I've never really understood the relationship between the Northern Queen and the museum, but the short answer is Yes, they are connected by rail.
In the 1990s the Northern Queen offered rides aboard a West Side & Cherry Valley rail bus (and sometimes Argent 5) on a large loop of 3' gauge track behind the Inn; there was also quite a bit of 24" gauge at the site and an 0-4-0T from Colorado's High Country Railroad (plus a little diesel) that ran on it - I do remember seeing some dual gauge track. The operation was known as the Nevada County Traction Company. It was very well done.
Before the museum moved to its current location members stored NCNG 5 and other equipment on Inn trackage. When I visited the museum a few years ago the Inn trackage was dormant and the train rides were no longer offered. It also appeared that some of the track, including all of that in front of Inn and depot, had been pulled up. I know that the Inn donated the land that the museum now occupies. There is a rail connection, but I'm not sure if it was put in by the Northern Queen or by the NCNG RR Museum.
These photos are from March 1997. The trackage seen here has been removed, and I didn't see the railbus in 2010. I don't know what became of it.
Jeff Terry
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