Storm Watch 2010: January Rains in the Desert

High Definition HD2010 Live Doppler Radar Action News takes us to the railroad and museum in Joshua Tree where massive rains and flooding have decimated the roadbed and embargoed the railroad from the outside world! Film at Eleven!! Oh! that is right, the talking head on the news would not use a word like embargo. Let's try cut off.

Well it is not that bad, but: I got a call from Terry Watson and he said that sometime late last week the rock wall above the turntable collapsed and fell into the turntable pit,the turntable is not functional as the wall fill is in the pit. The high line track would be out of service till we repaired the embankment. I asked if he could take a few pictures and this is what he sent for all to see.

Here is the plan: February 5th, is a Friday and I'm planning on going out and getting ready for a massive dirt moving day on Saturday so that we can utilize the turntable for the Presidents Day Run the next weekend. We can move the fill dirt to the end of the tail track at the steaming bays and the rock can be set aside for rebuilding the wall after things dry out. I've talked to the resident engineer on wall rebuilding and he is seeing these pictures just as you are for the first time. A plan of attack will be formulated and by March for the Narrow Gauge Meet we should see trains again on the High Line.

Rain does not come often in the desert but when it does it can come all at once. No one was around when this happened so we can only guess that the rodent population might of had a helping tunnel in the collapse. Relief efforts are underway to rescue any trapped rodents and reestablish them in a less prone area. Federal Disaster Funding will not be available for this private railroad.

The disaster news team interviewed the division coordinator and he said: that he was increasing the daily 'grog' rations till this catastrophe was alleviated. Come on out and partake in this rarity of Mother Nature. See you next weekend.