Nostalgia & History > Sloan, Nevada — Another world on UP

Sloan, Nevada is only 20 miles southwest of Las Vegas but worlds away from the bright lights of the Strip and glitter of Fremont Street.  Sloan was the site of a large mine carved out on the side of a mountain overlooking the Union Pacific mainline to Los Angeles back in late 1950s when I took these pictures.  I don't recall what they mined there but it was a neat train-watching spot with great atmosphere and a sweeping curve just past the tidy depot.

UP's LA&SL passenger trains got most of the attention in those days and catching freight trains for pictures took patience.  Road power was all what I thought at the time were boring GP-9s compared to the classy Fs on neighboring Santa Fe.  But UP had cupola cabooses complete with marker lights.

I rode a freight and several passenger trains through Sloan during my UP career and always enjoyed the big curve but never had the chance to spent time there again in the sun and wait for trains.  I hope it has been spared from the urban sprawl just around the corner in the Las Vegas valley.

JB - Omaha 
 



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/23 16:09 by Copy19.

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Looks like it has ... on my Google Earth view it looks like a big white mining area ... with the Vegas monster just north

More Sloan bpic...

JB - Omaha



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/23 11:02 by Copy19.

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When I visited "Las Wages" back in June, 1994, I took a trip out to Sloan and was rewarded with this shot of a UP autorack train.

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Looks like the depot, outhouse and some of the mine stuff are gone.

JB - Omaha



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/23 16:03 by Copy19.

I think it was or is a gypsum mine, some of the product went up to Blue Diamond.

Out 

Very nice JB   Love the GP's with matching exhaust!

Dave

Thanks JB, wonderful photos.
TC

The blob keeps getting closer and closer.Now well past Arden.Bill Webb

Been in that station building at Sloan once.  Back in 1964, we lived in Las Vegas, and were going to drive down to Mobile, Alabama, my mother's home town for a vacation over July 4.  Someone in my 7th grade class had a fireworks catalog from a Superior Fireworks Co. of Canby, OR.  All the stuff that would make an 12 year old stare at in wonder.  Dad agreed to get some to take to Alabama with us.  So we put in an order for about $25 in fireworks.  The only issue is that fireworks were banned inside the city of Las Vegas, and they could ship that box with firecrackers and sky rockets to the nearest station to Las Vegas with an REA agent - Sloan!  So, one day we drove down there and picked up that box.  Made for a great fourth, my best ever!  And no, no one lost any fingers, but shooting off those skyrockets over Mobile Bay was memorable! 

And come to think of it, I wonder just how that box got from Oregon to Nevada!  After all, SP 19-20 stopped in Canby, and UP 5-6 stopped in Sloan.

Lee Hower - Sacramento