Brass Betty steams up for Fourth

One of the most popular locomotives in the history of the V&T Railroad will steam up at the Nevada State Railroad Museum for the Fourth of July weekend.

July 4-6, the 127-year-old Inyo will be in the rail yard. The public may watch the engine in action between 10 and 11 a.m.

The Inyo has worked the rails in Nevada since 1875. Admirers nicknamed the locomotive "Brass Betty" because of its enormous amount of highly polished brass work, including the bell and bell stand, steam dome, sand box casing, boiler jacket bands, cylinder jackets and running board edging.

After retiring from service on the Comstock, the Inyo became the first of many V&T cars and locomotives acquired by Paramount Pictures. The Inyo starred in movies such as "High, Wide and Handsome," "Union Pacific," "Red River" and Disney's "The Great Locomotive Chase."

A Movie-in-the-Park screening of the "Great Locomotive Chase" is July 9.

The Inyo's TV credits include the "Wild, Wild West" and a recent appearance in the PBS American Experience Documentary "Lincoln: A House Divided." The Inyo participated in the Gold Spike Centennial at Promontory, Utah.

The Inyo returned to Carson City after being purchased by the state of Nevada and made its museum debut May 29, 1983, after more than a year of restoration work. The Inyo has represented Nevada at the EXPO 86 World's Fair in Vancouver, Canada; and participated in Railfair91 event at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento and the 1996 Fourth of July Transportation Fair.

At the museum, visitors may learn more about the Inyo and other V&T locomotives by exploring the new Locomotive Stories of the V&T exhibit. This exhibit features detailed models as the backdrop for a series of stories about the historic locomotives of Northern Nevada and the Comstock.

The museum is at the Carson Street and Fairview Avenue intersection in South Carson City. For information, call 687-6953.