The map Bruce provided is probably the best source for the "all time" track within Boulder City. There were two lines extending east from the wye area. The primary line was the US Government Railroad which wrapped around the surviving "Safety First" building (at the upper left in Bruce's map). The building was in reality the equipment maintenance building, and was home to the US Government Railroad equipment including a 30-ton 1936 Davenport gas/mechanical locomotive (now in the collection of the Nevada State Railroad Museum) and a center cab Witcomb, built for overseas service during WWII, since scrapped. The line extended down hill through the tunnel trail (https://www.nps.gov/lake/planyourvisit/hikerr.htm) to the top of the dam. That line was last used in 1961, and scrapped in 1963. The Six Companies line used during construction came off the Government railroad near the parking lot for the tunnel trail, then looped into today's lake bed, serving the gravel plant, going to the bottom of the dam, and roughly 14 miles into Arizona to a quarry where the sand and gravel used to build the dam was located. The railroad museum was recently given a 8-wheel dump car used by Six Companies by the Niles Canyon Railway (Thanks to them) The Six Companies railroad was scrapped starting in 1933 as the water level rose behind the then incomplete dam.
The second line came from closer to the depot, and extended into Boulder City, serving the Bureau of Mines research facility (now the Bureau of Reclamation conference center) extending up railroad avenue behind downtown to the water treatment plant. At least one map shows a branch serving a Six Companies warehouse. UP's demonstration streamlined train, M-10000, was displayed on Railroad Ave. when it visited the dam in 1933
When you look at Bruce's map there were two lines into town from the west. The primary line serves the seven track "transfer yard", where the 3 surviving tracks and wye were owned by UP, and the 4 other tracks were owned by the Government. The government tracks were removed about 1970.
The second line came off the "main line" off Bruce's map to the west running south of the transfer yard, serving several local businesses (two oil depots and a lumber yard) and the depot and team track. We generally call it the passenger line, but the branch only had passenger service for a few years, initially a two car, steam powered train, later a McKeen car before being replaced by a UP bus, likely by 1934. At that time the west end of the passenger line was scrapped, and the industries were served via a switch back near the depot.
Randy Hees
Director, Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City, retired
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