INDUSTRIES

Towne Summit

The same geologic processes that give rise to the area's tall mountains and carve out the deep valleys also bring valuable minerals, oil, and natural gas within reach of the mining industry. Early extraction, however, proved to be costly, as the harsh desert environment tore through equipment and men with daily extremes of temperature and sand-laden wind, combined with few sources of fresh water. It was not until the discovery of gold, and then silver and platinum, by Thaddius Banarach Thorndike Durin in 1903 high on the Panamint Butte that changed the face of Panamint Crossing into the booming industries found in today's route. The Durin & Sons Mining Corporation remains legendary it both its production of wealth, and its early adoption of safe and sustainable mining techniques.

DESERT CONSERVATION

Dolomite Canyon

Thaddius Durin loved the desert, and saw the Mojave as a precious resource, occurring in just one place on earth. As the U.S. Congress created national partks, Durin was instrumental in achieving legislation to protect all of Death Valley, and the surrounding mountains. As tracts of land were added to the Death Valley National Park, it was Durin & Sons who insisted on maintaining the native ecology, which turned out to be quite fragile despite the harsh conditions. Any industry operating in the area would need to follow strict regulations, which includes:

• Quotas on water consumption (no flowing rivers, few springs);
• Quotas on volume of material moved vs. material replaced;
• No new towns or settlements (requires Congressional approval);
• No permanent open-pit mining or mountain-top removal; 
• Transport primarily by rail only; no long pipelines or heavy truck traffic;
• All waste and emissions must be locally collected and removed; no river dumping;
• All water and electricity sold through the Panamint Valley Authority (geothermal).

FOR THE PUBLIC

The costs of extraction meant only the most venerable companies could survive, as any new enterprise would face insurmountable economic hurdles to entry. Quotas meant a slow, steady stream of products and waste that did not disturb the delicate desert ecological environment. Durin also understood the benefits of educating the public, while showing off the grandeur of California. So he funded  the creation of small resort settlements, and connected  them with a passenger service that remains popular today, giving travelers views of the park they cannot get anywhere else.

STEAM HERITAGE

In modern times, the commercial success of sustained mining allowed investments in the preservation of America's steam heritage. The early rail networks relied on steam locomotion, and much of that infrastructure still exists, including Sleeping Bear Lake, a large reservoir at Towne Pass that supplies fresh water to all concerns within the route, including watering stations for steam locomotives. As a result, steam enthusiasts throughout the world come to Panamint Crossing not just to see steam engines, but experience them in action.

COMPANIES

PANAMINT VALLEY AUTHORITY
Alkali Flats, CA

By Act of Congress, the PVA is given authority over all use of resources within the Panamint Mountains and surrounding areas, including all of Death Valley National Park. The PVA is responsible for maintaining all transportation and power distribution networks, along with furnishing residents with electricity, water, sewer, and waste reclamation services. All claims for mining rights are filed through the PVA, and new claims are rarely approved due to the added expenses of operating in the harsh desert environment.

Prior to the creation of the PVA, Durin & Sons handled many of the rail management duties. This is seen in the overlap of rolling stock liveries, and their mixing within the rail network. The PVA leases all its freight rolling stock at no cost to Durin & Sons. All other leases and services are provided to Durin & Sons at market rates. The PVA contracted with General Electric Company to produce ES44AC engines designed for steep grades, wide swings in temperature, and resistent to the weathering from wind-blown sand. Four styles were chosen to reflect the heritage of the Mojave Desert: Colorado (red), Azular (blue), Mojave (tan), and El Humo (black). All engines are leased through the PVA. They are maintained at two yards, one in Alkali Flats, and a smaller yard located in the Devil's Cornfield, near Stove Pipe Wells. All route dispatch is controlled from the summit yard at Towne Pass.

DURIN & SONS MINING CORPORATION
Panamint Butte, CA

Durin & Sons has been operating in the Panamint Valley since 1883. In 1903, the company struck gold, followed by silver and platinum. The early riches from these extractions funded many of the rail infrastructure projects in use today, such as the terraces of the summit yard, and the tunnels large enough to accommodate heavy equipment, while aiding in fire suppression. Today, most of the Durin rail traffic runs between the Dolomite Canyon mines, the mines on Panamint Butte, and the ore processing facility at Stove Pipe Wells. Like all companies managed by the PVA, Durin & Sons spends considerable effort moving fresh and waste water, along with rock filler, as all mines are required to be packed completely shut when closed.

MUZA'S GREEN GASES, Ultd.
Stove Pipe Wells, CA

Muza Dai Boo arrived in the Panamint Valley in 1910 after a rather unfortunate incident in a marketplace within his home country. Though his family was possessed of great wealth, they were forced into exile, and came to America to begin their lives anew. And while it was gold that drew Muza to the Mojave Desert, it was his discovery of oil under the Zopilote Traps in 1920 that made his fortune. Later discoveries of fossil fuels under Panamint Butte and Cottonwood Canyon caused the PVA to expand rail service to these areas to meet the demands of a growing nation. All raw materials are processed at the Muza GGU Refinery in the Devil's Cornfield, at the lip of Death Valley. The safety record of MGGU has been impeccable, with zero toxic rail spills despite hauling crude oil and all its products through Panamint Crossing for over 50 years, attributable to custom desert-ready rolling stock.

KANLARK COAL COMPANY
Stove Pipe Wells, CA

Carlsbad Gwenhular Kanlark came into his fortune through expedient matrimony, having married Umpalia Karalenda Durin, Thaddius' second daughter. Her dowry was his collection of claims to rich deposits of coal around Panamint Springs, under Panamint Butte, and near Emigrant Canyon. Some coal is reserved locally to support the steam engine heritage sites and activities. Most is taken via Trona to Barstow, where the coal is distributed throughout the Southwest. Until 1964, a small coal-fired plant located at Alkali Flats provided power for Panamint Valley. Power demands were increasing, and with the help of the USGS, the PVA funded the creation of a geothermal plant at Alkali Flats. This more than tripled capacity while cutting emissions to near zero. The new plant also scaled easily with demand, bringing the commercial use of coal in Panamint Valley to a halt. Today, Kanlark operates a fleet of hoppers to carry their products.

RAMPIEN'S ACIDS, BRINES, and CAUSTICS
Alkali Flats, CA

Pierre Jacques Rampien was a French chemist who arrived in the Panamint Valley in 1915 to perform tests and analysis for Durin & Sons. He soon became interested in Panamint Lake, a vast dry plain composed of many layers of minerals and salts. Rampien's tests confirmed the presence of borax, soda ash, potash, and sodium sulfate, all of which have uses ranging from heavy industry to the creation of household detergeants. Even with industrial extraction, there was enough material here to last many centuries. In time, Rampien expanded operations to Lake Hill, and the Devil's Cornfield. He also produced various acids and caustics needed for local mining prodcution, all of which still occurs today. Rampien ABC leases all rolling stock from the PVA.

Rampien ABC, Alkali Flats

CRALNACH'S H & D FERTILIZERS
Devil's Cornfield, CA

Harrison and Dorothy Cralnach began exploring Death Valley in late 1940s, as the post-war boom was picking up. Both were scientists and avid adventurers into America's vast unpopulated West. At the invitation of Rampien, they settled at Stove Pipe Wells and began to devise formulas for fertilizers that were in high demand in California's growing central valley. In 1954, Rampien sold his interests in the fertilizer side of his business to the Cralnachs, which included free use rights to any rolling stock leased by Rampien from the PVA.

LYNTO STONEWORKS
Panamint Springs, CA

Ari Octavian Lynto was one of Thaddius Durin's many grandchildren, and lived his whole life in the Panamint Valley. He knew its geology from his hands-on experiences, drawn to the artistic side of stone cutting, and investing himself in formal training as sculptor, and later, a civil engineer. In the late 1950s, the PVA began laying the main line of today's route in order to lessen grades and improve safety, and contracted with Lynto to provide all the many bridges, viaducts, and tunnels required for such a massive project. Today, Lynto Stoneworks maintains quarries around Panamint Valley, and distributes stone and aggregate products using rolling stock leased from the PVA.

Panamint Crossing ES44AC Engines

Panamint Crossing Rolling Stock