# New 7-1/2" Gauge Live Steam Track in NV



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

My buddy Jesse Banning, owner of JD Locomotive Works in Vegas, is building a new live steam track in Boulder City, NV at the Nevada Southern Railway Museum. Initial plans will get around 2500' of track down in a loop, which is well on the way to completion. This will be greatly expanded in the future as time and money permits.

Photos on *his Facebook page*...

This is the first ride-on track in southern Nevada.


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

Is Jesse related to Lou Banning who lives in Pahrump, NV?


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Jesse has that project moving quickly. At the rate they are going, the 2500' loop with a turn around "wye" will be done by spring. Hopefully 800' by the end of summer (geez, it was 109F yesterday)

I'm doing some scale buildings. Actually have something started already. Water tower to follow.


Jesse is not related to Lou Banning. 


BTW, the Pacific Jesse is driving was featured in "Live Steam" October 1977. You old timers at LALS may remember. Jesse is restoring it to fully glory. It's gorgeous.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 

What a coincidence that you bring up that Pacific that Jesse is restoring! IF that is the "old" Caroline" Pacific, then the trailer i have sitting in my driveway right now, is the trailer that used to transport THIS engine. I still have the logos for the trailer that I removed when I bought it! They are somewhere in the garage i believe.


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary: I was just looking at the Oct 1977 Live Steam. This engine was built by Eddie Spall from a Little Engines Southern Pacific kit. Ring a bell? The article does not mention "Old Caroline". The engine ended up in Sacramento and was trashed, almost abused. A buddy of mine here in Vegas bought it, but passed away before starting any serious restoration. Another friend of mine bought it and has Jesse working it. It's been to been to Maricopa and runs like a champ.

Small world


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 

The Pacific that was hauled in the trailer I have now, was a Little Engines kit. The name Ed Spall rings a bell. The logos that were attached to the sides of the trailer read: California Arizona Railroad/Overland Limited. Through the center of the logo it read: The Carolines. The complete train was at the LALS track for many years and the trailer was parked there for a long time-middle 1980's. I bought it from the club in 1987 or '88. The engine and half a dozen Railroad Supply Streamline passenger cars were auctioned off abpout that time. The trailer I have hauled the Pacific and it's tender on one of two tracks low in the center and a streamline baggage on the asecond track. On a level just above these and over each tire right and left, were placed a single streamline passenger car on each side. These cars were ten-footers. About two and a half feet above these, were four tracks for four more 10 foot passenger cars. All the track and bracing is aluminum inside a fully enclosed trailer box. I have more than enough room for my Allen ten-wheeler and my Baldwin P.E. electric and my freight cars. Very easy to pull and negotiate in the parking areas of live steam clubs. I did not join LALS until 1980, so I'll check around and see if this is the SAME locomotive that is in Nevada now. Pretty cool story! These things get aaround, that's for sure.


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary: I forwarded this thread to the current owner of the engine. Should keep the heritage going.

Bob


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## livesteam53 (Jan 4, 2008)

Looks like I will be in market for a new larger locomotive soon with the track going in... Thanks Dwight.......


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks like I will be in market for a new larger locomotive soon with the track going in... Thanks Dwight.......







You're welcome Mark. It's only money after all, and you can't take it with you.


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## aopagary (Jun 30, 2008)

two years later...

might be driving out to Las Vegas in a few weeks and thought i'd see how things are progressing...











off Google maps, so could be as old as a few years, but looks like the loop is in with a small amount of infrastructure.
cheers...gary


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah, they're making slow but steady progress. The tunnel is complete now (shown here as a bunch of railroad ties near top-center of the layout). The steaming bays off the turntable are complete... not sure about the transfer table. I need to get my butt back out there as well.


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## NHSTEAMER (Jan 2, 2008)

We have been doing a lot of work here in "HOT" southern Nevada. The loop has been completed for almost 2 years now and we have been pulling public passanger trains on the 3rd Saturday of the month for about a year and a half. This past April the Friends of the Nevada Southern Railway hosted a "Day Out With Thomas" event over 2 weekends and the Live Steamers had 4,813 riders!


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## NHSTEAMER (Jan 2, 2008)

I cannot post photos but here are links to photos and video. 
Friends of the Nevada Southern Live Steamers 
Take A Ride around the track


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Howdy Bill - did the transfer table ever get installed?


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## NHSTEAMER (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Dwight how the Steamer doing? Yes the Transfer table is installed, man was it a pain not having it. I added photos of it in the FaceBook album linked above.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

I haven't checked the FB album in a while. The TT looks good!! 

Haven't done anything new on the 4-4-0 since July of 2012. Frankly, after 4 straight years of pretty much nothing but metalworking, I sort of burned out on it and am taking a break.  What remains to be done is all cosmetic and she's complete so far as running goes.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks good. Lots of work done in two years. Yep Mark you need to get ya an engine to run there.







Later RJD


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

The tunnel is done. Some more scale buildings. Lots of trash clean up. Transfer table (what a life saver!!!) More steaming bays. We added a double crossover in the middle and a couple of sidings. 

Work has started on a 1200' extension to the east. Mostly just paint marks on the ground, but some dirt getting pushed around.

Kind of big news is we are getting a club engine built. Delivery around 1 Jan.

If anyone wants to visit get with myself or Bill Megill (NHSTEAMER). Always welcome.

Bob


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