Rolling Stock
Partial list of trains and cars
Rail Bus 9 – “Sarah Kidder”
Risen from the ashes
The rail bus is named for Sarah Kidder, president of the NCNGRR from 1901 to 1913.
Built in the 1970’s as Westside & Cherry Valley Railway’s No.9. The rail bus soon ended its career in a collision with a parked Shay locomotive.
The museum purchased the wreck in 1986 for $200. The bus sat untouched for the next nineteen years and then the remains were moved to the restoration shop in 2004. Sierra winters had deteriorated the vehicle to the point that only the chassis, differential and wheels were salvageable. The bus first restored in 2003-4 by Ralph Lansig as lead. Another rebuild in 2015 resulted in the vehicle you see today..
Passenger Coach 56
Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad
Length: 40′, 42 seats.
Built 1897 by St. Charles Car Co., St. Charles, MO.
1915 – Sold to Nevada-California-Oregon Railway.
1928 – Retired
1929 – Used as a cafe in Aden, CA.
1970 – Used as a party room for a miniature golf course in Chico, CA
1984 – Acquired by Nevada County Historical society
2008 – Resided & painted
2012 – Damaged by falling tree
2017 – In storage at Nevada city Yards. Awaiting restoration.
Caboose 1
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
1937 – Original built in Grass Valley shop by NCNGRR Master Mechanic John Nolan.
1942 – Scrapped after closure of the NCNGRR
1986 – Replica built by John Christensen from original photographs and drawings by Herman Darr who acquired the dimensions from John Nolan. Trucks and couplers came from West Side Lumber Company’s Block Car “A”.
2001 – Donated to NCNGRR Museum
2006 – Roof and cupola rebuilt, interior finished
Present – NCNGRR Museum, Nevada City, CA
Caboose 4
West Side Lumber Co.
Built 1940 West Side Lumber Co.
1986 – Sold to Glen Tyra, Tuolumne, CA
1994 – Sold to Bev Cola, Placerville, CA
2011 – Sold to John Christensen
Present – Restored by NCNGRR Museum, Nevada City, CA
Gondola 10
West Side Lumber Co.
Built Circ. 1930 by West Side Lumber Co. as Tank Car 10
1957 – Tank scrapped. Converted to Sand Car 10
Circ. 1977 – Converted to open excursion car by Westside & Cherry Valley Railway
1986 – Sold to Matt Griebe, Carmichael, CA
1988 – Sold to NCNGRR Museum
2004 – Dismantled
2010 – Rebuilt to original gondola configuration
Present – NCNGRR Museum, Nevada City, CA
Gondola 233
Completed in August 2020
Gondolacar #233 was built in 1917. It was used by the Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge (SPNG) line until 1955. From 1955-1985, it was used in the movie industry. In 2010-2011, the Museum fully restored its sister car, Southern Pacific Flatcar #255; utilizing a NRHS Grant. The Gondolacar is in pieces but almost all of the mechanical parts were preserved. Three other SPNG Gondolacars exist in very bad shape but Gondolacar #233 would be the only one that could be fully restored. Restoration was completed in August 2020.
Caboose 1
West Side Lumber Co.
Before and After a trip through the NCNGRRM shop. Built ca. 1919 for Swayne Lumber Co., Oroville, CA. Sold to West Side Lumber Co. in1940. Restored in 2012.
Boxcar 507
Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad
1889 – Built 1889 by American Car & Foundry
Length: 30′ Capy: 50,000 lbs.
1914 – Sold to Nevada-California-Oregon as 507.
1923 – Leased to Southern Pacific renumbered 26.
1928 – Sold to Southern Pacific
1955 – Sold to Universal Studios
1986 – To Nevada County Historical Society.
1996-2000 – Rebuilt and renumbered NCNGRR 142.
Present – NCNGRR Museum, Nevada City, CA
West Side Lumber Co. Parts Car.
two side window
Located by John Christensen and purchased by NCHS from Matt Grebe on October 29, 1987. Periodic restorations in 1996, 2005, 2010 and completion in 2016. Dick Murundee and Dan Schlesinger as restoration leads.
Tank 187
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
Length 26 feet, 4 inches. Capacity 5,570 gallons.
Tank built 1888 by Central Iron Works, Harrisburg, PA
1906-1934 – Owned by Union Oil Co. and operated on Pacific Coast Railway flat No. 915
1934 – Acquired by Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad and mounted on flat car 187
Present – Restored by NCNGRR Museum, Nevada City, CA
West Side Lumber Co. Block Car “B”
Flat car #79, circa 1900
Built: Flat car #79, circa 1900
Builder: Carter Brothers, Newark, CA
Modified to Block car configuration: circa 1940
Modified by: West side Lumber Co. Shops
Previous Owners: Westside & Cherry Valley
JEC 1986
Donated to NCNGRR Museum 1987
Restoration: 2016 – 2017
NOTES: Originally the block cars carried blocks of wood that were used as chocks to stabilize the log loads on the 24-foot logging flat cars. When West Side obtained their skeleton log cars, the adjustable steel log bunks eliminated the need for a supply of blocks. In the later years, the cars were used to haul wood scraps from the mill to the logging camps for use in the camp stoves.
In the 1940’s, West Side Lumber Company shops built four block cars of slightly different configurations. Block car “B” was rebuilt on flat car #79, a 24-foot car originally built to a Carter Brothers design by the West Side Lumber Company shops. Both block cars were sold to Westside & Cherry Valley in the 1970’s. Block car “B” was sold to the Nevada County Historical Society in 1987. The car was fully restored in 2016 – 2017. Block Car “B” is identified by two boards above the doors while “A” has three boards above the doors.
A Westside Blockcar in its natural setting.
The car was loaded with scrap from the mill and then hauled out to the camps for cooking and heating.
255 Flat Car
Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge (SPNG) Railroad Flat Car #255
Built in 1940, Ogden, Utah.
Sold to Universal Studios in 1955.
Located by JEC in 1984 and to NCHS on April 30, 1986.
Restored in 1996 by Ken Yeo as lead.
Complete restoration in 2011 by John Christensen as lead.
265 Flat Car
West Side Lumber Co. Utility Flat #265.
Built in 1930’s.
Converted to a covered excursion car for the WS&CVRR in 1972.
Reconverted back to flat car around 1978.
Located by JEC and purchased for NCHS in 1986.
Complete restoration in 2009 by John Christensen as lead.
146 Hopper Car
West Side Lumber Co. Hopper Car #146.
Former Great Northern hopper car and then Sierra Railroad hopper car #146.
Located by JEC and part of an equipment trade with Matt Grebe for WP Caboose #473 in 1987
10A
Pickering Lumber Co. hand cart.
Standard gauge 4-wheel cart located and purchased by JEC at Tuolumne, CA. in 1986 and donated to the NCHS.
Rebuilt in 2003 as narrow gauge hand cart and numbered 10A.
Caboose 1
West Side Lumber Co. Caboose #1.
Built circa 1919 for Swayne Lumber Co., Oroville, CA.
Sold to WSLC in 1940.
To Dave Braun, Sacramento, CA. 1986.
To John Christensen in 2010.
Donated to NCHS 2010.
Restored by John Christensen in 2012 as lead.
Tank Car 2
West Side Lumber Co. Tank Car #2.
Car flat built by John Hammond Co., S.F., CA. circa 1910 and tank placed on flat circa 1919.
Tank made from discarded wood mill stationary boiler and used to carry locomotive bunker C oil.
To Glen Tyra in 1985, Tuolumne, CA.,
To Beverly Cola in 1994, Placerville, CA.
To John Christensen in 2011 and restored by John Christensen in 2015 as lead.
On museum loan.
Michigan- Cal Car
Michigan California Logging Co. Logging Disconnect Car.
Sold to Universal Studios with five other disconnects and used as wheel trucks on three ore cars pulled by NCNG Engine #5 in the John Wayne movie “The Spoilers”.
Located by JEC and to NCHS in 1986.
Restored in 2004 by Ken Yeo as lead.
Tank Car 4
West Side Lumber Co. Tank Car #4.
Built in 1920’s on standard WSLC flat car.
Tank constructed from mill stationary boiler and used to carry kerosene to the logging camps.
To Glen Tyra in 1985, Tuolumne, CA.,
To Beverly Cola 1994, Placerville, CA.,
To John Christensen 2011, donated to NCHS 2011.
Awaiting restoration.