Much has changed in Kelso since my visit there the night of May 10, 1984.  The depot  is being restored for use as a Mojave National Preserve Visitors Center for the National Park Service.  Jim Lowman has mailed me a CD with well over 100 photos he took during a recent visit to Kelso.  I wish I could put them all up here, as looking at them provides a virtual tour of the depot / visitors center.

The Kelbaker Road grade crossing, protected in 1984 only by a single stop sign with a flashing red light as described in the narrative of my visit on the previous page, is now equipped with modern lights and gates.   From the photos Jim has provided, it appears that the luxurious well-maintained lawn area is gone, as are the massive cottonwood trees that shielded the depot from my view back in 1984.  It is good to see that this remarkable depot is being restored!

Here, then, are a few of Jim's photographs of Kelso depot as it looks today.  Thank you Jim for sharing them!

Main photos on this page by Jim Lowman, reprinted by permission.