V&T Locomotive #25 and Caboose #24 (NCB #3) at Nevada State Railroad Museum

From the Odds'n'Ends Department, here's a short video made at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City the day after Thanksgiving, 2009. In a mixed-consist, the authentic #25 V&T steam locomotive is pulling the #8 (non Virginia Truckee) tender and three passenger cars.

We see the Wabuska depot, which was a Southern Pacific depot in Wabuska, Nevada along the Carson and Colorado route. Then Virginia and Truckee #25 runs under the wig-wag crossing signals and into the station to swap passengers for the next run.

At the end of the train is Nevada Copper Belt (NCB) caboose #3. As explained in the video, the Nevada State Railroad Museum was originally intended to be a Virginia and Truckee museum, but later expanded their focus to include other Nevada Railroads like the Nevada Copper Belt.

The funny thing about NCB #3 is that from 1947-1950 it was V&T caboose #24. At the end of the video we see four historic photos from the Nevada Historical Society showing NCB #3 when it was V&T #24. I wish NSRM would have painted this caboose true to it's V&T colors, it's much more interesting with the cool slogan on the side and those external diagonal crossbeams.

Also at the end of the video, as the still photos display, is a song recorded by Nevada Bluegrass project for my Living Steam DVD. The Living Steam DVD is available at amazon.com and shows #22 Inyo being fired up at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in late 2007. In a rare combination, Virginia and Truckee wood burning steam locomotive #22 pulls the #4 passenger car.

The song you head, Riding that Carson City Train, is a cover of Riding that New River Train, a classic bluegrass train song. All aboard!

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• virginia
• truckee
• #25
• steam
• locomotive
• #8
• tender
• Nevada
• Copper
• Belt
• #3
• V&T
• caboose
• #24
• history
• wabuska
• depot
• living
• #22
• Inyo
• wood
• burning
• #4
• passenger
• car

[popiBROS1]

One of the Wigwags are broken =(

[virginiatruckee]

Yeah, and the other one that does work is pretty weak. Just to get political for a moment, it's sad to see the V&T Reconstruction project get $10 million of fed funds and ask for another $30 million, while the NSRM can't fix the #25 tender, fix the crown sheet on #8, or even fix the wig-wag signals. The Re-con project is politically powerful and can go direct for fed funds from Harry Reid, while the NSRM limps along through the state legislative process.

[computervet]

Don't overlook the coach that was right behind the engine. That is #8, the "Julia Bullette", formerly V&T #1. It was one of the first coaches built for the V&T, back in 1869, and was part of the first train from Carson to Virginia in 1870. It was later renumbered #8 and remodeled a few times, and has served as a third-class caboose, a work car, a construction car, and in 1945 was converted into a club car, which it still is today. This car is rarely brought out onto the line.

[virginiatruckee]

Yeah, thanks for noting that, I was wondering why that car was on the train, I just didn't have the history handy.

I think because it was cold the #57 open air car was not used. It will be interesting to see what they do with the Santa Train.

[SierraRailway]

virginiatruckee

That is Awful. I want to see the #25's unique tender in action. the #8 is the main locomotive, so the museum should try to raise funds for it. the wig wags can wait for last, but the engines need special attention and TLC which the museum can barely afford.

[computervet]

The brakeman on our car said that they only bring car #8 out for Thanksgiving and the Santa Train every year. So it will probably make another appearance this weekend, then go back in the shed for another year.