This is the story of the first successful attempt to retrace the entire route of the historic Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad.  A group of Range Rovers and Land Rovers formed the expedition that undertook this challenge, crossing 250 miles of remote desert terrain.

Built by F.M. “Borax” Smith  in 1905, the “T&T”  ran north from the Santa Fe Railroad at Ludlow, California, to the mining boomtown of Goldfield, Nevada. Operations ceased in 1940. The T&T grade lay dormant for 60 years until brought back to life by this intensively-researched Land- Rover  4WD Expedition that rediscovers and documents  many fascinating historic remains. It recreates the experience of riding the lonely desert rails, far from modern highways and cities. An abundance of authentic historic photographs provides “then and now” comparisons, while historical commentary, wild desert scenery and a high-spirited team add to the appeal.

Three Range Rovers, a Camel Trophy Defender 110 and two Series Land Rovers make up the convoy that travels 250 miles of dirt on this five day expedition across the Mojave Desert. The 55-minute video, filmed largely by a former National Geographic cameraman, is edited and produced to professional standards. Desert scenery, 4WD action, historical research, atmospheric music and informative commentary are artistically blended to record an historic adventure that will not soon be forgotten.

The footage depicts many scenic desert attractions along the route, such as Dumont Dunes, Zzyzx, Broadwell Dry Lake, Sperry Wash, Sarcobatus Flat, and the Ralston Desert. There are also many photogenic mining ruins, numerous archaeological sites of lesser-known railroad stations and mining camps, petroglyphs, rock circles, and other unique desert phenomena. Research for this epic adventure included several preliminary scouting expeditions; photographs from these can be found on the T&T Scouting Expedition pages.

The expedition discovered and documented numerous hitherto neglected and unknown remains of the old railroad. Painstaking historical research has uncovered many authentic historical photographs of the T&T that are reproduced in the video alongside the present-day scenes of the same locations.

A John Brabyn Production.
Featuring:  Gordon Kallio, Lynn Helm, Marvin Mattson, Domingos Dias, Granville Pool, Mark Owens, Wolfgang Salb, John McCulloch, Robert Fulton, John Brabyn.
Photography: Wolfgang Salb, John Brabyn.
Special Thanks: Soda Springs Desert Studies Center, Central Nevada Museum, Mojave River Valley Museum, Shoshone Museum, Gary Elias, John McCulloch, David Myrick, Harry Rosenberg, Nancy Walsh Herring, Pam & Willy Warnock.

Click here for a Review by Railfan Michael Lumert
 
Ordering Information:
The video comes in a hard plastic case with a printed sleeve (depicted below) including most of the photos reproduced on this page. Cost is $20 plus $5 for shipping and handling. It can be ordered via PayPal or credit card by simply clicking on the "Buy Now" button below, or alternatively by sending a check for $25 to:
John Brabyn,
PO Box 2627,
Mill Valley, Ca 94942

To Tonopah & Tidewater RR Website