Does the train ever come back? The one that goes around the wasteland (I mean from looking at the train tracks thats what it seems like). The guy in Boulder City said it wasnt running yet but I figured there might be a possibility of it running again.

O_O

One part of the tracks is covered in sand for like 10 meters.
A train tries to go by there and it's going to derail.
Better send out some workforce to clean it up.
Oh wait...

Are these the same tracks which lead past nipton, over a broken bridge and off a cliff?

Hehehe.

The parts of the track that aren't buried by sand drifts or landslides seem to be in remarkably good shape for their age. It might have been nice to see a locomotive turn up occasionally at the Mojave Outpost, since that seems to be the NCR's portal into the region.

Well, you see. They tried that, but it uh...didn't work out so well.

Turns out taking off prisoners' shackles and giving them dynamite isn't exactly an intelligent course of action.

From the appearance of the tracks it looks like they were able to coerce the prisoners to repairing them, but the trouble started when it was time to start clearing debris.

I dont get it though, if the tracks are so screwed up then why did the dude in Boulder City act like it was up and running recently.

I think they did have the trains running for at least a little while. The guys at the quarry say that they were mining for the NCR to make concrete, and there's somebody else that talks about concrete for the dam. You wouldn't move that much material by brahmin.

A conversation with a man in sloan has the train running from the quarry to the dam. If you follow these tracks you will see debris covering much of the line going in that direction. Not much coordination with the world builders and quest writers it would seem. There are a few if these contradictions found through the game.

I just shake my head and go on. There's a lot of fun stuff to do that helps me overlook much of the nonsensical stuff they put in to flesh out the main story.

I don't know if I'd trust those railroad tracks as a means of transport, the ground seems to have done some shifting, leaving the track beds looking like a roller coaster.