Truckee Railroad Museum

Truckee Town Council Approves Museum Proposal!

April 2, 2009 - Truckee Donner Railroad Society has been working on the first implementation of the Truckee Railroad Museum over the past year. It has finally reached the stage of going before the board for final approval. “This marks a milestone in our efforts to bring a railroad museum to downtown Truckee”, says presenter Don Davis of Truckee. The board unanimously approved the museum proposal.

Truckee Railroad Museum will be located next to the old railroad station in downtown Truckee. This will bring added historical significance to the area, as the caboose is from the Southern Pacific Railroad and was used in the area. Paint for the caboose will match the original SP paint scheme. Inside the museum will be stories, pictures, recreations, and railroad artifacts depicting the impact of railroads in the formation and development of Truckee. The First Transcontinental Railroad, Logging Railroads, and Tourism on the rails all played an important part in Truckee’s history. TDRS is working with the Town and developers of the "Railyard" project to locate the final version of the museum in that vibrant new downtown development.

Some of the primary goals of the first phase are:

• Bring visitors to the downtown area.
• Provide a focal point for sharing information and fundraising for the permanent museum.
• Minimize permanent features - leave no trace when gone.
• Minimize impact on parking (no spaces will be lost in the current plan).

Inside:

Inside the museum, TDRS will begin to tell the story of railroads in and around Truckee and their impact on the Town. From the initial survey parties for the First Transcontinental Railroad, through the variety of logging railroads, and on to the tourist, commuter, and freight railroading of today, railroads have been an integral part of Truckee.
The museum will use railroad artifacts, dioramas, pictures and text displays to convey the impact of various types of railroads on Truckee. It will also provide a glimpse of what will come with the permanent museum home.

Below is the layout and exhibits approved by the TDRS Board.

What is needed:

The museum is far from reality yet. In addition to Town Council approval, TDRS needs community support and involvement to make the museum a reality. Some of the areas are:

• Cash donations. Moving and outfitting the museum is expensive. We will be creating promotional programs soon for donors to take advantage of.
• Labor. Various tasks, large and small, need to be completed before the doors can open. Look to the contacts below, and this website to see how you can get involved.
• Railroad artifacts. We are looking for a few good artifacts that tell a story of railroads in Truckee.
• Exhibt design. Much help is needed in developing the exhibits for the museum. See the volunteer board for a complete list, or contact the exhibit design coordinator listed below:

Contacts (click the links for more information):

Truckee Donner Railroad Society would like to thank the following for donations to date:

• Pam Dobbas for the donation of the caboose.
• Dana Davis, Jeff Thatcher, and Ed Herrnberger from Teichert Aggregates for moving the caboose.
• Al Marshall of Handcrafted Structures for setting up the caboose in its current location.

Truckee Railroad Museum Vision

Keeping Truckee Railroads Alive!

Railroads of the Truckee area played a significant role in founding and developing the town of Truckee.
From the blasting of black powder in the granite over Donner Lake, to the hissing of the first steam coming in to town, to whistles of lumberjacks in the mountains, to the crack of ice being loaded in the reefers, and tourists flocking to share the beauty of the area, the Truckee Railroad Museum tells the story.
+ A place to Learn
+ A place to Interact
+ A place to Enjoy

Pictures of rolling stock:

Below: Rolling stock at their new home in Truckee.