National Train Day 2015 -- May 9, 2015

Happy National Train Day, everyone.  I took this photo of Dayton, Sutro and Carson Valley locomotive 1, the Joe Douglass, a narrow gauge Porter 0-4-2T, built in 1882.   I took the photos when we visited the Nevada State Railroad Museum in 2011. 

Train Station #41 -- December 9, 2011

The Southern Pacific's former Wabuska depot now sits on the grounds of the Nevada State Railroad Museum (http://nsrm-friends.org/) in Carson City.  It serves as ticket office and waiting room for the steam train and motor car rides around the grounds. Here is the platform with Tucson, Cornelia and Gila Bend motor car 401. I took the photo during our visit in July.

Door #14 -- September 21, 2011

A beautifully crafted door on Virginia and Truckee caboose/coach 4, which was built in 1873 by Kimball in San Francisco.  I took thephoto during our July visit to the Nevada State Railroad Museum (http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2011/07/nevada-state-railroad-museum-july-30.html).

Nevada State Railroad Museum -- July 30, 2011

The day after we rode the Virginia and Truckee Railway (http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2011/07/virginia-and-truckee-july-29-2011.html), we returned to Carson City. We had breakfast at Heidi's Family Restaurant (excellent French Toast), went to mass at Saint Theresa of Avila, then went to the Nevada State Railroad Museum, which we had not visited since the late 1990s.

The main building of the museum had been rearranged to offer more interpretation of railroad history than railroad equipment. I think there were two locomotives, a box car, a coach and a combination car. I think they did a better job of explaining what happened to the Central Pacific than did the California State Railroad Museum.

The other building had more equipment, some unrestored, including the Inyo and the recently restored McKeen motor car seen above. It was an impressive sight. We talked to a volunteer about the impression it must have made on people who saw it roaring down the line towards Minden.

We rode the Edwards motor car around the line. It is no longer painted as the Washoe Zephyr.