ELLSMERE – Restoration Begins

ELLSMERE, our historic and beautiful 1899 Wagner Palace Car was moved from the display pavilion to the shop to begin removing the exterior siding.  Built for Dr. William S. Webb, son-in-law to William Vanderbilt in the Wagner shops located in Buffalo, NY.  Ellsmere is one of the few surviving Wagner

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Six Companies Side Dump Car

This car is a Western Wheeled Scraper Company built 8  wheeled dump car, used by the “Six Companies” on their construction railroad used to build Hoover Dam. The car was built in 1927 (which predates the formation of Six Companies) After the dam was completed, and the construction railroad removed,

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The Merci Car & the Gratitude train

Many American soldiers who served in France during World Wars I and II will recognize and have “fond” memories of riding in cars like this French box car, called a 40 et 8 (40 and 8) car because the French military had rated the cars to carry 40 soldiers or

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Boulder City, NV, NV State Railroad Museum, Hoover Dam, Union Pacific, Nv Southern Railway, Baldwin, narrow gauge, steam locomotive, Eureka, Eureka and Palisade Railroad

Eureka at the Nevada Southern

Eureka, an 1875 Baldwin 4-4-0 narrow gauge steam engine

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Boulder City, NV, NV State Railroad Museum, Hoover Dam, Union Pacific, Nv Southern Railway

Safety around the Trains

Safety at the Railroad Museum We certainly appreciate all of our 55,000+ visitors that come out to the museum to see the trains and learn more about trains and railroading.  We do request that you, the visitor enjoy your trip, but please be aware of your safety, as we are,

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Boulder City, NV, NV State Railroad Museum, Hoover Dam, Union Pacific, Nv Southern Railway, Ellsmere, Wagner Palace Car,

Ellsmere

Ellsmere – Basic History Ellsmere was built in December of 1899 for Dr. William Seward Webb, then president of the Wagner Palace Car Co of Buffalo, New York.  This was the last passenger car and a private business car built by Wagner as in 1900 the company merged with the

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Boulder City, NV, NV State Railroad Museum, Hoover Dam, Union Pacific, Nv Southern Railway

Railway Postal Car

Long before cell phones, texts, and email the U.S. Mail connected the nation. In the 1800s, the United States Post Office realized the potential of using the railroad to not only transport mail, but also sort it along the route. Mailbags once untouched for days were now opened and sorted

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Boulder City, NV, NV State Railroad Museum, Hoover Dam, Union Pacific, Nv Southern Railway

Back In Time

Take a trip back in time on historic rail line every town in the nation. Today, fewer railroads serve America and fewer Americans ride the trains that remain. A couple of generations now have missed the experience of train travel. In yesteryear, dozens of railroads served Nevada. Old maps of

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Boulder City, NV, NV State Railroad Museum, Hoover Dam, Union Pacific, Nv Southern Railway

Nevada Southern Railway History

Our Nevada Southern Railway excursion train here in Boulder City Nevada is the third railway by this name. In 1928, the Federal Government appropriated $165 Million for the construction of the Boulder Canyon project, soon renamed to Boulder Dam and later given it’s current name of Hoover Dam. To bring

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Boulder City, NV, NV State Railroad Museum, Hoover Dam, Union Pacific, Nv Southern Railway

Coaches

The term Harriman refers to railroad equipment built in the 1900’s and 1910’s to a set of common standards that were used by the Harriman controlled Southern Pacific and Union Pacific. The coaches are 72′ 0″ long over the end sills, 9’9-7/8″ wide, and 14’0″ from rail to top of

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