The Nevada State Railroad Museum

A railroad mystery, Nevada history, a dog and a ghost are the central figures in a new book by author Jan Pierson, set to visit the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Carson City, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 9 and 10. The author will sign copies of her book “Ghost Girl in Car No. 9,” the fifth in her series “The Ghostowners,” in the museum store.

Tom May and Chris Kennedy are scheduled to perform in Carson City, NV at The Brewery Arts Center performance hall, 511 West King St., Friday, July 25 at 7:30P p.m.

Tom May is a folksinger, songwriter and author who has been touring, performing, and recording for over forty years. He is also the host/producer of the radio show, “River City Folk,” heard on dozens of radio stations weekly since 1985 and on XM Satellite Radio throughout the country.

With all the flavorings of the Old West, the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City will showcase several of its trains for the July 4 weekend.

It's living history on the rails when steam locomotives V&T No. 25 and the famous Inyo will operate along with the historic, self-propelled McKeen motor car Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Rides will be available behind the 25 and on the McKeen car every 45 minutes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To commemorate National Train Day the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City will operate and offer rides on May 10 aboard Virginia & Truckee Railway's McKeen motor car No. 22.

The car entered service for the V&T on May 9, 1910, and was retired in 1945. No. 22 is the only restored and operable McKeen motor car in the world. In 2012, the Secretary of the Interior granted the No. 22 National Historic Landmark status, which recognizes the McKeen motor car's significance to United States history.

Today is the last railroad run with Santa Claus at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City.

The historic and picturesque V&T Railway steam locomotive No. 25 pulls the Santa Train, departing from Carson City’s Wabuska Depot at the corner of Fairview Drive and Carson Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All seats are $3 and children 3 and younger are free. Tickets are available at the depot.

Santa Claus makes room for lots of children on his express runs at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 14 and 15.

The historic and picturesque V&T Railway steam locomotive No. 25 pulls Santa Train, departing Carson City’s Wabuska Depot at the corner of Fairview Drive and Carson Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. All seats are $3 and children 3 and younger are free. Tickets are available at the depot on days the train operates.

It’s a proven hot ticket to catch a ride from Carson City to the North Pole. For the third year, The Polar Express train aboard the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad has sold out. More than 16,000 passengers secured tickets on the Christmas season-flavored, children's story-inspired holiday passenger train.

Even with the addition of 18 more trains representing 6,500 seats over last year’s 10,000-plus capacity, a 66 percent increase, the train’s popularity continues to grow, V&T officials note.

From the relics of Nevada’s first hilltop exploration in the 1800s to steam locomotives and 21st century archeological discoveries, Nevada State Museums cover the state’s stories and care for historical objects for generations. To honor Nevada Day and the state’s 150th birthday kickoff, Nevada state museums offer free admission and celebrations across the state Friday, Oct. 25.

The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City will offer a special run of the famous V&T Steam Locomotive No. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12-13.

Normally operated only on summer holiday weekends and for Santa Train, the historic and picturesque locomotive will pull the train, giving visitors a rare opportunity to ride the rails and photograph the equipment in fall splendor.

The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City will offer a special run of the famous V&T Steam Locomotive No. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12 and 13. Normally operated only on summer holiday weekends and for Santa Train, the historic and picturesque locomotive will pull the train, giving visitors a rare opportunity to ride the rails and photograph the equipment in fall splendor.

UPDATE: Out of an abundance of caution, the steam trains will not run at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City for Labor Day weekend due to unhealthful air quality, museum officials announced Thursday.

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Climb aboard and take a 30-minute train ride back in time this holiday weekend in Carson City, where the labor of the day was cast in hot iron grit and the Old West churned and turned the wheels of locomotive steam engines along the Virginia and Truckee Railroad line.

UPDATE: Out of an abundance of caution, the trains will not run at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City for Labor Day weekend due to unhealthful air quality.

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Family fun is just around the bend as Labor Day approaches in the Reno-Tahoe territory.

Carson City will be featured on the C-SPAN network's two channels this weekend after their visit to the capital city earlier this month.

In addition to having feature stories sprinkled in throughout the weekend on the respective networks, both American History TV and Book TV, there will be a block of programming where all of the respective Carson City pieces for their networks will air, said C-SPAN spokeswoman Laura Finch.

All seven Nevada State museums will offer free admission Saturday, July 20, to celebrate newly expanded schedules. Train rides at the railroad museum in Carson City and Boulder City will be half price.

Additional details for Nevada Museums Summer 2013:

• Public invited to Rediscover Your Nevada Museums

• The Division of Museums and History announces additional days and hours of service for the public at all seven museums in the system.

To celebrate expanded operations approved by the Nevada Legislature for the state's museums, admission to the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City will be free on Saturday, July 6.

Other special pricing will be in effect during the four-day Independence Day weekend as history comes to life at the museum in Carson City, Thursday through Sunday, July 4-7.

Sunny skies and crisp fall temperatures are in motion for the 74th annual Nevada Day Parade, which begins at 10 a.m. down Carson Street in Carson City. The three-hour four mile-long parade features hundreds of colorful floats, high-stepping equestrian units, and spirited marching bands from throughout the state. The traditional 10 a.m. flyover of military aircraft from the Fallon Naval Air Station and Nevada Air Guard will kick-off the parade.

One of Nevada’s most significant historic treasures is now the nation’s newest historic landmark with action today from the United States Department of the Interior. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar listed the McKeen Motor Car at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City as a National Historic Landmark.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Wednesday announced the designation of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad McKeen Motor Car #70 based in Carson City as one of 27 national historic landmarks.
Calling the McKeen Motor Car #70, Virginia & Truckee Railway Motor Car #22, "the best surviving example of the first commercially viable application of internal combustion power in a self-propelled railroad car" the designation possess exceptional value and quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States, Salazar said.

Nevada Day festivities will celebrate the 148th year since joining the union with the theme, “Honoring Our Military and Families Past, Present and Future” Oct. 25-28.

The 1905 Baldwin Steam Locomotive No. 25 at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City will ride the rails again Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 20 and 21.

Unlimited train rides for the single-ride price are designed on Labor Day weekend to entice railroad and history buffs to the Nevada State Railroad Museum.
Rides will involve the 1905 Steam Locomotive No. 25 and will highlight the holiday weekend celebration at the museum.

History will come to life at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City during the five-day celebration of Independence Day. Visitors can ride a train pulled by steam locomotive No. 25 Saturday, June 30 through Tuesday, July 3, and photograph significant cars on special outdoor display including the fully restored McKeen motor car. On the Fourth of July, the rare McKeen motor car will operate on the rails offering passengers rides all day.

Celebrating National Train Day, the Nevada State Railroad Museum’s historic 1910 McKeen motor car will ride the rails from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 12 in Carson City.

Now a stellar attraction for rail enthusiasts and family fun, the McKeen Motor car operated from 1910 to 1945 racking up more than a half-million miles between Reno and Minden. The prestigious car became a diner and an office but was rescued by the museum when it was donated by the Bernhard family of Carson City in 1995.

The good news is that the V&T Railway is expected to make a profit of $164,132 on their popular Polar Express event for the coming year.

The bad news is the railway's main runs between Eastgate Siding and Virginia City is projected to lose $108,192, even with an expected $67,250 in donations.

The resulting $56,000 in projected profit is almost enough to pay for the $60,000 shortfall in the previous season's sales tax revenue that pays for the bonds that helped rebuild the historic railway. That is a shortfall that is expected to continue and grow larger.

The Nevada State Railroad Museum, located on 2180 S. Carson Street in Carson City, will offer train rides with Santa from 9am to 4 pm December 10th -11th and 17th- 18th, 2011.

Train rides are available for $6 per seat and will depart approximately every 25 minutes from 9:00am-4:00pm. Santa will be on board and visit all the children. Hot chocolate, food and refreshments will also be available provided by Warren Engine Company #1.

Six weeks after tickets went on sale, The Polar Express™ has officially sold out, according to the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau.
More than 7,500 riders will board the magical holiday train on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, the only officially licensed Polar Express event in the region this holiday season.

You might have seen this on in our live update box yesterday, the McKeen Motor Car on display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum has been nominated as an historical landmark by the National Historic Landmarks Committee. If the nomination is accepted, it will become to only piece of railroad equipment to secure a spot on the list of National Historic Landmarks. Here is a video with some history on the McKeen Motor Car:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9Y4HHti0K0

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A weeklong effort by Carson City JobConnect has rounded up 521 job listings in the Carson City area. The effort's goal was to get more employers to list their job openings with the state's one-stop employment centers.

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Friends of the Urban Forest have begun an effort to plant 10,000 trees in Carson City over the next five years. With a grant from the Nevada Division of Forestry's Urban Forest Fund, they kicked off the effort last weekend by planting 30 native cottonwood saplings in Fulstone Wetlands Park, off Northridge Drive and Russell Way.

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Don't forget Carson Senators play Damonte Ranch tonight at 7 at home in the first round of the 4A playoffs.

The McKeen Motor Car, a railcar the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, has been recommended for listing by the National Historic Landmarks Committee, said commitee chairman Ron James."...

By The Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau
It only takes four days to celebrate statehood in Nevada. The Silver State knows how to party! The annual Carson City Nevada Day events will observe the 147th year since joining the union, with the theme, “Nevada's Great Outdoors,” Oct. 27-30, 2011.

A four-day celebration of the Silver State's admission to the Union in 1864 will be celebrated the last weekend in October in Nevada's state capitol of Carson City.

This morning at the Nevada State Railroad Museum, the boys have all the toys out of the barn, including the Inyo steam engine and the McKeen motor car. There's also antique cars on display, a Civil War re-enactment and live period music. A great way to start the day before the fireworks. Have a happy 4th.