As this is posted the Southern Pacific has been a part of the Union Pacific for over 18 years, however the once familiar scarlet and grey livery of the once mighty SP can still be found being put to work moving tonnage in Southern California on the Trona Railway. Completed in 1914 the Trona Railway was built to move the various products produced utilizing the various elements found in Searles Lake. In 2004 the Trona Road went shopping for motive power and picked up several SD40 products of Southern Pacific and Union Pacific heritage, putting them to work on their desolate mainline running between mineral processing plants in and around Trona, CA and a connection with the Union Pacific at Searles, CA. A brace of four former Southern Pacific second generation EMDs leave Trona and pass the loading facilities at Westend with a empty 'coal bucket' led by SD40T-2 #2006. From here the Trona Railway passes through Oxy Yard and then begins the uphill battle to Searles, some 26 miles away.
