The Nevada-California-Oregon Railway has brought another important piece of railroad history home to Alturas.
Baggage and Mail Car No. 71 was recently moved from Bordertown, Nevada, to the N- C-O Railway’s restoration car barn in Alturas. The car is a sister to Car No. 72, and both cars came to the N-C-O from the Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad in 1915.
Moving historic wooden railroad equipment is never simple. It takes planning, the right equipment, a steady crew, and a willingness to solve problems as they come up. Once Car No. 71 reached Alturas, volunteers worked through the challenge of getting the car body unloaded and placed under cover inside the car barn.
Car No. 71 is now protected and part of the growing N-C-O collection. That matters. These cars are rare survivors, and each one gives us a physical connection to the working life of the railroad.
The society is grateful to Bob for the donation and to everyone who helped make the move possible. Each successful equipment move brings us one step closer to building a public history park where these pieces can be preserved, studied, restored, and shared.