Narrow-Gauge Box Car

Southern Pacific Lines

Narrow-Gauge Box Car

Built by:

Unknown – circa 1890

Track Gauge:

36″

Donated by:

Southern Pacific Company – 1960

A.60.03.05

Boxcar No. 1 at Owenyo, California in 1954. Chard Walker photo courtesy OwensValleyHistory.com

Old wooden Boxcar No. 1 was part of the Southern Pacific’s narrow-gauge system in the Owens Valley region of eastern California.  Probably built around 1890 for the Carson & Colorado Railroad, it had a load capacity of 10 tons of cargo.   Boxcars were the mainstay of freight-carrying railroads – they could be used to carry almost shipment: furniture, sacks of cement, boxes of hardware, or cans of vegetables.  

Freight shipments from points on Southern Pacific's narrow-gauge lines through the Owens Valley had to be transferred into standard-gauge cars at Keeler station before continuing to their final destination. Photo courtesy OwensValleyHistory.com

Please be a friend to the Trains!

Consider making a donation to help our museum volunteers restore the trains and improve your  Travel Town experience!

More Interesting Information:

Mina, Nevada, was a busy place on the Southern Pacific in 1935, when "narrow-gauge" and "standard-gauge" lines came together there. Note the 3-rail tracks that could accommodate trains of either gauge. Photo courtesy OwensValleyHistory.com

As you explore Travel Town, see if you can find our section of 3-rail “dual-gauge” track.