Letter: Railroad museum can toot its own whistle

Congratulations to the Nevada State Railroad Museum.

Transportation Fair 2000 was a great success in spite and contrary to a rumored cancellation ordered from an administrative level/source just prior to the opening day of this event. Had an event of this magnitude been canceled, it would have been devastating to Carson City plus visitors, some of whom arrived prior to July 1, plus hotel/motel reservations had been promised.

Visiting steam contraptions from out of state - steam engines INYO No. 22 and engines 25 and 8, local residents of the Nevada State Rail Museum, welcomed an estimated 7,000 visitors from near and far.

This event, in planning since 1999 as a Transportation Fair, was the one-of-a-kind - one time only event as the anniversary of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad's last trip 50 years ago and the anniversary of the beginning of the railroad in 1869.

Over the four-day fair museum volunteers spent their time helping guide or assist visitors around the grounds.

Steam train rides, free hand-cart rides, in addition to a group of live steamers who brought their scaled down versions of the steam train, offered rides to young and old.

For this four-day event volunteers of the Friends of the Nevada Rail Museum spent endless hours preparing for this event in addition to museum staff leading the way.

The Nevada Appeal published an event calendar which included a pictorial account of activities not to mention we volunteers who had made plans to spend all or some of the four days at the Rail Museum.

This successful event will be remembered by all.

Thank you to John Ballwebber, curator, Nevada State Museum, who with his foresight battled invisible odds to hold Transportation Fair 2000 in Carson City. Members of the Friends of the Nevada State Rail Museum of which this correspondent and husband are members. Without this viable membership, this special event could not have occurred; Chris DeWitt, Restoration Crew Chief who managed to keep all fires burning while addressing safety issues; all the staff members at the Nevada Rail Museum, Nevada Appeal and all participating visitors who came to Carson City with their steam and rail machines for all to see and enjoy.

ALICE and HARRY LEONARD

Carson City