The Nevada State Railroad Museum Boulder City is a railroad museum in Boulder City, Nevada which is an agency of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. The railway is located on the Boulder City Branch Line, the historic railroad route installed to support construction activities at the Hoover Dam.[1] The state obtained the tracks and right of way from the Union Pacific Railroad in 1985.
The museum operates a heritage railroad which offers passenger excursion trains using historic railroad equipment on a 7-mile, 45 minute round trip. Operations began in 2002, and the museum also offers the opportunity for passengers to ride in the locomotive cab, the caboose and to operate trains (subject to reservations and availability).[2]
This ride features a preserved former Union Pacific EMD GP30, No 844, which became famous for necessitating the renumbering of steam locomotive 844 to 8444 from 1962 to 1989. [3] It weighs approximately 125 tons and has a turbocharged V16 engine that develops 2250 hp.[4] It was donated to the museum and refurbished in Union Pacific colors.
As part of the Interstate 11 project NDOT has replaced the bridge over US Route 93 that was taken out of service in 1998 during the widening of Highway 93 into Interstate 515. In April 2018, a grade separation was put in place at the former grade crossing near Railroad Pass Casino, re-linking Boulder City and Henderson together.[5]
| Number | Description | Build Date | Photo | Original Operator | Gauge | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | | On static display. | ||||
| 1923 | | On static display. | ||||
| Davenport 30-ton | 1936 | On static display. | |||||
| Fairbanks-Morse Model H12-44 | 1953 | Operational. | ||||
| L-2 | GE 25-ton | | On static display. | ||||
| L-3 | GE 80-ton | 1953 | | On Static display. | |||
| Type NW-2 | 1939 | | Operates on special occasions. | |||
| Baggage and postal car | 1911 | | Oregon Short Line (OSL) | On static display. | ||
| Pre-Harriman Non-Common Standard Class caboose | 1882 | Oregon Washington Railroad & Navigation Company (OWR&N) | On static display. | |||
| Baldwin narrow gauge steam locomotive | 1896 | In storage awaiting restoration. | ||||
| 6976 | EMD SDP40F | 1974 | Amtrak, Santa Fe, BNSF | Operational; owned by Dynamic Rail Preservation | |||
| 231 | EMD F40PH | 1977 | Amtrak | Under restoration; owned by Dynamic Rail Preservation | |||
| Fairmont Railway Motors CompanySpeeder | mid-1950s | Operational | |||||
| Ellsmere | Private Business Car | 1899 | On static display awaiting restoration. | ||||
| WP 449 | Steel body caboose | Union Pacific (Ex-Western Pacific) | Undergoing restoration. |
The museum hosts a gauge railroad. The miniatures are 1/8th full size and accommodate children and adults easily..