| The steam tractor Old Dinah was purchased in 1894 and was intended to replace the 20-Mule Teams, but she required constant maintenance and had major problems with sand and steep grades. After a one-year trial, mules proved more productive and reliable. Old Dinah got one more chance when borax mining resumed in 1904. Trying to avoid the expense of a railroad into Death Valley, the Borax Company graded a 98 mile tractor road from the borax mines to the railroad. But Dinah broke down on her very first trip, and had to be towed home by the very mules she had tried so long to replace. |
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT f/13 for 1/120 sec @ 200 |