Locomotives from Nevada's past are back in the Silver State for the Great Western Steam Up, an event to celebrate the Virginia & Truckee railroad over the Fourth of July weekend. The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City is hosting the festivities.
"It's probably the largest collection of steam locomotives since the 1950s here in Nevada, it's a huge event," said Museum Director Daniel Thielen.
The Genoa and the J.W. Bowker, both built for the V & T in the 1870s, made the trip from the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. And the locomotive known as the Tahoe has been reunited with her sister locomotive, the Glenbrook, here in the Capital City.
"They worked together from Glenbrook to Spooner Summit, hauling lumber," Thielen said. "And then they worked in Tahoe City going up to Truckee, hauling passengers to the steamboats that ran on Lake Tahoe. They haven't been together since the 1890s and they're here on the property right now and will be under operation during the Great Western Steam Up."
The celebration is a tribute to the rich history of railroad operations in Nevada, and having this many pieces of that history together is a rarity.
"It hasn't happened in years," Thielen said. "It used to happen every five or ten years, and then 20 years ago it just quit. It's a lot of effort to do these things and a lot of effort to bring these trains in form a long ways away, so it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for people to visit."
Ed Dickens, Jr., who led the years’ long effort of restoring Union Pacific Railroad’s locomotive Big Boy No. 4014 – the world’s largest steam locomotive – will give a pair of presentations at the Great Western Steam Up.
Dickens, senior manager of Heritage Operations for Union Pacific Railroad, will speak Saturday, July 2 at 3 p.m., and provide a presentation and update on the Union Pacific Steam Program. His talk will include upcoming plans for Big Boy 4014, the 610-ton, 7,000 horsepower locomotive that was fully restored in time for the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad. It has been touring much of the country to thousands of rail fans since.
“Wherever we went, folks reached out to thank Union Pacific for restoring and bringing this locomotive to their city,” Dickens said.
On Sunday, July 3 at 3 p.m., Dickens will participate in an interactive chat and be available to answer questions. Both Saturday and Sunday, his appearance will be in the main tent located adjacent to the turntable at the railroad museum.
There will be all kinds of family-friendly activities at The Great Western Steam Up from July 1-4 at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. https://greatwesternsteamup.com/
