Nevada State Museum

NEVADA STATE RAILROAD MUSEUM, BOULDER CITY, NV: The Nevada State Railway Museum located in Boulder City contains a wide variety of Nevada's Engines, Rolling Stock and trackside facilities.

PACIFIC LUMBER #35: Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in October 1923, this locomotive served it's entire career with the Pacific Lumber Company, hauling redwood logs to the sawmill at Scotia. The locomotive was retired in the mid 1960's, following a number of owners it was finally sold to the Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1993. The specifications of the locomotive include a 2-8-2 wheel configuration and a weight of 179,000lbs.

THE PACIFIC LUMBER #35

LOCOMOTIVE #6264, BALDWIN-BUILT HARRIMAN STANDARD: Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1907, this ex-Union Pacific #264, (later renumbered #6264), is a 2-8-0 'Common Standard' Consolidation type steam locomotive with 57" drivers, it was one of four types of steam engines developed by the Associated Railroads in the first year of it's locomotive program. The Associated Railroads consisted of the Southern Pacific, Chicago and Alton, Union Pacific and it's affiliates, Oregon Short Line and the Oregon-Washington RR and Navigation Co., in 1902 they were combined under one management by E.H. Harriman. The Consolidation type locomotives, or the 280 Type, were designed for hauling heavy trains over steep grades and were generally used as mainline freight engines within the Union Pacific system. Locomotives of this type were designed and built with total weight varying between 150,000 and 300,000 pounds. Locomotive #264 was one of the last steam locomotives used in the UPRR system and was taken out of service in early 1950.

LOCOMOTIVE #1000, TYPE NW-2: Built by the Electro-Motive Corporation in 1939, this locomotive initially was a demonstrator for the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), as a then new class of yard switching locomotive. Originally numbered as #889, the UPRR ultimately purchased the locomotive and renumbered it #1000. Historically #1000 was the first diesel/electric locomotive to be purchased and owned by Union Pacific. The #1000 worked throughout the UPRR system until 1966, changing ownership many times, rebuilt, entered back into service and ultimately acquired by the Nevada State Railway Museum in 1993. There is a long range plan to repaint the locomotive from the colour depicted here to it's original black colour scheme.

THE PACIFIC LUMBER #35

LOCOMOTIVE #844, TYPE GP-30: Built by the Electro-Motive Corporation in 1963, this locomotive was originally owned by the Union Pacific Railroad, it performed most of it's service as a main line freight locomotive throughout various divisions within the UPRR system. #844 was retired from service in 1989 and donated to the Nevada State Railroad Museum. The specifications of the locomotive include a 2,250hp four axle diesel/electric drive and a weight of 262,200lbs. The diesel engine was a V16 type and the locomotive's maximum speed was 83mph.

Interestingly the #844, Type GP-30 was the catalyst of a numbering conflict with the Union Pacific Steam Locomotive #844, which forced the renumbering of the Steam Locomotive to #8444 between the years 1962~1989.

GAS AND DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES:

DAVENPORT DINKY was originally purchased new by the U.S. Government Construction Railroad in 1936 for hauling supplies and materials to the Hoover Dam site via the ten mile railroad the linked Boulder City to the Black Canyon, overlooking the Hoover Dam. The specifications of the Davenport Dinky included an 0-6-0 wheel configuration, a weight of 30 tons and a 250hp gas-mechanical engine.

LOCOMOTIVE #1855 was manufactured in 1953 by Fairbanks-Morse. The locomotive was used by the U.S. Army Transportation Corp. The specifications of the #1855 included a 1200hp rated engine of the opposed piston type.


DAVENPORT DINKY	FAIRBANKS-MORSE LOCOMOTIVE #1855

'JACKASS & WESTERN' LOCOMOTIVES #L-2 AND #L-3: Jackass and Western, a somewhat unique name identifying the area in which both these locomotives served, the Jackass Flats, more specifically the Nevada Test Nuclear Test Site called Area 25.

#L-2 was manufactured by the General Electric Co. in 1943 and operated on the Test Site during the 1960's and 1970's, duties included hauling nuclear powered rocket engines between remotely separated testing facilities. The specifications of #L-2 included an 0-4-0 wheel configuration, a weight of 25 tons and a 150hp rated engine.

#L-3 was manufactured by the General Electric Co. in 1953, initial duties were at a U.S. Naval facility, ultimately #L-3 was relocated to the Test Site where the locomotive was used to transport nuclear powered rocket engines to various test stations. The specifications of #L-3 included an 0-4-4-0 wheel configuration, a weight of 80 tons and a 500hp rated engine. Interestingly the crew cab was pressurized to prevent outside air contamination in the event of an accident on the Nuclear Test Site!


JACKASS & WESTERN #L-2	JACKASS & WESTERN #L-3

TRAIN RIDE - OPTION 1: LOCOMOTIVE #1000: She hauls a full complement of carriages, enclosed and open, along the line for some three and half miles to Boulder City and reverses back to the Museum Station.


MUSEUM TRAIN STAFF	THE OPEN CARRIAGE, A MUST!

WOOHOO, IRRESISTIBLE!

LOCOMOTIVE #1000, HAULING TOURISTS ALONG THE LINE TO BOULDER CITY

TRAIN RIDE - OPTION 2: OLE' 97: 'Tours to the Boneyard'. Ole'97 takes tourists on regular tours to the old rolling stock at the Nevada State Railway Museum.


OLE' 97	PART OF THE MUSEUM'S BONEYARD

ATMOSPHERE: Tremendous, the trains, the staff, all great. I have to make particular mention of the Conductor's, yes there were a few of them on the Boulder City train ride, so informative and helpful, thanks guys and girls!