Steam & Excursion > Even after 2 Years The Signs Of The Old Days Are Still Present!

Certain railroads in the west had milestone days in their history.  One such line that experienced such an event was the famous Nevada, California, Oregon Ry.

The NCO was built as a narrow gauge line that ultimately ran from Reno all the way north to Lakeview, Oregon.  The line had periods oaf boom and bust depending on the local economy along the lightly populated territory it traversed.

By 1927 the NCO had been purchased by the Southern Pacific and her potential was seen a strong and growing stronger.  So much so that the SP spent the time to standard gauge the line in 1927.  The preparatory work went on for months but the change over was swift in the fall of 1927 when the narrow gauge trains stopped running one day and the standard gauge trains took over.  Slowly the dual gauge track that had been laid for the transition was torn up and only the standard gauge remained.

In this photo taken in 1929, 2 years after the change over we see some of the vestiges of the old narrow gauge still on hand in remote Wendel, California.  The small roundhouse facility is home today to SP 2-8-0 #2590 who runs over this territory almost daily.  However she has company.  There on the small narrow gauge siding we see NCO #3 basking in the desert sun.  This little 3-foot gauge 4-4-0 was first built for the NCO by Baldwin  in 1887.  She held the distinction of powering the first train into Lakeview, Oregon when the line was completed to that northern most point.

#3 had been left behind in Wendel to power some of the last narrow gauge trains before the transition in the fall of 1927.  For some reason she never made it out of Wendel for several years therafter.  Finally she was shipped to Sparks, Nevada where she joined the rest of the narrow gauge motive power that had been retired. Unfortunatley, she found no buyers an she was finally cut up in 1935.

In 1929 when this photo was taken little #3 was a reminder of the little narrow gauge that had first opened up this vast Western territory.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/16 03:56 by LoggerHogger.

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Compared to what ended there in later years, track, trees, buildings, that shot is amazing! Thanks for
posting a very interesting piece.

Out

Wendel looks pretty much the same today. Barren!

Martin, is that device on the rear of No. 3's tender similar to the one on MRSR No. 5?   Supposed to have a passenger car transition piece installed?

Jim,

Good spot on that.  Yes that is a vestibule buffer plate used on some SP/NWP steam engines that pulled passenger trains.
The tender on MRSR #5 came from the NWP and has the same buffer plate.

Martin