Re: Pioche (Nevada) Narrow Gauge

I also have the latest edition of the Myrick book, and while it is a great reference, the updated version was made before the collective knowledge of the internet was available. While the newspaper reports do specifically mention the locomotive coming from the D&RG, I suspect the reporter only heard "Denver" and guessed.


The drawing shows a 4-4-0 with an 8 wheel wedge shaped tender, a distinctive trait of National locomotives. There are 2 potential contenders for this, either it's South Park #2 "Platte Canon", or D&RGWRy (Utah) #2, another National 4-4-0 built at the same time as the Platte Canon for the Grande predecessor road the Wasatch & Jordan Valley.

Here is a photo of the Platte Canon from my personal collection.



Also of interesting note, the Nevada Central's #2, a National 2-6-0's tender was photographed behind Pioche Pacific #279 in 1947, meaning that either the Grant 2-6-0 #3 or the National 0-4-0T #1 off the Nevada Central was one of the locomotives shipped to Utah for a failed iron furnace project around 1885.


Here is the photo in the UNLV collection, compare it with the photo shared elsewhere here of the #2 at Bullionville and you will notice they are the same.

[special.library.unlv.edu]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2024 04:46AM by MatthewM.