Chugging through Nevada
Nevada is our next stop in our pursuit of railway museums and tours
Readers of this column have now had an opportunity to learn about museums that are devoted to railroading history in California, Arizona and New Mexico, along with our article on Streetcars, Trolleys and Trams. This latest article in the Follow The Trains series will take you to three interesting railroad museums in Nevada. Climb on board for a fun-filled train ride!
As many of our readers will start their journey from Canada, our first stop will be in the northwest corner of the Nevada. Here you will find the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City.
Have you ever wondered where the major Hollywood studios obtained their equipment for movies that featured trains? Well, it turns out that the studios lease or borrow them from a railroad museum. The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City possesses the Inyo steam locomotive, which has appeared in 29 movies and has starred in the Wild Wild West television series. In addition to this “film star,” the museum has many pieces of rolling stock dating back to the late 19th century.
The Virginia and Truckee Railroad hauled millions of dollars worth of silver from the Comstock Lode. Rolling V&T stock is available for inspection here (not surprisingly, all the silver is long gone.) The museum also has a 1926 Edwards motorcar. This is a self-propelled device like a train. Visitors can enjoy rides on restored V&T railcars or in the Edwards motorcar on weekends from May to September. The big event, however, is the firing up and rolling out of the Inyo on July 4th as part of the museum's annual celebration of America's Independence Day. This is a real crowd pleaser, for you can see and hear a real live 19th century locomotive—steam, sparks, ashes and all.
Wendell Huffman of the museum said, “the museum has 80 pieces of rolling stock with a number in restoration.”
Taking a back seat to all of this is the McKeen Motorcar, which has been recommended as a National Historic Landmark. The museum also has an active Friends of the Nevada Railroad Museum (NSRM) that provides resources and services for the museum, consisting of fund raising, advocacy and volunteer work, ranging from visitor service to restoration and operation of the equipment in the collection. When you are finished here, you might want to check out attractions in Reno and Lake Mead.
Down the lonely road to Ely
We now take you and your RV due east on US Highway 50, which is called the loneliest road in the United States. A quick look at the map will show you that there is not much along the way. Our destination is Ely, Nevada. Ely was established as a mining centre in the 19th century and railroads were an important part of its development.
The East Ely Railroad Depot Museum is the major attraction in Ely, unless you like copper mines. A visit to
this museum is like going back in time, for here you will find one of the nation's most complete historic railroad yards.
Mining and railroads went hand-in-hand in this part of Nevada and the museum highlights the role of the Nevada Northern Railroad during the massive copper mining and transportation boom during the late 19th and early 20th century. Restoration of the depot has returned waiting rooms, baggage storage and offices to look just as they were over 100 years ago. Displayed are original furniture and the then state-of-the-art equipment including typewriters and an original mimeograph machine.
The museum's vast collection of documents is very helpful to researchers, who will find thousands of documents showing payroll ledgers and right-of-way maps, amongst other bits of historic information.
The Nevada Northern Railway, jointly owned by the City of Ely and the White Pine Historical Foundation, features approximately 60 acres of original track and buildings. Tours and train rides on vintage equipment are available year-round on select days, so check before you head out.
As the newest of the state's museums, this museum shares the mission of the other institutions, namely to collect, preserve, study and interpret the vast and rich history of Nevada. Nearby attractions are Great Basin National Park, about an hour away, along with many ghost towns.
On to Boulder City
Our last stop will take us due south on US Highway 93 to the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City. Here you will find a facility dedicated to preserving the heritage of the historic Boulder Branch Line which was put into service in 1931 by the Union Pacific Railroad to haul equipment and material for the construction of the Hoover Dam.
You can take a ride on an excursion train over the original railroad line laid down by the UP, in refurbished air-conditioned Pullman coaches dating back to 1911. This scenic seven-mile round trip takes you along the eastern end of the Boulder Branch Line and lasts 45 minutes. Excursions are in place every Saturday and Sunday starting in February.
The museum will be closed in January for maintenance work. A ride in the cab is also available for $35 per person. When you exit the museum, you may find a walk around the dam a good change of pace and an opportunity to take some fabulous pictures. That’s what we did and Las Vegas is not too far away either.(Caution, watch the restrictions on RV size at the dam).
So, Nevada's three railroad museums will take you back to the days of railroading, silver and copper mining and dam-building. What a variety. Hope you enjoy the ride.
Details:
The Nevada State Museum in Carson City
2180 South Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada 89701
Telephone: 775-687-6953
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Daily
Admission: US$6.00 for adults; Children under 18 free
The East Ely Railroad Depot Museum
1100 Avenue A, Ely, Nevada 89301
Telephone: 775-289-1663
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday
Admission: US$2 for adults; Children under 18 free
The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City, Nevada
601 Yucca Street, Boulder City, Nevada 89005
Telephone: 702-486-5933
Admission: US$10 for adults; US$5 for children 4 to 11 years old
