Usually there is no way to beat the USG train from Plaster City to Ocotillo Wells (at least that's my experience). I suppose you might do it with a dune buggy of some sort, running along the ROW the entire way. But taking paved roads you end up driving many miles more than the train goes. We were absolutely shocked when we got to the mine only to see the train arriving on March 6, 2024. (I believe this was due to track work.)
