Steam & Excursion > Much Railroad History Being Saved Here-But Not This Locomotive!

This scene shows what it took back in the early days of Railroad preservation to actually save historic railroad equipment for future generations.

The scene is Battle Mountain, Nevada in 1938.  The 2 men depicted here are in the process of completing a transaction to save some railroad rolling stock that has since been seen by millions of people.

On the left is John Hiskey, general manager of the Nevada Central Railroad. This 93-mile narrow gauge shortline had just been abandoned a few months earlier and the scrappers were starting to tear up the line when this photo was taken.

The man on the right is Gilbert Kneiss, the Pacific Coast representative for the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society.  He has traveled from his home in the Bay Area to Battle Mountain to help secure the donation and purchase of several historic pieces of rolling stock for the newly formed Historical Society.

Behind the 2 men lies the remains of Nevada Central's 1875 Baldwin #4.  She was a 4-4-0 first built for the Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad as their #2.  She came to Battle Mountain in 1880 and worked on the construction trains that built the NC RR.  She was taken out of service in 1898 and was used as a parts source for the line other ancient Baldwin locomotive for the next 4 decades until she was totally stripped as we see here.

Fortunately, Gil Kneiss was able to help save Nevada Central #5 and #6 who were restored and operated at the Golden Gate Exposition in 1939 and later went to the California Railroad Museum where they are on display today.  Also saved was NC #2 an 1881 Baldwin 2-6-0 that was purchased by Ward Kimball for his Grizzly Flats RR.  Today it is on display a the Orange Empire Ry Museum in Perris, CA.

Also saved through donation was the NC coach Silver State and a former Monterey and Salinas Valley Combine, both of which are today on display at CSRM.

We all can be lucky for the foresight and hard work of railfans like Gil Kneiss and the sentimental cooperation of railroad officials such as John Hiskey.  Without men like these so much more of our railroad history would have been lost for all time.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/15 03:44 by LoggerHogger.

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Until I saw this photo, all I've ever known about this important event was what was in print, or from stories from old timers like Louis Stein when I was a member of the PCC-R&LHS in San Francisco. Thanks Martin.

Here is NC #2 at Ward Kimball's Grizzly Flats Railroad in the early 1980's. Ward had invited a few friends over for a day of fun.  Jerry Best was also there.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/15 08:32 by px320.

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Thanks Martin, for remembering those who have contributed in saving what we still have with us today.

It was important back then, just as it is still important to preserve some of today's recently retired equipment.

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com 

Martin, thanks again for our daily history lesson, and this one especially.  Thank goodness some people saw the importance of preserving some of our railroad heritage and history. 

Lee Hower - Sacramento

And here it is today:http://www.donwinslow.net/grizzly%20flats%202%20perris%204-03%201034.jpg

Don Winslow
Glendora, CA
http://www.donwinslow.net/Railroads

Please let me be so bold as to tell more about Gil Kneiss so that those on TO can know how deeply involved he was in railroads and preservation ...Gilbert Harold Kneiss was born in San Francisco August 28, 1899 and graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the University of Nevada in 1923. During the 1920s he worked for Standard Oil of California, and in the following decade formed the Audisk Corporation. Kneiss served as technical director for railroad pageants at the Golden Gate International Exposition and the New York World's Fair in 1939-1940. After serving as the San Francisco district manager for the War Production Board from 1941 to 1947, he became assistant to the president and head of a new public relations department for the Western Pacific Railroad. Among his accomplishments were the inauguration of a military blood procurement car during the Korean War and special trains to the circus for children in outlying areas in Nevada. Kneiss authored two books on railroading, BONANZA RAILROADS (1941) and REDWOOD RAILWAYS (1956). He was a founding member of the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society and served as a vice-president of the national organization. Gilbert Kneiss died February 2, 1964.
Gilbert Kneiss was Vice-President and head of the WP public relations department from 1949 to 1963.  He was also Vice President of The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. His Bonanza Railroads was a pioneer effort of railroad history publications started in the 1930's by contemporary authors Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg. Though very general in nature it is an authoritative piece and set the stage for the many detailed rail histories to follow the end of World War II. Kneiss was technical advisor to "Railroads on Parade" at the New York World's Fair and Director of "Cavalcade" at the Golden Gate International Exposition at Treasure Island in 1939-40. He befriended Lucius Beebe in storage of his private railcar "Gold Coast" in the Stockton Roundhouse of the Western Pacifc in the 1950's prior to its donation to the California State Railroad Museum. Kneiss' volume belongs on the shelf of any true Western Rail Historian. He is truely one of the pioneers of railway history and preservation.
Rail historian and RR manager Arthur Lloyd served the WP under Gilbert Kneiss.  Together, with a handful of others, they created the famous California Zephyr.

Cheers.

KRK