ABOVE LEFT: Another fine restoration was the rebuilding of the original smokestack using both original parts and new material.
ABOVE: Hand crafted by restoration specialist Rick Stiver, the new pilot was reproduced in ex- acting detail towards the end of 2011.
LEFT: The Glenbrook began to take shape again with the fit-up of the rest of the boiler at the end of 2013.
The Nevada State Railroad Museum The Nevada State Railroad Museum
opened in May 1980 and is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2015. Here, the rich railroading heritage of northern Nevada comes to life through a variety of programs and exhibits. Together, the collections, programs and exhibits por- tray how railroads transformed a hostile territory into an essential contributor to the growing nation. Through the muse- um’s exhibits, visitors learn the import- ant role played by the legendary Virginia & Truckee Railroad in gaining Nevada the distinction as the “Silver State.” The museum’s signature piece is the Virginia & Truckee 4-4-0 Inyo, one of the oldest operating wood-burning steam lo- comotives in the United States. The Inyo served faithfully from 1875 until 1937. Then it was off to Hollywood where it appeared in 29 movies, television shows, and commercials; and it also served as
a stand-in for the Central Pacific’s Ju- piter at the Golden Spike historic site at Promontory Summit, Utah, from 1970- ’78. In addition to rolling stock from the V&T and other northern Nevada rail- roads, NSRM is home to a large collec- tion of late 19th and early 20th century railroad related artifacts and records.
Initial Restoration Efforts
Restoring the Glenbrook, at least cos- metically, was an early goal. The Bliss family had previously secured several critical pieces missing from the locomo- tive from the scrapper at Grass Valley, Nev., and builder’s plates to replace originals removed years earlier were acquired from Baldwin. With establish- ment of NSRM in 1980, hopes of restor- ing the locomotive accelerated with the Glenbrook being transferred there in July 1981. Construction of the new rail museum was contracted to Short Line
Enterprises, which essentially built the museum from scratch and began restor- ing several pieces of Virginia & Truckee equipment. Turning attention to the Glenbrook,
the contractors removed the old lap seam boiler, inspected it and deemed that the restoration process would be best served by purchasing a new, cosmetically cor- rect boiler to replace the original. Care- ful measurements were taken, plans were drawn up, and a manufacturer contracted with, and the new boiler was built and delivered in 1989. Upon delivery it was discovered the
new boiler was eight inches too high at the steam dome! Blame was point- ed in both directions, with the eventu- al outcome being that NSRM ended up paying for a brand new boiler that they could not use. The Glenbrook project was shelved and restoration efforts were re- directed towards other projects.
39
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74