Geez, I'd never even heard of this operation before...

I've heard of the Tropicana operation, but not the group that the equipment was donated to.

I'm not real clear on what happened to the Tropicana/Ramada operation. Is it being totally dismantled, or did they just get rid of some of their equipment?

I know that the very large park train railroad at the Primm Resort in Laughlin, which had an amazing track connecting the hotel and casino didn't last long at all, and has since been replaced with a monorail of sorts.

Here's some info on the Ramada operation, which was apparently also at Laughlin.
http://www.ericrench.com/RAILROAD/STEAM ... /index.htm

That article definitely implies #7 is steam, while the page referenced above says "Steam outline" i.e. not steam. Anyone know for certain?

Well, this video clears up the "Is it steam?" question. Nope, it's not...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g4UxMLO ... ure=fvwrel

Talk about valve timing being off! It does about 1 chuff per two revolutions, LOL!

The ' steam outline ' appears to be a repowered with I.C. rare 36" Crown.

I hereby nominate this project for the award of Most Irrelevant Railway Preservation Effort.

I suppose they have 501c3 status to preserve a casino train? Too bad there is no real railroad equipment anywhere near Las Vegas in need of preservation work...

Oh, right.

http://www.nevadasouthern.com/Non-Opera ... pment.html

I don't think I see it quite the same as Mr. Ruiz.

If you started a rail museum and were surrounded by decaying historic equipment, and were then offered a complete, operational railroad, which would first set about doing? Would you try to buy, move, and restore the historic rail equipment? Or would you take the donation of the operable railroad and construct it first? I'm no expert, but I would take the operational railroad. Customers won't come or at least come back to your museum if its just a collection of inoperable cars sitting in disrepair. But if your museum has an operational railroad that you can give rides on (which can be a source of income), you'll probably see more repeat customers.

Then, use the money that the railroad brings in to start buying, moving, and restoring the full-size, historic equipment in the area, and you've got the start of a fabulous rail museum.

Au Contrare, Miseur Ruiz, while you were pessimizing over ' future projects ', you missed this page;
http://museums.nevadaculture.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=409&Itemid=436

I've visited and ridden the Nevada Southern. If it weren't for a little 2,500 mile commute, I'd be there every weekend.

That's "Señor" Ruiz,

In my own obtuse way, I was trying to say that there are a number of better subjects for the preservation efforts of this group. I do not want to get into a discussion about whether or not Park trains are real trains, but I can tell you for sure that this park train is not historic, and is a strange focus for an organization that is trying to create an educational park devoted to railroad history. It seems to this outsider as a questionable use for a non-profit status to create an amusement park-style attraction in a park.

While I certainly do not begrudge Strasburg (not a museum) for its little trains, or CSRM for its Overfair engine or toy train collections, I see these things as ancillary to their primary mission. They are used at CSRM to paint the larger picture of the fascination the public has had with railroading.

As to NSRM South. They confuse me. Cutting holes in the side of Harriman coaches? Blue paint scheme? They can't be bothered to use the correct number face on their UP consolidation (Hint: try Futura)? Are they sure they are a museum?

From my one visit to the NSRM, I got the impression that it is a tourist railroad with a few displays and nothing more. Seems that this new Las Vegas group would be better off as a "Friends Of NSRM" group with the goal of establishing a museum in Boulder City using the NSRM collection as a focal point to restore and display.

Perdona, me, Senior Ruiz. Glad you did not take offense. Also to Charlie and others who have posted, regarding Nevada Southern.

As a long distance bystander, it appears that they are taking the ' popularist ' rather than ' purist ' route. Maybe, they just don't have enough of the correct influence and participation. As I demonstrate, it is easy to stand back and have an opinion, far different to be present and ' hands on '.