The Nevada State Railroad Museum Boulder City is a railroad museum in Boulder City, Nevada which is an agency of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. The museum campus is one-mile long by a city block wide with a visitor center, outdoor displays, a heritage railroad as well as a 7.5" gauge live steam railroad. The museum campus occupies the former Boulder City rail yard, and the heritage railroad operates on the Boulder Branch Line which both were built to support construction activities at the Hoover Dam. The State of Nevada obtained the tracks and right of way from Union Pacific Railroad in 1985.
Visitor Center
The museum's visitor center opened to the public on September 19, 2026. The $25 million project was funded through Nevada Conversation Bonds and took 20 months to construct.
The visitor center houses exhibit displays and a small theater for visiting guests. Additionally, the facility also houses the museum's archival collection with thousands of documents, photographs, and historic artifacts. A research room and library is adjacent to the archive and available for researchers by appointment. The visitor center also has a classroom for school tours and community meeting space, and houses the museum's administrative offices.
Exhibits
The museum's visitor center houses exhibits that display artifacts from the museum's collection, provide information pertaining to railroading in Nevada, and contain various interactive elements to engage with audiences of all ages. The permanent exhibits focus on the connection between railroads and Nevada's mining industry and boom towns; the construction of Hoover Dam; operation of the Jackass & Western Railroad at Area 25 of the Nevada Test Site; and railroading in the present and future. There is an additional exhibit that explains how steam and diesel-electric locomotives work.
A seven minute video plays every half hour in the theater that traces Nevada's rail history from the 19th century to present.
An audio guide is available in multiple languages through the Nevada State Museums app.
Nevada Southern Railway
The museum operates a heritage railroad which offers passenger excursion trains using historic railroad equipment on a 10-mile, 45 minute round trip. Operations began in 2001, and the museum also offers the opportunity for passengers to ride in the locomotive cab, the caboose and to operate trains (subject to reservations and availability).
This ride is powered by one of four operating locomotives in the museum's collection. The primary operating locomotive is Union Pacific EMD GP30, No 844, which became famous for necessitating the renumbering of steam locomotive 844 to 8444 from 1962 to 1989. It weighs approximately 125 tons and has a turbocharged V16 engine that develops 2250hp. It was donated to the museum and refurbished in Union Pacific colors.
The museum also operates United States Army Transportation Corps No. 1855, a Fairbanks-Morse H12-44 built in 1953; Union Pacific No. DS1000 an EMC NW2 built in 1939; and Jackass & Western No. L-3 a General Electric 80-ton switcher built in 1953.
As part of the Interstate 11 project NDOT has replaced the bridge over Interstate 11 that was taken out of service in 1998 during the widening of Highway 93 into Interstate 515. In April 2018, a grade separation was put in place at Dawson Avenue re-linking Boulder City and Henderson together. The museum utilizes one-mile of track between Interstate 11 and Paradise Hills Drive during its excursions and can interchange with Union Pacific Railroad at Paradise Hills.
7½ inch miniature railway
The museum operates a gauge railroad. The miniatures are 1/8th full size and accommodate children and adults easily. Rides on the miniature railroad are included with museum admission and normally operate on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month between September and May.
Equipment +LocomotivesNameClassLocomotive TypeImagesManufacturerYear built StatusNotesEureka 12SteamBaldwin Locomotive Works1896Awaiting restorationNarrow gauge (3 ft)Union Pacific 264C2SteamBaldwin Locomotive Works1903On displayPacific Lumber 35SteamBaldwin Locomotive Works1923On displayWas also used on the Heber Valley RailroadUnited States Bureau of Reclamation30-tonnerGasolineDavenport1936On displayUsed for the construction of the Hoover DamUnion Pacific 1000NW2DieselEMD1939OperationalPainted in the Nevada Southern Railway liveryJackass & Western L-325 tonnerDieselGE1943On displayAlso operated on the Nevada Test SiteUS Army Transportation Corps 1855H-12-44DieselFairbanks-Morse1953OperationalOperated at the Sierra Army Depot. Donated to the museum in 1991. Restored by the museum 2022-2026.Jackass & Western L-280 tonnerDieselGE1953OperationalAlso operated on the Nevada Test SiteUnion Pacific 844 GP30DieselEMD1963OperationalAmtrak 315F40PHRDieselEMD1979Awaiting cosmetic restorationThis locomotive is inoperable as it lacks a prime mover.
See also Nevada State Railroad Museum – A railroad museum located in Carson City, Nevada
References
External links Nevada State Railroad Museum website, Boulder City Friends of the Nevada Southern Railway www.rgusrail.com