Otherwise known as the McKeen Motor Car. Hopefully it did not see its shadow and there will be an early spring.
http://aroundcarson.com/2009/02/04/mckeen_motor_car_progress

Congratulations on a fine job. I remember seeing a McKeen body in South Tucson near the airport in the 1950's. It was a surprise to me as I had never seen a picture of one until after I found the old shell of a body. Now, it has been gone for many years. Too bad we had not saved it way back then.

Harry Nicholls

AMAZING! I remember seeing this car when it was part of the plumbing store in Carson City, and wondering what it's history was. Kudos to all the folks contributing to the rebuild of this important piece of history. What a beauty!!

Very cool. Is there a plan to remotor her to run on her own power?

For all the angst about whether or not we could do a "Tornado" project in the US - I'd say this restoration is worthy of equal praise and bragging rights.

Wesley

Sorry, I can't help myself. One look at that picture and I go "COOL! Steampunk high-speed rail!"

Here are a couple of views I took of the car back in mid-October, 2008. The roof was being painted at the time. The truck is a new fabrication to look like an original, except that instead of building a new McKeen gas engine a modern diesel with a hydraulic transmission is being used. Sorry for the darkness of the photos, but the car was inside the shop.

I wonder what the chances might be for it to someday ride the rails of the rebuilt Virginia & Truckee once that project is finished?

On behalf of the railroad restoration specialists at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, thank you for the comments and encouragement regarding V&T McKeen Car restoration. The work, underway in fits and starts since 1996, is projected for completion by mid-2009 -- with a "hoped for" roll-out as part of the museum's annual July 4 Transportation Fair.

As the pictures show, most structural, interior and exterior restoration is complete. We are presently hanging air brake piping and building the control stand. The power truck is in final assembly and we expect to test run it within a few weeks. Assuming a successful test, we'll raise the car and roll the power truck under the body and begin final power assembly. The Museum has been fortunate in recent months as three original interior light fixtures and the whistle have been returned. (The light fixtures will allow us to pattern faithful reporductions and the plan is to reinstall the original whistle.)

The project has as is the case with most heroic efforts of this magnitude, taken longer and cost more than originally planned. All told, when complete, the State of Nevada will have invested just shy of $1.0 million on the project (the V&T paid $22,000 FOB Omaha for the car in 1910). Fortunately, adequate funding is now available to complete the work -- not a likely outcome were we to pursue the funding in the face of the current economic crisis.

As one writer noted, the car is being powered by a caterpillar diesel driving hydaulic pumps which will drive a double-chain drive to the forward axle -- balancing current technology and life-safety requirements with the original fabric -- tradeoffs necessary but allowing the car to maintain its National Register listing and eligibility.

At present it is planned that the car will operate on the grounds of the Nevada State Railroad Museum -- there are no plans at this time to operate it on the rebuilt V&T or other lines off museum property (the car is by current design quite underpowered and not likely to be able to exceed 20mph on level tangent track). We are in the initial stages of planning for a major event in 2010 -- to celebrate the centennial of this McKeen Car. A book, documenting the McKeen Car Company and the history of V&T #22 car is also in the works.

In closing, perhaps this forum could come to the aid of the Nevada State Railroad Museum and all museums operated by the State of Nevada. On account of the economic downturn that we are all suffering through at one or multiple levels, the Nevada museum system will be cut by 40% as of July 1, 2009. As a result we are forced to close the East Ely Depot Museum (this does not affect operations at the Neveda Northern Railway -- just the State museum facilities). The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City will be reduced to 4 days per week -- closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) and three of the 13 staff will be laid off; including two in the restoration shop who have made this and other restorations possible.

Museums cost relatively little -- on average we receive less than 1 cent for every $100 of State General Fund expenditures -- for relatively little investment we in turn provide important experiences with almost universally positive outcomes. With the passage yesterday of Senate Amendment 309 (the "Coburn" amendment), museums across America wil not be able to avail themselves any of the Federal bailout monies that may be forthcoming. Thus, we must rely on Legislative action to "right" our budgets. Feel free to visit http://www.nevadaculture.org and view our budget presentation and how museums in Nevada would be crippled in a few months if we don't find a solution.

Thank you all -- we'll let you know when the McKeen Car will roll-out under her own power for the first time in 64 years!

Peter D. Barton
Acting Administrator
Nevada Division of Museums and History
Carson City

Peter,

What happened to plans to use the power plant that was acquired from an old motorcar in Wisconsin or Minnesota?

Great work!

Wesley

Peter,

Congratulations on a magnificent project. Hope someday I can get out your way to see it in person.

Alan Maples

Having made many visit to the NSRM shops, most recently in Oct., the car is more impressive in person than in the photo... It is truly spectacular, well researched, and just plain pretty. The interior is wonderful, Cuban mahogany, orange ceiling with a interesting intricate striping pattern and a circular bench seat along the rear wall. They made their own patterns for spoked wheels and such for the power truck, for the port hole windows and are working on interior lamps.

The "Wisconsin or Minnesota" motor car provided parts for a rear truck and various body parts, but its power truck was long missing.

Like many government institutions the State of Nevada Museums are finding their budgets cut radically as a result of the current economic conditions. They may (will?) have to close the museum in the Ely depot (separate, but supporting the Nevada Northern) They have a new non railroad museum in Las Vegas which is ready to open but won't.

This is a once in a lifetime project which is even more impressive in light of the budget constraints the museum is operating under...

Just a couple notes on the McKeen car, certainly the Peter Barton and the museum have done a wonderful job on the restoration. Personally, I expect it will be like the Inyo, something that runs very occasionally and is more important as a restoration piece that is operational vs. actually operating on a regular basis, just my guess.

The question about whether the "other #22" McKeen would run on the V&T Reconstruction tracks is a good one. Leaving aside my take on the politics...

When the V&T first ordered the McKeen car they ran it between Carson City and Virginia City. They quickly figured out that it wasn't suited to the geography of that line.

Off the top of my head I don't think it was clearances or tight curves, I think it was actually the inability to brake on the downhill 2+% grades. Certainly it may have had trouble going uphill too.

So very early on in its life with the Virginia and Truckee Railway, the McKeen was relegated to service between Minden and Reno via Carson City.

For those who can't wait, be sure to visit the museum over the July 4th, 2009 weekend to see the Inyo fired up. I hear it will be fired up a second time this year, possibly in August. Contact the museum for details at 687-6953.

That's a totally awesome job well done! Wow, just WOW!