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Great Western Steam Up 7/2/2022

Elizabeth and I awoke at the Ramada Inn in Reno and after our morning preparations, we went down to the restaurant and had the buffet breakfast which I was very happy with. We then drove down to Carson City and went to the event parking lot. We took the motor coach/shuttle bus over to the grounds of the Nevada State Railroad Museum.

Held in the heart of Nevada's Capital City, make the Carson Railroad Museum's Great Western Steam Up your locomotive this summer. Hosted by the Nevada State Railroad Museum - Carson City, this once-in-a-lifetime event celebrates the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Virigina and Truckee Railroad, linking Virginia City and Carson City, Nevada with the rest of the world. Showcasing 13 steam locomotives from six historic Nevada railroads, there's no better way to introduce the whole fam to Nevada's sterling history and heritage.

Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the completion of the Virigina and Truckee Railroad, bring the whole family to the Carson Railroad Museum for steam locomotive displays and rides, all kinds of food and live entertainment, along with blacksmithing, knife making, and much more.

Besides a historic gathering of steam locomotives, discover all kinds of steam-powered equipment including fire pumpers, automobiles, tractors and a steam "donkey" engine, along with "lost art" demonstrations including blacksmithing, knife making, and more. VIP ticket packages are available, along with an exclusive Virigina and Truckee Railroad 150 Dinner. With more than 10 operating steam locomotives representing six historic Nevada railroads, The Great Western Steam Up promises the largest reunion of existing Virginia & Truckee locomotives in the world.

Visiting and resident steam engines will be:

Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge 18, the "Slim Princess"

Eureka & Palisade 4

Santa Cruz Portland Cement 2

Virginia & Truckee 12, Genoa

Bluestone Mining & Smelting Railroad 1

Virginia & Truckee 11 "Reno"

Virginia & Truckee 21, "J.W. Bowker"

Darndanelle & Russellville 8

Dayton, Sutro & Carson Valley "Joe Douglass"

Virginia & Truckee 18 "Dayton"

Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad 5 "Tahoe"

Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company "Glenbrook"

Virginia & Truckee 22 "Inyo"

Virginia & Truckee 25

Virginia & Truckee 1 "Lyon"

Virginia & Truckee 27

Antelope and Western 1

As we had already bought our tickets, we were guided to the tent where our tickets were scanned and we were given wristbands. We started outside the grounds taking pictures of a few of the participants before we returned and joined the line to board the train.

Darndanelle & Russellville 8 built by Cooke Locomotive & Machine Works in 1888 as Denver, Texas & Forth Worth Railroad Company 9. It was renumbered 114 then sold to St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway in 1890; in 1906 it was sold to the Dardanelle & Russellville Railroad as their 8 in Dardanelle, Arkansas. In 1940, the engine was became the property of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation at Malibu, California, who sold it to Shortline Enterprises at Cucamonga, California in 1971. It was then moved to Virginia City, Nevada as V&T 28) in 1975, then moved Jamestown, California in 1977, to Sacramento in 1982 and finally ended up at Carson City.

Virginia & Truckee 4-6-0 25 {2nd} built by Baldwin in 1905. It hauled both passenger and freight trains between Reno, Carson and Virginia City. From 1911 to 1947, the busy 4-6-0 ran 80% of the time, averaging as many as 30,000 miles a year. No. 25 made a niche in history by pulling the last scheduled passenger train to Virginia City in May 1938. When that line was scrapped in 1941, the contractor hired the engine to assist in its dismantlement. As railroad cars became heavier and longer, the V&T sought a more modern engine as a replacement and sold 25 to RKO Pictures in 1947 for $5,000. For the next ten years the ex-V&T engine starred in a number of motion pictures. No. 25 last operated under its own power in 1955 when the 50 year old locomotive hauled a special train between Los Angeles and San Pedro commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Union Pacific Railroad's Salt Lake Route.

Following the 1958 purchase of the old RKO movie studios, which included No. 25, by Desilu Productions, Inc., the locomotive was sold to Hurlbut Amusements of Buena Park six years later. In 1971, the State of Nevada acquired the steam engine for $16,000, preceding an effort by rail fans to bring home vintage V&T equipment.

Nevada Coppper Belt caboose 3 built by Hocking Valley in 1906. It carried passengers in mixed steam train service between Mason and Wabuska. Following 19 years of service and the abandonment of the Nevada Copper Belt, the 33-foot long car was sold to the Virginia & Truckee Railroad and assigned No. 24. Its acquisition in 1947 provided an opportunity for V&T passengers to ride in the cupola, or "vista-dome" section of the caboose. Sporting a bright yellow coat of paint, V&T caboose No. 24 enjoyed intermittent use on the Reno to Minden run. Upon the end of service in 1950, the car was purchased by the Nevada Day Committee for display in Carson City. Thereafter, the Committee, as well as the city's Chamber of Commerce, utilized the caboose as their headquarters in front of today's Nevada State Library. It later became a small walk-through tourist museum. In 1982, the Chamber agreed to loan the caboose to the Railroad Museum for indoor public display and restoration. A formal gift of the car was accomplished in 1987. The 60 year-old veteran of two well-known Nevada short lines was moved into the restoration for rebuilding. Nearly a year later, the distinctive wooden side door and cupola caboose -- a vanishing breed of railroad car -- made its appearance on Nevada Day, 1988 as Nevada Copper Belt No. 3 (1938 appearance).

Wabuska Southern Pacific station built in 1906.

Carson & Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company 2-6-0 1 "Glenbrook" built by Baldwin in 1875 and was renumbered to 2 in 1890. Nine years later, it was transferred to Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company when the two C&TL&F rail lines were taken up and, with the Glenbrook and other equipment, barged to the north shore at Tahoe City. From there, the Bliss family built the new Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation (LTR&T) line to the Southern Pacific station in Truckee. In Tahoe City, the trains met the LTR&T steamships, including the famous Tahoe, that crisscrossed the lake serving the many resorts and other settlements around the lake shore. In 1926, the Bliss family sold the LTR&T to the Southern Pacific, who promptly converted it to standard gauge. Although the SP acquired the other locomotives, the Bliss family kept the No. 1, storing it at Tahoe City. Finally, in 1937 they sold the locomotive to the Nevada County Narrow Gauge to supply spare parts for its sister, the Tahoe. NCNG was abandoned in 1942, and it looked like the old Glenbrook would finally be scrapped. Enter Miss Hope Bliss, who in 1943 convinced the family to purchase the historic engine from the scrap company, and then presented the locomotive to the Nevada State Museum in the old mint building in Carson City. For years, the engine sat displayed beside the Museum, played on by generations of kids. In 1980 the State created a new Railroad Museum at the south end of Carson City, and in 1981 the Glenbrook was trucked there in preparation for the long work of restoring it to original 1875 factory condition.

Future restoration projects for this museum.

Jack Rodkey was our excellent and knowledgeable guide on this trip.

Virginia & Truckee 4-6-0 25 on another of its train rides.

Antelope and Western 3 foot gauge 0-4-0T 1, ex. Sacramento Brick Company 1, nee Huntington Hopkins and Company built by Porter in 1889. It also operated on the Camino Cable and Northern six miles east of Placerville, California.

Virginia & Truckee 4-6-0 25 makes its way around the grounds; each train ride was three laps around.

Tucson, Cornelia & Gila Bend motor car 401 built by Edwards Motor Car in 1926 which operated out of Ajo and Gila Bend, Arizona, a distance of 43 miles. The motor car operated regularly until December 31, 1947 and travelled over 783,000 miles while in service. It was traded to Mr. Lindley Bothwell for two Los Angeles trolley cars at Travel Town. In 1975, it was acquired by Short Line Enterprises and was restored and operated in Virginia City during the 1976 season as Washoe Zephyr 50. The motor car was moved to Jamestown, California and stored until it was moved to the Nevada State Railroad Museum in spring 1988. The motor car is now owned by the museum.

The Glenbrook and train on another run.

Virginia & Truckee 2-4-0 21 "J.W. Bowker" built by Baldwin in 1875. It was named after V&T's master mechanic John William Bowker. However, in 1876, Bowker was fired for drunken, disorderly conduct and, four months after the engine was delivered, it was renamed "Mexico". It worked as a switcher in Virginia City and around the Comstock Mines. In 1896, it was sold to the Sierra Nevada Wood and Lumber Company in Truckee, California, and renumbered 3 and in 1932, was transfered to the Hobart Southern Railroad Company. It was donated in 1937 to the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society who restored it to its original identity as V&T 21 finally in 1964, it was donated to the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Pacific Coast Chapter who moved it to Sacramento in 1978.

Virginia & Truckee 0-4-0 11 "Reno" built by M. Baird & Company in 1872. It was the first locomotive purchased by the V&T specifically to pull passenger trains. It was delivered during construction of the extension of railroad between Reno and Carson City. The locomotive had the honor of pulling the first scheduled train from Reno to Virginia City. In 1945 it was sold to Loew's Incorporated at Culver City, California (which later became Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM) and in 1970, it was sold to the Old Tucson Studios of America. In 1995 Old Tucson Studios burnt to the ground and the Reno lost all of its wood, including the cab. She was cosmetically retored and sold back to the Virginia & Truckee Railway, she was returned to Virginia City for the first time in 83 years.

Bluestone Mining & Smelting Railroad Heisler 1 built by Heisler Locomotive Works in 1916. It operated one and a half miles of track from their mine to the railroad connection with the Nevada Coppper Belt Railroad at Mason, Nevada. In a 1923 corporate sale, it became Mason Valley Mines Company 1 then in a 1929 corporate sale was EIMCO Corporation 1. A 1939 sale made dealer Fred Botsford the owner, then in 1944 it was sold to Blake Brothers Company as their number 6 in Richmond, California. In 1961, this steamm engine was renumbered 1 and in 1962, sold to Bert Rudolph who preserved the engine at his ranch east of Willits for nearly 30 years. The engine was purchased from the Rudolph estate by Rogan Coombs of Fortuna and stored at Glendale, near Arcata, for many years. Its home is the Roots of Motive Power Museum in Willits, California.

Virginia & Truckee 4-4-0 22 "Inyo" built by Burnham, Parry, Williams & Company Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1875, Inyo, the name applied, is Indian meaning "dwelling place of a great spirit". Inyo is also affixed to a lengthy mountain range and a large county in eastern California. 22 is nicknamed the Brass Betsy, gained the admiration of many of the road's veterans and rightly so, as it came furnished with an enormous amount of highly polished brass work including the bell and bell stand, steam dome and sand box casing, boiler jacket bands, cylinder jackets, and running board edging. By 1879, the brass bedecked engine was employed in the V&T's regularly scheduled mixed passenger and freight service. At other times it substituted for the Reno and Geneo engines when they were in the shop. Beginning in the 1890's, No. 22 handled the road's crack Virginia City express train and saw extensive use during the Tonopah mining boom soon after 1900. In 1910, the Inyo was next to the last of the V&T iron horses to be converted to burn oil. From 1926 on, the engine was considered to be retired, although she did replace the Reno occasionally. The Brass Betsy became the first of many V&T cars and locomotives acquired by Paramount Pictures.

In 1937 22 starred in "High, Wide and Handsome", followed by roles in "Union Pacific", "Red River" and Disney's "The Great Locomotive Chase". She last operated in 1965 for the TV series "Wild, Wild West". Four years later the Inyo participated in the Gold Spike Centennial at Promontory, Utah. Starting in 1970, the engine appeared as a replica of the Central Pacific's Jupiter at the Gold Spike National Historical Site. The State of Nevada purchased the 4-4-0 in 1974 and when it was no longer need for display the former V&T engine returned home to Carson City. After more than a year of restoration work, the Inyo made her debut on May 29, 1983. Since then, the wood-burning Brass Betsy has operated on numerous occasions and participated at the grand opening of the Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas during April of 1984. It was also one of the stars at the 1996 4th of July Transportation Fair.

Eureka & Palisade 4-4-0 4 built by Baldwin in 1896. It was sold to the Sierra Nevada Wood & Lumber Company as their 5 that same year at Hobart Mills, California. In a 1917 corporate sale, it became Hobart Estate Company 5 and in 1938, was sold to the Unknown Iron Company at San Francisco. A year later it was sold to Warner Brothers Pictures, then in 1978 was sold to Old Tucson Studios of America at Henderson, Nevada and lastly, in 1986, it was sold to Dan Markoff at Las Vegas, Nevada who painstakinly restored it and converted it from oil back to wood.

Virginia & Truckee replica 2-6-0 1 "Lyon" built by Stan Gentry of Mason City, Iowa and donated to the Nevada State Railroad Museum in 2020. The original locomotive was built in 1869, operated on the V&T until 1880, and scrapped in 1900.

Virginia & Truckee 4-4-0 18, "Dayton" built by the Central Pacific Railroad in 1873 for the Virginia and Truckee. For a period of 65 years, the 4-4-0 performed quite well, especially when it was called upon to plow snow and ice off the tracks during winter storms. On the fourth of July 1906, a gaily-decorated Dayton pulled the first passenger train over the newly completed Carson-to-Minden branch. Number 18 saw limited service thereafter due to the road's acquisition of more powerful iron horses.

Paramount Pictures bought number 18 in 1938, after nearly 65 years of service, for a role in the film "Union Pacific". Over the next three decades, the ex-V&T engine appeared in many pictures, including "Harvey Girls" and "Duel In The Sun". In 1969, the classic 4-4-0 was modified to represent Union Pacific engine number 119 for the Golden Spike Centennial celebration held at Promontory, Utah. The following year the Dayton together with the Inyo returned to the Gold Spike National Historic Site where they remained on display for nearly 9 years, Meanwhile, Paramount sold these 2 relics to the State of Nevada in 1974. The Dayton, together with the Inyo, returned to Carson City in late 1978. Shortly after the Museum opened its doors, a restoration feasibility study proved that the old weather-beaten Central Pacific-built engine (the older of 2 still in existence) required a new boiler if it were to operate. It was decided, since investigation showed that the Inyo was in far better condition to run again, the Dayton would receive a cosmetic restoration to reflect her appearance in 1882. Thus a centennial of her rebuilding was quietly celebrated as the public viewed the restored Dayton for the first time during the Memorial Day weekend of 1982. On September 15, 2005, the Dayton was moved to the newly constructed Comstock History Center in Virginia City at the request of the Storey County Commission.

Dayton, Sutro & Carson Valley Railroad 0-4-2T 1 "Joe Douglass" built by H.K. Porter in 1882. During the first Comstock boom of the 1860s, Dayton, Nevada, on the Carson River at the foot of Gold Canyon was a favored location for milling operations for the ore from the mines around Virginia City. In 1869, mill owner Frederick Birdsall built a short horse-drawn railroad to haul tailings from Gold Canyon to his Lyon Mill in Dayton. When the narrow gauge Carson & Colorado Railroad reached Dayton from Mound House in late 1880, Birdsall built a new connecting railroad of the same 3 foot track gauge, completing it in June 1881. Replacing the horses were two small steam locomotives, the first of which arrived in Dayton on July 11.

In early 1882 Birdsall became interested in a new railroad development in California, and in April sold his mill and railroad to J. M. Douglass. Birdsall's two original engines were not included in the sale, so the new company, under the name of the Dayton, Sutro & Carson Valley Railroad, ordered the JOE. DOUGLASS. from the well-known builder of small locomotives, H. K. Porter & Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa. The 0-4-2T type engine, with four drive wheels and two small wheels behind supporting an attached water tank and wood bunker, was completed on June 12, 1882, and raised its first steam in Dayton on September 14. With that the railroad was back in business with steam power. Douglass quickly extended his railroad empire. By November the rails were approaching the town of Sutro, and by February 1883 the line was in regular operation beyond there to the tailings reservoirs of the old Carson Valley Mill site. The JOE. DOUGLASS. remained the only locomotive on the Dayton, Sutro & Carson Valley RR throughout the life of the operation, shuffling back and forth with cars of ore for the several mills along the line.

In 1900, it was sold to Lake Arrowhead Development Company and in 1947, to James Fouch at Palm Springs, California. In 1955 Al Anthony of Palm Springs acquired the steam engine and ten years later, it was sold to Bill Van Wyck. Circa 1966, it was sold to Benton Lefton at Pioneer Town, California and in 1968, Robert Walton became the owner. Walton moved to Los Altos on the San Francisco Peninsula in the mid-1970s, and kept the JOE. DOUGLASS in his back yard. Concerned about the ultimate disposition of the little engine, he felt it was fitting and appropriate that it return to Nevada, its working home for so many years. Turning down higher offers Walton agreed to a sale to the Nevada State Railroad Museum in September 1994. The acquisition was made possible by the generous support of Meadowood Mall in Reno, who provided a grant to the Railroad Museum covering the costs of acquisition and transportation back to Nevada. On November 17, after receiving a new paint job and other minor repairs, the JOE. DOUGLASS. was placed on display-in the center of the mall for the Christmas season, the centerpiece of an exhibit promoting the Railroad Museum.

Virginia and Truckee coach 4 built by the Kimball Carriage and Car Manufacturing Company of San Francisco in 1872 for the Virginia & Truckee Lightning Express passenger train between Virginia City and Reno. The new train provided first class service between the mines of the Comstock and the Central Pacific Railroad, with connections to San Francisco and the world. More coaches arrived on the V&T in 1890 and 1906, but the Kimball coaches continued in regular service, including receiving electric lights in 1917. In 1925 the express train made its last run, and the Kimball coaches were relegated to special excursion service. Change came in 1938, when both coaches were sold to Paramount Pictures for use in the movies. They remained in Hollywood until 1972 when Short Line Enterprises acquired them and resold coach 4 to the State of Nevada. In 1984 coach 4 was restored to its appearance in the mid 1880's when it ran in the Lightning Express.

Virginia and Truckee coach 12 built by J.G. Brill in 1874.

Virginia and Truckee wooden box car 1013 built by Wells, French & Company in 1874. After the construction of the 15 mile line to Minden in 1906, No. 1013 was moved to the terminus and served as a temporary office and quarters for the station agent. With the completion of the station facilities, No. 1013 returned to the active roster. In 1909, after more than 30 years of active service, the boxcar was completely rebuilt, including new siding and additional safety features, to extend its serviceable life until 1938. In that year, Paramount Pictures purchased the car for a roll in their film "Union Pacific". Although it was deliberately wrecked in the picture, the studio repaired the former V&T car and reduced the roof height by several inches to match its other railroad equipment. When not in use, No. 1013 was stored at the Union Pacific Railroad yards in East Los Angeles. It last saw movie work in 1958. Following a rapid succession of sales in late 1971, from Paramount to Old Tucson Studio to Short Line Enterprises to the State of Nevada, No. 1013 was trucked to Mound House. Here the boxcar remained in storage under the jurisdiction of the Nevada Division of State Parks until 1977 when it was brought to the new V & T facility at Carson City. Legislative action in 1979 conferred ownership of the 105 year old relic to the Nevada State Museum. Three years later the boxcar was reconstructed, utilizing four of the six original underframe sills, several purlins and all of the old cast iron components. After almost three months of painstaking work by Short Line Enterprises beginning in December of 1981, V & T boxcar No. 1013 now reflects its appearance soon after the 1909 rebuilding.

Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad 2-6-0 5 built by Baldwin in 1875 as Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company "Tahoe". In 1890, it was renumbered 1 and in 1899, sold to Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Company 5 at Grass Valley, California. In 1940, it was sold to Frank Lloyd Productions at Universal City, California and in 1958 became the property of MCA Incorporated. Two years later, this engine was transfered to Revue Productions, Incorporated at Universal City, California and finally in 1985, donated to Nevada County Historical Society Transportation Museum.

Santa Cruz Portland Cement 0-4-0T 2 built by H.K. Porter in 1909 named "Chiggen". It worked at the cement plant in Davenport California then in 1924 was sold to Bechtel Kaiser Rock Company 2 at Oroville, California. In a corporate sale, it became Henry J. Kaiser Company 2 then was sold to Richard Cook, followed by Gunner Henriolle in 1966 and a year later to Ray Pollard who displayed it at his Chicken Kitchen Restaurant in Pollardville, California. In April 2007, Pollardville Amusement Center was shut down after 50 years, at which time Efstathios Pappas bought the engine for restoration and was moved to the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad. Once fully certified, this steam engine spent some time at the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, Washington before going to the Niles Canyon Railway in Sunol, California and is currently at the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad.

Southern Pacific 4-6-0 18 "Slim Princess" built by Baldwin in 1911 as Nevada-California-Oregon Railway Company 12 at Reno, Nevada, then in 1928 was sold to the Southern Pacific Company as 18. In 1955, it was donated to he Eastern California Museum Association Incorporated in Dehy Park in Independence, California. It was restored to operation in October 2016 and operated on loan at the Durango and Silverton in 2019 and 2021.

Virginia & Truckee 4-4-0 12 "Genoa" built by the M. Baird & Company in 1873. It was sold in a corporate sale to the Virginia and Truckee as 12 then in 1938, to the Eastern Railroads Conference and restored to look like Central Pacific 60 "Jupiter" for the 1939-40 New York World's Fair. In 1940, it was presented to the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society and in 1960, to the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. In 1969, it was donated to the State of California.

Western Pacific caboose 657 built by Pullman Company in 1943 and donated to the museum in 2009.

Virginia and Truckee McKeen Motor Car 22 built by McKeen Motor Car in 1910. When the Virginia and Truckee Railroad completed its branch line between Carson City and Minden in 1906, passenger service was provided by a mixed passenger and freight train. It was soon apparent that additional passenger service was desirable, but adding a passenger-only steam train was too expensive. The Virginia and Truckee looked at motorcars as a more cost-effective solution, and in 1910, purchased a 70 foot gas powered McKeen motor car to provide twice-a-day passenger service between Minden and Carson City. The McKeen Motor Car Company of Omaha, Nebraska, was organized under the sponsorship of E. H. Harriman of the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific Railroads. It was one of the most successful of the early motor car manufacturers. The cars featured ultramodern steel stressed skin construction, "dustproof" porthole windows, and the distinctive knife-shaped wind-splitter front. By 1932, passenger traffic on the V&T was declining all over the railroad. The McKeen car was rebuilt in the shops with expanded mail and express space, and placed in service all the way from Reno to Minden, making a round trip once per day. The car final made its last run in September 1945, one of the last unmodified McKeen cars running in the nation. In 1946 the body was sold to become a diner, and later Al's Plumbing Supply office in Carson City. It was donated to the Nevada State Railroad Museum in early 1996. The official unveiling of the restored car was May 9, 2010, one hundred years exactly from the date it was delivered to the Virginia & Truckee Railroad.

Virginia & Truckee Coach-Caboose 8 was built in 1869 for $3,822 by the V&T shops, then located in Virginia City. Originally it was Virginia City & Truckee Railroad (the name at that time) No. 1. It was designed for caboose service, which in those days included carrying third class passengers, and brought up the rear of the first train between Carson City and Virginia City in January 1870. After the V&T's Reno extension was completed in 1872 and the railroad purchased new cars Nos. 1-4 for the first class passenger train, the old caboose was taken into the shops for refurbishing, and returned to its old service in 1873 as No. 8. As years went by, No. 8 saw less and less service. In 1915 it was converted to a combination sleeper, work room and diner for the the Interstate Commerce Commission valuation crew. In March/April of 1923, the side doors were removed, and the car was converted to V&T MW construction cook and dining car, still as No. 8. In October 1945 it was resurrected as a club car, and given the name Julia Bullette (misspelled for Julia Bulette of Virginia City) for a Lions Club excursion. The car was sold to Metro-Goldwin-Mayer in August 1947 for $1,550. On May 16 1970, it was auctioned to Ronald G. Steiner for $3,250, and it was restored as V&T passenger caboose No. 8. Transferred April 10, 1973 to Short Line Enterprises and restored for continued movie service, the Nevada State Railroad Museum acquired it in 1988. It is now operated for special events by the Museum, and is awaiting its turn for a full historical restoration.

Virginia and Truckee caboose/coach 9 built by the Kimball Manufacturing Company of San Francisco in 1873 at a cost of $1,900. Like the earlier coach 8 and later coach 15, 9 worked in caboose and third class passenger service at the end of freight trains. Sometime between 1875 and 1890 the car was modified by removing the side doors and its passenger compartment was extended through the former baggage compartment, making it a simple coach, or miner's car. The car continued in regular use on freight trains until the downturn in Comstock mine business in the 1890s. After that it was only used occasionally. Coach No. 9 was converted to V&T maintenance of way sleeper 9 in 1908 with the addition of a small clestory. In 1913, the car was converted again, this time to a traditional caboose with the addition of a cupola. In 1938 9 began a new career when Paramount Pictures purchased it for $200 for Cecil B. DeMille's epic "Union Pacific". The movie studio removed the cupola. Used for occasional movies after that, 9 was finally purchased by the State of Nevada in 1971, and in 1982/83 was carefully restored to its 1873 appearance. No. 9 operated in 1986 at Steam Expo in British Columbia, and is currently on display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum.

Virginia and Truckee 28 foot combination box car 1005 built by the Central Pacific Railroad in 1872 at a cost of $800. The choice of this particular type of car, with its open and/or closed style of doors and windows, proved superior very early to transporting not only merchandise, but perishable supplies and livestock. Since the V&T had very little rolling stock of its own, and rented locomotives, passenger and freight cars from the Central Pacific in the first years, it is not surprising that when the need arose for cars that the V&T chose to order them from the CP. Identified as a combination boxcar, the yellow painted No. 1005 was one of five CP built boxcars that enabled the V&T to carry a multitude of loads. Originally furnished with hazardous link and pin couplers and hand operated brakes, new ICC rules laid down in the late 1890's compelled the V&T to equip the car with a safer type of coupler and Westinghouse air brakes. It was also during this decade the 30,000 lb. capacity car lost the distinctive vented side and end doors when shop crews converted it into a more conventional style. Because of its restricted carrying capacity, No. 1005 saw limited service after the early 1900's. By 1916, records indicate the 43 year-old boxcar was no longer listed on the roster as the V&T's freight business fell short to warrant upgrading the car. No. 1005 was then detrucked and used as a tool house at Scales for the next 20 years. Then in 1933, to fulfill Paramount Pictures' request for vintage railroad rolling stock for their film epic "Union Pacific", the wooden car body was resurrected, placed on trucks and shipped to the movie location in Utah.

Virginia & Truckee coach 17 is the oldest, and probably the most historic, car in the Nevada State Railroad Museum collection. Built by the Central Pacific Railroad in 1868, it was a private car for the officials of the railroad, especially Charles Crocker, and included facilities for eating and sleeping as well as office space. We believe it is the car that carried Leland Stanford and his party, with the Golden Spike (the "Last Spike") and the Nevada Silver Spike, to the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1869. The V&T purchased the car in January 7, 1876 for $,2500 and outfitted it for use as their Officer's car, numbered 25 and named "Bonanza". It was particularly for use by Nevada's newly elected Senator William Sharon, and the car traveled to San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The Senator leased private cars from the Pullman Palace Car Company after 1878, and in 1880 purchased his own new car built by Pullman's Detroit shops.

The V&T refitted their car as a coach in April 1878 at a cost of $3,197. The car was renumbered No. 17 and used in the Lightning Express, as shown in the well-known James H. Crockwell photo of the Lightning Express on the Crown Point trestle in Gold Hill. After many years of service, coach No. 17 was purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox in 1938, beginning a new movie career. In May 1972 it was sold to Short Line Enterprises for continued movie service. It was purchased by the Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1988.

Track maintenance car.

Children who visit the Nevada State Railroad Museum often rush to play with the wooden Thomas the Train rail set in the display room, their attention distracted from the real steel and smoke stack locomotives. The museum's director gives a simple explanation for this: They can't play with the real things. Visitors can't climb aboard the historic Virginia & Truckee No. 18 locomotive, or any other train on display in the museum. But as of 2005, children have had their own train to climb aboard when Whistlin' Billy debuted in the museum on July 22nd. The interactive locomotive is child-sized and educational and represents an 1886 Porter locomotive built for the Eureka Mill Railroad.

A restored velocipede using the parts of a former Western Pacific velocipede found north of Reno.

Virginia & Truckee Model T Ford track car 24 built in 1923.

Western Pacific 1923 roadster track car 23.

The next train loading pasengers at the station.

The two wig wags crossing signals at the enterence of the museum.

The Glenbrook on another run.

The Glenbrook took another run.

Virginia and Truckee 25 takes another group of passengers around the museum's loop.

Virginia and Truckee 25 on another loop.

Virginia and Truckee coach-combination 10.

Nevada Cooper Belt caboose 3.

Virginia and Truckee 25 takes another group around the loop.

Virginia and Truckee 25 on lap 2.

Southern Pacific 4-6-0 18.

Some of the photographers at this great event. Now the Pageant of Locomotives would take place, which occurred each day at 1:00.

Carson & Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company 2-6-0 1 "Glenbrook" was the first engine of the pageant.

Engine waiting their turn.

Southern Pacific 4-6-0 18 was the second engine.

Bluestone Mining & Smelting Railroad Heisler 1 was the third locomotive.

Virginia and Truckee 25 taking another group of happy passengers around the loop.

Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad 2-6-0 5 took its turn.

Museum scene.

Eureka & Palisade 4-4-0 4 was the fifth.

The crew getting the next engine ready. Hand signals were used throughout the day.

Santa Cruz Portland Cement 0-4-0T 2 was the sixth steam engine of the afternoon.

Antelope and Western 3 foot gauge 0-4-0T 1 in seventh place in the pageant.

Three of the steam engines on display at the Great Western Steam-Up.

Roundhouse view with four steam engines.

Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad 2-6-0 5 and Santa Cruz Portland Cement 0-4-0T 2 "Chiggen".

The "Chiggen" and "Inyo".

Virginia & Truckee 4-4-0 22 "Inyo".

Southern Pacific 4-6-0 18 was now operating around the loop.

Southern Pacific 4-6-0 18 on another trip around the museum.

Southern Pacific 4-6-0 18 making its final lap around the grounds for these passengers.

Bluestone Mining & Smelting Railroad Heisler 1 waiting to start its journey around the loop.

A logging skidder was one of the displays at the event.

Eureka & Palisade 4-4-0 4.

Ed Dickens, head of the Union Pacific Steam Program, meets the head of the Nevada State Railroad Museum. He was scheduled to speak today at 3:00 and had only recently been announced.

Southern Pacific 4-6-0 18 on another trip around. Tables and chairs had been set up under a large tent and I relocated there in preparation for Mr. Dickens' speech.

Mr. Dickens started his talk discussing his military career in the United States Navy which everyone found fascinating. He then went on to talk about the process of restoring the Big Boy from getting it out of Pomona all the way to restoring and preparing it for the trip to Ogden. He made a comparison, explaining the Big Boy was really two Union Pacific 800-series steam engines put together. After he completed his speech, he tooks questions from the audience and answered them all in great detail. I learned a few things about Ed that I had not heard before during previous talks and he was an outstanding speaker.

Bluestone Mining & Smelting Railroad Heisler 1 and Southern Pacific 18 would whistle as they went around the grounds and each time they did, Ed gave a fist pump and commented how much he enjoyed both hearing and seeing them.

One final view of the Great Western Steam-Up, Day 2. We both went to the museum's gift shop and acquired T-shirts, pins, a mug and Christmas ornaments. We were, however, surprised and rather disappointed that there were no souvenirs specifically for this four-day event and a program. Some time after we returned home, I received an e-mail from the group announcing a souvenir T-shirt which had not been available during the event to supply chain issues.

We walked out off the grounds and boarded the bus, taking the first two seats for the short trip back to the car. I then drove us to the Texas Roadhouse in south Reno where we had an excellent dinner before returning to the Ramada Inn where I started working on yesterday's story while Elizabeth did her usual things on the Internet.

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