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Kelso Depot
Mojave National Preserve, CA
Why is there a train depot in the middle of the Mojave Desert? The grade beyond was too long and steep for steam locomotives to pull a train up without the assistance of "helper engines." These engines needed a station, roundhouse, switches, and water (which was abundant here.)
More photos of the depot and desert here if you are interested: https://photos.app.goo.gl/9bWdcNnCaG5pqa002
(limited time link)
@bosquebill I go out to Kelso rather frequently.
Kelso was a water refilling and maintenance site for steam locomotives. It was quite busy during WW-II. The building served as a Harvey House lunch counter and as a hotel for railroad workers. The lunch counter is now an information/gift room.
Since the pandemic the park service has not opened the building, so the best one can do is look in the windows.
There is a similar, but larger, station in Barstow that is more open to the public and actually has trains stopping to pick up and drop off a few passengers.