Stars of the V&T on parade for Independence Day weekend

SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE

Inyo and McKeen Motor Car Headline at Railroad Museum 

CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City celebrates Independence Day weekend with a lineup of historic Virginia & Truckee railroad equipment on parade and available for rides.  This star-studded array includes the V&T Inyo and the McKeen Motor Car. 

Saturday, July 3, 2010: 

• A parade of locomotives including V&T No. 22 the Inyo and V&T Locomotive No. 25 will operate on the museum track from 9am to 10am. No charge to witness the parade.
• Locomotive No. 25 will operate public train rides with departures every 40 minutes from 10am to 4pm.
• Ride fares are $5.00 for adults over age 12; $3.00 for children 4 to 11; age 3 and under free.
• Inyo will be parked outside for viewing and tours after 10am.  

Sunday, July 4, 2010: 

• A parade of locomotives including V&T No. 22 the Inyo and V&T McKeen Motorcar No. 22 will operate on the museum track from 9am to 10am. No charge to witness the parade.
• McKeen Motor Car will operate public train rides with departures every 30 minutes from 10am to 4pm.
• Ticket price is $10.00 per adults over age 12; $5.00 for children ages 4 to 11; age 3 and under free.
•  Inyo will be parked outside for viewing and tours after 10am. 

Monday, July 5, 2010: 

• A parade of locomotives including V&T No. 22 the Inyo and V&T Locomotive No. 25 will operate on the museum track from 9am to 10am. No charge to witness the parade.
• Locomotive No. 25 will operate public train rides with departures every 40 minutes from 10am to 4pm.
• Ride fares are $5.00 for adults over age 12; $3.00 for children 4 to 11; age 3 and under free.
• Inyo will be parked outside for viewing and tours after 10am. 

Warren Engine Company #1 will be at the Wabuska Depot all three days offering grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and soft drinks for sale. Proceeds benefit the Warren Engine Company. 

ABOUT V&T LOCOMOTIVE NO. 22, THE INYO: 

V&T No. 22, the Inyo is one of the most beautiful surviving 19^th century classic American-type steam locomotives. Independence Day weekend is the only time a year the Inyo is brought out of the museum building for a steam up. The 135-year-old Inyo has been working in Nevada since April of 1875. Nicknamed the BRASS BETSY, engine number 22 gained the admiration of many railroad veterans because it came furnished with an enormous amount of highly polished brass work. The Inyo also caught the eye of Hollywood, becoming the first of many V&T cars and locomotives acquired by Paramount Pictures.  Old No. 22 starred in several movies, including Disney’s The Great Locomotive Chase, and was featured in the Wild, Wild West television series.

 ABOUT V&T MOTOR CAR NO. 22, THE McKEEN MOTOR CAR: 

The Nevada State Railroad Museum recently completed a decade-long restoration of the McKeen Motor Car and celebrated its inaugural run May 9, 2010, coinciding with the arrival of the car in Carson City exactly 100-years-ago. It is the only surviving, restored and operational McKeen Motor Car in the world. William Riley McKeen Jr. (1869-1946), the former superintendent of motive power for the Union Pacific, began producing motorcars in 1904 to answer the need for low-cost operation on low-revenue lines. Inspired by new high-speed torpedo boats powered with internal-combustion engines, McKeen’s cars represent the first practical application of the internal combustion engine to rail service. The V&T McKeen Motor Car No. 22 ran in service from 1910 until it was decommissioned from the Virginia & Truckee Railway in 1945. 

ABOUT THE NEVADA STATE RAILROAD MUSEM, CARSON CITY: 

The museum is located on U.S. Route 395 at the south end of Carson City at the intersection of Fairview Drive. For more information, please call (775) 687-6953.  The museum and associated public areas will be open for the public July 3, 4 and 5 during regular hours from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. To tour the museum’s interpretive center regular admission rates apply: $5.00 for adults over the age of 18, free for children and museum members. 

The Nevada State Railroad Museum is one of seven museums of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs.  The Department serves Nevada’s citizens and visitors through cultural and information management, presentation and promotion of cultural resources, and education. The Department also includes the State Historic Preservation Office, Nevada State Library and Archives and the Nevada Arts Council.  For more information, please call Teresa Moiola at (775) 687-8323 or visit the department’s website at www.NevadaCulture.org.