cristo Range. The railroad operated for many years, from 1905 until 1947.
Contents
The Railroad's Story
How the Railroad Grew
The story of the Tonopah and Goldfield (T&G) Railroad began in 1903. This was a time when many railroads were being built in southwestern Nevada. Why? Because lots of silver was found in Tonopah in 1900. Then, gold was discovered in Goldfield in 1902. Silver was also found in Silver Peak.
Before the railroads, people and goods moved around by stagecoach. This was very slow. So, new railways were quickly built to serve the growing number of mines and miners. The first part of the T&G was the Tonopah Railroad. It was built between 1903 and 1904. This line was 60 miles (97 km) long and used a narrow gauge track. This means the tracks were closer together than standard tracks. It ran from a place called Sodaville Junction to Tonopah.
In November 1905, the Tonopah Railroad joined with the Goldfield Railroad. Together, they became the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad. This new company kept its name until it closed in 1947.
Lots of money was invested in these new gold areas. The Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad said it had over $2 million to invest. The T&G started building more tracks in 1905. It extended the line 31 miles (50 km) south from Tonopah to Goldfield. It also added 9 miles (14 km) north from Sodaville Junction to Mina. The railroad also changed its existing tracks to standard gauge. This meant the tracks were wider apart, like most major railroads.
With the gold and silver mines working hard, the Tonopah and Goldfield soon had rivals. Other railroads like the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad and the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad also wanted to carry goods and people.
The Tonopah and Goldfield had a special advantage. Its northern end in Mina connected with the Nevada and California Railroad. This was a partner line of the Southern Pacific, one of the biggest railroads in the West. This connection made it easier for people to travel from the East or West Coasts. They could take fast Pullman trains. However, the last part of the trip to Goldfield was still very slow. By 1943, a trip of 228 miles (367 km) from Hazen to Goldfield could take 14 hours! This was because the tracks were old and not well maintained.
Why the Railroad Slowed Down
Gold production in the Esmeralda area started to drop just a few years after it began. This decline started around 1911 and continued. Because of this, some of the weaker railroad lines began to close. The Las Vegas and Tonopah stopped running in 1918, and the Bullfrog Goldfield in 1928.
By the 1920s, cars and trucks became popular in Nevada. The Tonopah and Goldfield tried to keep up. They started using fewer steam trains. By 1931, most trains were "motor trains," which were like buses on rails. Steam trains still ran two or three times a week. They mostly carried goods for the mines and towns.
The Great Depression (1929-1940) also hurt the area. When the United States stopped using the gold standard in 1933, it made things even worse for the gold mines. The T&G railroad had financial problems and was managed by a court from 1932 to 1937. The Tonopah and Tidewater railroad closed completely in 1940.
During World War II (1942–45), gasoline was rationed. This meant the T&G railroad became very important. For many people in southwestern Nevada, it was the only way to travel. The railroad also carried supplies to and from the Tonopah Army Air Field, which was a military base during the war. Even though the railroad had an office in Tonopah, it seems to have been managed from Seattle during its last years.
After the war, gasoline became available again, and the army airfield closed in late 1945. This made it very hard for the Tonopah and Goldfield to stay in business. The railroad stopped running for good in October 1947. By 2010, only old, faded railroad ties showed where the tracks used to be.
Today, you can still see some old boxcars, a passenger car body, and some cars that were changed to run on the tracks in Goldfield, Nevada. A boxcar from the narrow-gauge days is now at the Laws Railroad Museum. The Nevada State Railroad Museum also has an old combine car body, a caboose, and a former motorcar from the T&G.
Locomotives Used
The Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad, and its earlier parts, used different types of locomotives (train engines) over the years. Most of these engines were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, a famous company that made trains.
- Tonopah Railroad (1903-1905): This railroad mainly used narrow-gauge engines. Some were leased from other companies, like a 4-4-0 type engine from the Carson & Colorado Railway. They also had 2-6-0 type engines.
- Goldfield Railroad (1905): This short-lived railroad also used Baldwin-built engines, including 4-6-0 and 2-8-0 types, and 0-6-0 switching engines.
- Tonopah & Goldfield Railroad (1905-1948): When the two railroads combined, they used a mix of engines from both. They also bought new ones or purchased used engines from other lines, especially later in their history. These included 0-6-0, 4-6-0, 2-8-0, and even a 2-8-2 type engine bought in 1945. Many of these engines were eventually scrapped (taken apart for materials) when the railroad closed.
Images for kids
-
A map of the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad from 1931.
-
An advertisement for the T&G Railroad from 1906, showing the mining boom in Manhattan, Nevada.
