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