McKeen Motor Car #70
Preserved gasoline-powered railcar in Carson City, Nevada. Added to the National Register in 2005, and a National Historic Landmark.
What it is
Virginia and Truckee Railway Motor Car 22, also called McKeen Motor Car 70, is a gasoline-powered railcar at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City in the U.S. state of Nevada. It was built for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad in 1910 by the McKeen Motor Car Company. Motor Car 22 was operated by the Virginia and Truckee until 1945, when it was sold off and became a diner until 1955. It eventually became the office and storage space for a plumbing business before it was donated to the Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1995. After a thorough study, the Museum undertook a restoration of the McKeen car in 1997. The restored motor car was unveiled in 2010, a century after it was originally delivered to the Virginia and Truckee. Motor Car 22 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012. It is one of a few surviving McKeen railcars, and the only one that is operational.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Structure |
| Address | Nevada State Railroad Museum, Carson City, NV |
| Independent city | Carson City |
| Listed | Sep 6, 2005 |
| Listed for | Transportation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | Virginia and Truckee Railway Motorcar #22 |
| Reference number | 05000968 |
| Type of place | railcar |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 structure |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | Nevada State Railroad Museum, Carson City, NV |
| Coordinates | 39.1484° N, 119.7686° W · Directions ↗ |
| Nearest national park unit | Yosemite National Park · 91 miles · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Mount Rose (Nv) 13 miles · Zephyr Cove Rv & Campground 14 miles · Nevada Beach Campground 15 miles |
Explore
Map
Nearby in Carson City
Local history books for Carson City
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Nevada travel guides
- A Visitor's Guide to the University of Nevada, Reno ArboretumJames W. Hulse and Dr. Cheryll Glotfelty, 2018Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was McKeen Motor Car #70 listed on the National Register?
Sep 6, 2005. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Can I visit McKeen Motor Car #70?
Yes. McKeen Motor Car #70 is recorded as open to the public.
Source: Wikidata
Where is McKeen Motor Car #70?
Nevada State Railroad Museum, Carson City, Carson City, Nevada. The nearest national park unit is Yosemite National Park, 91 miles away.
Source: Yosemite National Park
Where is the nomination form for McKeen Motor Car #70?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near McKeen Motor Car #70?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Mount Rose (Nv), 13 miles away. Zephyr Cove Rv & Campground is 14 miles away, and Nevada Beach Campground is 15 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at McKeen Motor Car #70?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 05000968. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.