Steam & Excursion > A Celebration 90 Years In The Making - The Glenbrook Steams!

This past weekend marked another milestone in realm of railroad preservation at it's highest level.  The Nevada State Railroad Museum proudly unveiled it's latest crowning achievement with the completion and now operation of the famed Glenbrook.

Built by Baldwin for the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company in 1875 this narrow gauge 2-6-0 spent it's entire active career on the shores of Lake Tahoe.  First she hauled timber up from her namesake town of Glenbrook to Spooner summit where the wood was flumed down to Carson City and then shipped to the silver mines of Virginia City, Nevada.  In 1898 she was shipped across the lake where she spent the next 27 years hauling passengers from Truckee, California to Tahoe City for the Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company.

Last steamed in 1925 for the LTR&T she sate near the enginehouse in Tahoe City until she was bought in 1936 by the Nevada County Narrow Gauge RR in Grass Valley, CA where she was to be used as a part source for her sister engine the Tahoe from the C&TL&F.  When the NCNG shut down in 1942, she was purchased by the Bliss family who had bought her new for their C&TL&F.  She was donated by them to the State of Nevada and she sat outside the U.S. Mint in Carson City for the next 40 years.  Finally in the early 1980's she went to the Nevada State Railroad Museum.

Chris DeWitt and his restoration crew at the NSRM have performed an amazing job to return this historic railroad artifact back to exactly the condition she was in when delivered by Baldwin some 140 years ago.  The crowds were large at the museum on Saturday when the Glenbrook was formerly dedicated and run for the public for the first time in 90 years.  Former first lady Bonnie Bryan did the honors with a bottle of champagne to christen the beautiful Glenbrook.

Beside the Glenbrook, the NSRM had steamed up and operating that day Virginia & Truckee #22, the Inyo, (also built by Baldwin in 1875) and the V&T #25.  A great time was had by all who attended!

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/26/15 04:07 by LoggerHogger.

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Nice saw it inside two weeks ago but didn't go in as was not open that day.  The people there at the museum are nice to chat with both volunteers and paid employees
at the shops. Was allowed to wander around while they switched some items even closed  is worth a stop.

Beautiful!  Congratulations, and thanks, to all who were involved.

Gordon

Miracles, luck...

...and lots of planning and hard work.

Thanks to all who made it happen!

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

Nice shots - thanks for sharing the event on TO's!

Question - considering the function and intent of the company
purchasing this engine - why was it so "fancy".  In other words,
that ornamentation must have added significantly to the cost.

Was that just the way it was - excess in pride in craftmenship?

Safe to assume even then, in 1875, a "no-frills" model was
available and suitable for a logging company to use?

/Mitch

 

Mitch,

Actually, the Glenbrook arrived in the freight service trim of the day.  Had she been ordered tof passenger service, she would have been even more "dolled up"

Martin

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So, how do we get the line from Glenbrook (NV) to the summit rebuilt?  Some parts of the old ROW can still be seen off Highway 50.  Wouldn't that be a ride! 

Wow !  The Glenbrook is gorgeous, and so are her stable mates.   I was thinking the same thing as Mgoldman about the paint job.  Hard to imagine a woods engine getting a paint job like that.   The guys rebuilding her, have some real talent.  I wonder how much of the original paint job was still there to copy, after 140 years ?  Nice job to all of you that had a hand in this project. and thanks for the nice photos Martin.  I'm going to have to get down there.

I wonder if they could do any tasteful pin striping on a Big Boy ?

Craig Hanson
Priest River, Idaho  

That was the standard Baldwin paint scheme, back when pride in workmanship was a big deal and the cost of human labor was very cheap. Specific engines had assigned, dedicated crews, and they took pride in keeping theirs cleaned and shined because it was a reflection upon yourself.

All that ended when engines became pooled, which was a lot more efficient for the railroad but spelled the end of so much individual attention to the locos. Basic black ruled the day from then on (starting in the 1890s and moving forward)

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

Truly a work of art.

3 lovely ladies !!