Randsburg Railway, depot (RRC history)

The depot was once located somewhere in this area. With the abandonment of the line by the Santa Fe Railroad in the early '30s, the depot was removed along with all other structures associated with the railway. It is believed that the second story of the depot was preserved as a home in town, while another home was built using lumber from the first story.

Very little has been published about the Randsburg Railway Company (RRC). It was incorporated on May 18, 1897 under Arizona law. The branchline was constructed in the Mojave Desert of California from October 2 to December 23, 1897. It originated at a location known as Kramer along the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad mainline, midway between Barstow and Mojave. It terminated at a distance of 28.5 miles to the north in Johannesburg (never reaching its namesake one mile further to the west) to service local mining operations, notably the Yellow Aster in Randsburg which became the largest gold mine in southern California. The RRC provided access at Kramer to the mainline, operated by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe (AT&SF), for acquiring supplies, transporting ore to mills, and providing passenger service. Rail surfacing and ballasting were completed on January 5, 1898 and scheduled operation began on January 17, 1898. The RRC was acquired by the AT&SF on May 1, 1903 as part of their Arizona Division. Operation ceased on December 30, 1933 due to a decline in mining and local area population as the U.S. economic depression reached its worst condition during that year. The rails were removed during the Spring of 1934.

www.randsburg-railway.com/history.htm

www.randsburg-railway.com/