Geography and Geology in the Western Mojave

Union Pacific 3680 W. at Helendale, California

Living in Southern California, I naturally inhabited Cajon Pass a great deal. I could get there in less than an hour and be in one of the best locales for trainwatching in the world. But......, after shooting every curve, and climbing up every hill, and spending innumerable hours at either Summit or MP57, and putting up with legions of off-roaders, and even worse, target shooters, it became time to drive a little further and explore the rest of the First District. The lack of SP trains was more than made up by the high speed mainline action, and the intricate TCS crossover moves.  It was always intriguing to figure out what a red over yellow indication at a double crossover portended for imminent train movements. Helendale was a favorite place to park and wait for trains. A walk to the east took one back away from old Rte. 66, where the Santa Fe sticks to the Mojave River with its fringe of cottonwoods. I entertained the notion of hauling in some 2X4s and some plywood, and building a small treehouse in one of the trees with a good view of the tracks. One hallmark of the line was the red volcanic ballast from the big online quarry at Newberry Springs on the Needles District. It was almost as if the Santa Fe was trying to color coordinate with the West Mojave landscape.

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Google Map of the Helendale-Silver Lakes area.

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Google Map of the Newberry Springs area with volcanic Newberry Peak in the center.  See this site for info on the Volcano House.