The Glenbrook
Encyclopedia
The Glenbrook is a 2-6-0
, Mogul type, narrow gauge
steam railway locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works
in 1875 for the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company.
on the east shore of Lake Tahoe
to Spooner Summit, at the crest of the Carson Range
. At the summit, the logs and lumber was put in a flume
which carried it to the south end of Carson City
. There it was loaded onto flatcars of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad which carried it to Virginia City
for use in construction of the town, as mine props, and as boiler fuel.
It is also probable that the locomotive was used on a second C&TL&F line, which ran south from Bijou, California
, at the south end of the lake, about 7 miles (11 km) to Meyers, California
. Logs carried by the Bijou line were rafted across the lake to Glenbrook.
The area was fairly well logged out by 1890 and the Bliss family, the owners sold The Tahoe to the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
(NCNG). In 1899, they took up the two lines and barged all of the equipment and rails to Tahoe City, California
, on the northwest shore of the lake. From there they built a new railroad about 22 miles (35 km) to the Southern Pacific Railroad station at Truckee, California
, just east of Donner Pass
. The new line, the Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation (LTR&T) carried freight and passengers and connected with the 169 feet (51.5 m) lake steamer SS Tahoe
. The Bliss family sold the LTR&T to the Southern Pacific in 1926. The larger road immediately converted its new branch to standard gauge.
The Bliss family had kept #1 out of the sale and stored it at Tahoe City until 1937 when they sold it to the Nevada County Narrow Gauge, which used it largely for parts for Tahoe. The NCNG shut down in 1942, but Hope Bliss convinced her family to buy the locomotive back from the NCNG and presented it to the Nevada State Railroad Museum
where it is now undergoing major work.
The Glenbrook was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1981.
2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
, Mogul type, narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
steam railway locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
in 1875 for the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company.
History
The Glenbrook and its sister, #2, The Tahoe were built to haul cordwood and lumber from Glenbrook, NevadaGlenbrook, Nevada
Glenbrook is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The community is named after the Glenbrook House hotel and is at an elevation of...
on the east shore of Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
to Spooner Summit, at the crest of the Carson Range
Carson Range
The Carson Range is a spur of the Sierra Nevada in eastern California and western Nevada that starts at Luther Pass and West Carson Canyon and goes to the Truckee River...
. At the summit, the logs and lumber was put in a flume
Flume
A flume is an open artificial water channel, in the form of a gravity chute, that leads water from a diversion dam or weir completely aside a natural flow. Often, the flume is an elevated box structure that follows the natural contours of the land. These have been extensively used in hydraulic...
which carried it to the south end of Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
. There it was loaded onto flatcars of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad which carried it to Virginia City
Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
for use in construction of the town, as mine props, and as boiler fuel.
It is also probable that the locomotive was used on a second C&TL&F line, which ran south from Bijou, California
Bijou, California
Bijou is a former unincorporated community now incorporated in South Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, California. It lies at an elevation of 6243 feet ....
, at the south end of the lake, about 7 miles (11 km) to Meyers, California
Meyers, California
Meyers is a small unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California, United States, along U.S. Route 50 in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada south of South Lake Tahoe in the Lake Tahoe area. It lies at an elevation of 6352 feet...
. Logs carried by the Bijou line were rafted across the lake to Glenbrook.
The area was fairly well logged out by 1890 and the Bliss family, the owners sold The Tahoe to the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad was located in Northern California's Nevada County and Placer County, where it connected with the Central Pacific Railroad. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Company incorporated on April 4, 1874, and was headquartered in Grass Valley, California...
(NCNG). In 1899, they took up the two lines and barged all of the equipment and rails to Tahoe City, California
Tahoe City, California
Tahoe City is an unincorporated community in Placer County, California. Tahoe City is located on Lake Tahoe, southeast of Donner Pass. It lies at an elevation of 6250 feet ....
, on the northwest shore of the lake. From there they built a new railroad about 22 miles (35 km) to the Southern Pacific Railroad station at Truckee, California
Truckee, California
Truckee is an incorporated town in Nevada County, California, United States. The population was 16,180 at the 2010 census, up from 13,864 at the 2000 census.-Name:...
, just east of Donner Pass
Donner Pass
Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, located above Donner Lake about nine miles west of Truckee, California. It has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west....
. The new line, the Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation (LTR&T) carried freight and passengers and connected with the 169 feet (51.5 m) lake steamer SS Tahoe
SS Tahoe
The SS Tahoe was a steamship that operated on Lake Tahoe at the end of the 19th century and first half of the 20th. Scuttled in 1940, the wreck presently lies in 400 feet of water off Glenbrook, Nevada. The wreck was first visited in 2002 by a Team from New Millennium Dive Expeditions in a...
. The Bliss family sold the LTR&T to the Southern Pacific in 1926. The larger road immediately converted its new branch to standard gauge.
The Bliss family had kept #1 out of the sale and stored it at Tahoe City until 1937 when they sold it to the Nevada County Narrow Gauge, which used it largely for parts for Tahoe. The NCNG shut down in 1942, but Hope Bliss convinced her family to buy the locomotive back from the NCNG and presented it to the Nevada State Railroad Museum
Nevada State Railroad Museum
Nevada Southern Railway is a railroad museum in Boulder City, Nevada operated by the Nevada State Railroad Museum which is an agency of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs....
where it is now undergoing major work.
The Glenbrook was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1981.