Who can identify this interurban? (Nevada)

[3rdrail]

I took the photo. (I think.) It's one of my favorite interurban photos. I just can't remember where I was ! (Looks like it was having its traction motors out and worked on. I'm thinking a museum, perhaps ?)

[Aa3rt]

Well Paul, You really threw me for a loop with this one! Knowing your Boston location I checked the on-line rosters of every trolley museum on the east coast. It turns out that: A. I was on the wrong coast and B. This isn't an interurban!

Thanks to a gentleman named Bart Nadeau from the Yahoo Interurbans group who supplied the following information:

"That is Nevada Copper Belt 21, a Hall-Scott gas-mechanical car. Wood body was built by Holson Car Co. of San Francisco in 1911 for an engine by Hall-Scott Motor Car Co. of Berkley, CA. NCB was a steam shortline with this and a steel Hall-Scott for passenger service. It is now in the collection of the California State Railroad Museum."

I couldn't find a photo of it at the California State Railroad Museum site but did find it listed as follows:

"Nevada Copper Belt No. 21 Yerington Hall-Scott 1911 Gas-Mechanical Last operated 12/1985 at CSRM. Gift 6/1990 of Richard R. Reynolds. Oldest Hall-Scott motor car; operable."

I did turn up this photo of the car at the Northeast Railfan website:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-n/ncb21g.jpg

[3rdrail]

Thanks, Art ! You're the man !!! That's it- it makes sense that it's an obscure rail car and thus, not easily detectable using the usual references. I'll admit to even wondering at one point if it was a marvelously detailed model ! I must have snapped this during one of my trips out west- Sacramento, to the California State Railroad Museum. Wonderful place- highly recommend it. Your user name may be Aa3rt, but I'm thinking of you as "Rail Sleuth" from now on ! Thanks, buddy !

[Aa3rt]

Thanks, Art ! You're the man !!! That's it- it makes sense that it's an obscure rail car and thus, not easily detectable using the usual references. Your user name may be Aa3rt, but I'm thinking of you as "Rail Sleuth" from now on ! Thanks, buddy !

Thanks for the accolades Paul, but the real credit goes to Mr. Nadeau. I merely went to another source and my search was "put back on track" (pun intended) by Mr. Nadeau via the Yahoo Interurbans group.

[3rdrail]

Well, a thank you to Mr. Nadeau as well ! Here's a snapshot of it's sister, a steel bodied combine, #22 at the Nevada Railway Museum. These cars were bruisers. Their weight and size was as good as anything that Niles or Jewett put out. 22 (and probably 21) is riding on Brill MCB heavy weight trucks, the preferred truck of big cars. I'm surprised that both of these cars weren't electrified rather than made obsolete, but I'm sure that they gave good service over the years. An interesting web page, the Nevada museum gives hardly a nod to sister #21 with no mention of it's final disposition. A little rivalry between museums perhaps, or maybe just spotlighting their own car ? Interesting also in the picture of #22 in 1944 is the headlight wartime shroud which I'm sure was no idle threat following the assault at Pearl Harbor a short time before. It just so happens that Wabusca, the northern terminus of the Copper Belt RR currently shows up as having an interesting property owner on Mapquest. Why do I get the feeling that these cars had a very important war-time function, which once over, became irrelevant ? (Oh, if only railway cars could talk. The stories that they could tell.)

http://www.nsrm-friends.org/nsrm49.html