The Nevada State Railroad Museum here in Boulder City will be hosting an Open House for the community on Saturday, February 24 and Sunday, March 25. It’s the 75th Anniversary of the Merci Train and the arrival of the boxcar in Nevada. At 1:00PM on Sunday, the 25th, there will be a ceremony “honoring the spirit of friendship between the people of Nevada and France.” Original artifacts from the Merci car for Nevada will be displayed this weekend.
The 49 boxcars produced originally were filled with tens of thousands of gifts of gratitude from many individual French citizens who wished to show their appreciation for the relief supplies sent by American citizens in 1948, at the conclusion of World War II. You can find out more about the Merci train boxcars by clicking HERE.
Open House activities include tours of the maintenance facility, discussion of on-going restoration projects, model railroad displays, rides on their 7.5″ live steam railroad, and excursion train rides on the historic Boulder Branch Line. The trains will run 10:00AM, 12:00PM, 2:00PM, and 4:00PM. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 4-11). Children under 4 are admitted free. For more information about this event, visit the Museum’s website HERE. The museum is located at 611 Yucca Street.
Below are several slides depicting the new railroad museum, coming soon!