Welcome!
 |
| Panamint Valley |
This
RailWorks adventure occurs in a slightly alternative reality in which the U.S. Congress has approved mining rights within the boundaries of
Death Valley National Park. The riches contained in
Searles Valley to the south was too much for the avarice of the oligarchs, and expanding markets around the world place high demand on the mineral wealth uncovered by the
Basin and Range topography of North America's southwestern deserts. With the State of California drifting ever closer to financial oblivion, the tax revenues were a welcome relief.
The route is centered around the
Panamint Valley, a north-south oriented patch of subsiding earth bounded on the west by the Coso and Argus ranges, and on the east by the Panamint Mountains. One valley to the east is Death Valley, famous for its depth below sea level at -248 feet. Tourism brings many people to Death Valley, and so it seems less remote, particularly at Furnace Creek, which, despite the odious moniker, is better known for its native palm trees, naturally-occurring golf courses, and home-spun satellite data network access.
Panamint Valley contains the small resort town of Panamint Springs, and little else, a better representation of the natural
Mojave Desert. It's a great place for a fictitious railroad that allows us to explore this beautiful wonder absent the heat and endless wind. Much of California has the appearance as though painters came out in the night to touch up the wild array of colors. The temptation to paint every mountain in southern California was non-trivial.
 |
| Antelope Valley, Near Mojave, CA |
Which brings us to the
Authors of the Barstow/San Bernadino adventures, and allows us to rise to our feet in ringing applause, because they completely nailed the High Mojave Desert. Their choices of tans, reds, and oranges mimic the reality of it, arising mostly from the various states of the native plant life as it ages. You could almost smell the creosote! My guess is this will be included in some future version of
RailWorks, the way things are headed. This area of the Mojave is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a single rain shadow: the
San Gabriel Mountains. So it is wet, as deserts go, especially as you head westward, deeper into the
Antelope Valley.
Panamint Valley is located some 100 miles north of Barstow, and receives a fraction of the rainfall, less than two inches annually. Gone are the hillsides covered in sage, and groves of Joshua Trees. Even scrub has trouble clinging to the desert floor. Only the hardy brittle bush thrives here, its yellow blooms lining the roads and washes in Spring. So, instead of plant life, in this route, we painted mostly with rock.
 |
| Heading Down Darwin Canyon |
This will never happen to Death Valley, and that is the whole point of this route. Not only did it allow me to experiment with my first route in a way that does not disturb any existing reality, it also gives you the opportunity to wander this expanse, drive the endless desert flats, and rise a mile into the Pacific Blue. As
RailWorks evolves and the curtains are pushed back, Panamint Crossing will continue to reveal itself, showing us the stunning geology of my home of California while we ride our beloved rails.
Enjoy the beauty of Panamint Crossing!
Expected Production Release: 2013.
