The Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad built north across Broadwell Lake (normally dry) from the Santa Fe at Ludlow, to Crucero on the LA and Salt Lake (UP), around Soda Lake, across Silver Lake to Dumont. From 1906 to 1907 they struggled to get 12 miles thru the Amaragosa Canyon to Tecopa by way of deep cuts and long fills. The boom evaporated in the meantime, the T&T finally reached only Beatty and pained thereafter for revenue. Building railroads on playas (dry lakes) was not wise. The 1916 flood of Silver Lake caused the T&T to lay 7.5 miles of track to the east of the lakebed, and move the town. Many buildings did not tolerate the soaking, and deteriorated. Silver Lake station in it final form consisted of a boxcar and caboose. In 1938, record rains and snowfall caused the big Mojave River flood, such that sanctioned outboard motor boat races were held on Silver Lake in 1938 and 1939, drawing large crowds. The T&T had given up on the Ludlow to Crucero segment in 1933, The flood of 1938 was the deathblow, and they finally shut down in 1940. The tracks were removed in 1942 for the war effort. Not much can be found at Silver Lake today. The roadbed, cuts and fills can be followed into the Amaragosa Canyon, and to the remains of Sperry (named for Grace Sperry, a friend of Borax Smith’s wife). The cistern, some concrete pads, a set-out, and various old cans and litter mark the site. The road north from Sperry was once paved.

Always seem to be a moron with a shotgun around. The Sperry wash road was once paved!
Courtesy Bill Cook

Another building location
Courtesy Bill Cook

Bridge washout on the T&T in Sperry Wash
Courtesy Bill Cook

Concrete pads show the location
Courtesy Bill Cook

Crossing the mighty Amaragosa on the way to Sperry
Courtesy Bill Cook

Fill for the Tonopah & Tidewater
Courtesy Bill Cook

RR set-out pad at Sperry
Courtesy Bill Cook

Sperry cistern was filled with fresh water from tank cars on passing trains
Courtesy Bill Cook

Sperry debris. Sperry was named for Grace Sperry. Amazing
Courtesy Bill Cook

Sperry station location
Courtesy Bill Cook

Sperry Wash
Courtesy Bill Cook

Sperry Wash hillside cut for the Tonopah & Tidewater RR
Courtesy Bill Cook

Sperry Wash wash out
Courtesy Bill Cook

T&T RR grade at Sperry
Courtesy Bill Cook

Washout. The tracks were removed in 42
Courtesy Bill Cook

Washtub in the wash at Sperry
Courtesy Bill Cook

Where Sperry station stood
Courtesy Bill Cook