Independence, CA
Carson & Colorado Railway
4.0· 4 Google reviews
Trip at a Glance
Source checked 2026-08-14- TypeVolunteer-restored narrow-gauge steam locomotive with rare public rides
- LocationIndependence, CA
- Rating4.0 ★4 Google reviews
- UpcomingSat, Oct 17
- Typical rideA short ride on the museum-yard track. No current duration or distance was published, and this is not a trip over the historic route.
About Carson & Colorado Railway
Carson & Colorado Railway is an all-volunteer nonprofit that preserves and occasionally operates Southern Pacific narrow-gauge steam locomotive No. 18, the “Slim Princess,” at the Eastern California Museum in Independence. This is a genuine public rail ride, but it is not a daily, weekly, or conventional ticketed tourist railroad. The organization announced only two 2026 operating dates—July 3–4 and October 17—so October 17 is the sole future public operation remaining after this page’s August 14 source check. The official notice does not safely publish a departure time, fare, ride length, advance-sale process, seating policy, boarding procedure, or accessibility details. Visitors should therefore check the railway homepage and call the museum before making a special drive. The ride uses a short track on the museum grounds, not the historic long-distance Carson & Colorado route. The museum normally opens Tuesday through Sunday with free admission, but its regular hours do not establish train times and its historic west wing is under construction during 2026. A good visit combines No. 18 with the museum’s regional collections, then adds either the preserved Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery or a respectful self-guided visit to Manzanar National Historic Site. All three local stops have full internal planning guides and licensed galleries.
Build a Thoughtful Independence Rail Day
Choose the visit that fits your groupNarrow-gauge enthusiasts, steam photographers, railroad historians, and careful trip planners
See No. 18 operate
Treat October 17 as a special operating day and confirm every practical detail before driving.
Rail visitors, Eastern Sierra history travelers, researchers, and families
Explore the host museum
Use the free county museum, equipment yard, and regional collections to understand where the Slim Princess worked.
Families, architecture visitors, wildlife learners, and local-history travelers
Visit the 1917 fish hatchery
Add a close seasonal landmark, but call because official current-hours sources conflict.
History-focused travelers, educators, families, and reflective independent visitors
Visit Manzanar respectfully
Continue six miles south for free exhibits, reconstructed buildings, and a self-guided driving tour.
Upcoming Events
Official schedule information
2026 special-event calendar
Schedule information was checked against the linked official source. Dates, availability, and operating conditions can change. Check the live official calendar ↗
Plan Your Visit
- ParkingUse the museum’s current arrival guidance and onsite signs. No separate railway parking rules were published.
- AccessibilityNo current ride-specific accessibility, boarding-step, seating, or mobility-device guidance was found. Call 760-878-0258 before travel about a specific need.
- Next OperationSaturday, October 17, 2026, at the Eastern California Museum. It is the only future operating date currently published.
- Schedule WarningNo regular schedule is published. Railway work and operations are described as semi-regular, and normal museum hours do not mean the locomotive is running.
- TimeNo public departure time was safely found. Recheck the official homepage and call the museum before driving.
- Fare And TicketsNo current fare, reservation link, ticket policy, or admission requirement was safely published for October 17.
- Ride LengthA short ride on the museum-yard track. No current duration or distance was published, and this is not a trip over the historic route.
- BoardingAt the Eastern California Museum grounds in Independence. Exact check-in, queue, and boarding instructions remain unpublished.
- AddressEastern California Museum, 155 N. Grant Street, Independence, California 93526.
- Museum HoursTuesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Monday and county holidays. Train-event timing is separate.
- Museum AdmissionThe museum is free, with donations optional. Do not assume that this answers train-event pricing.
- Restrooms And AmenitiesUse the museum as the visitor base, but call about construction routes, restrooms, food, water, shade, and train-day services.
- Weather And CancellationNo detailed public weather or cancellation policy was found for the October operation. Confirm status before leaving Highway 395.
- OperatorAn all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Mailing address: P.O. Box 194, Independence, CA 93526.
- ContactNo current railway telephone number was found. The host museum can be reached at 760-878-0258 or ecmuseum@inyocounty.us.
Find the Depot
The Trains
The visitor-facing centerpiece is Southern Pacific No. 18, a Baldwin 4-6-0 steam locomotive built in 1911 as Nevada–California–Oregon Railway No. 12, builder number 37395. Southern Pacific acquired the N-C-O and renumbered the locomotive No. 18 in 1926. It worked the isolated Owens Valley narrow gauge, including the Laws–Keeler line, until retirement in October 1954. After four decades displayed in Independence, a volunteer restoration effort began in 1996 and culminated in comprehensive work from 2010 through 2016. No. 18 moved into its purpose-built Larry Peckham Engine House at the Eastern California Museum in 2017. The group’s current work also includes historic Boxcar 1C and a Saltus Plymouth locomotive with a dump car, but those projects are not separate public rides. The locomotive, cars, route map, and archival gallery document the operation’s history; none guarantees the power, consist, seating, or experience on a specific date.
History
The Carson & Colorado Railway was incorporated on May 10.
The narrow-gauge route reached Keeler on Owens Lake.
Baldwin built the future No. 18 as N-C-O Railway No. 12.
Southern Pacific renumbered the locomotive No. 18.
No. 18 retired from Southern Pacific service in October.
The locomotive went on display in Independence.
The remaining Owens Valley narrow-gauge operation ended on April 30.
The modern volunteer restoration effort began.
The comprehensive return-to-steam restoration was completed.
No. 18 moved to its engine house at the Eastern California Museum.
See full history
The Carson & Colorado Railway was incorporated on May 10, 1880, and pushed south and east from the Carson River across Nevada and into California. Its route reached Keeler on Owens Lake in 1883. The Southern Pacific system later acquired the railroad and continued operating portions of the narrow-gauge network. No. 18 arrived as an N-C-O locomotive in 1911, became Southern Pacific No. 18 in 1926, and worked in the Owens Valley until 1954. Southern Pacific ended its remaining Owens Valley narrow-gauge operation on April 30, 1960. Independence received No. 18 for display in Dehy Park in 1955. Volunteers formed the modern restoration effort in 1996, completed the locomotive’s return to steam in 2016, and established its museum engine house in 2017. Today’s organization preserves that history through restoration, interpretation, and rare short public operating days rather than recreating the former intercity service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ride Southern Pacific No. 18?
Yes, on rare announced operating days. The only future 2026 date currently published is October 17 at the Eastern California Museum.
Does the train run whenever the museum is open?
No. The museum keeps regular weekly hours; No. 18 has only a small number of separately announced operating dates.
What time does the October 17 ride leave?
The official public pages checked August 14 did not safely publish a departure time. Check the railway homepage and call the museum before driving.
How much does the ride cost?
No current fare, ticket link, or reservation policy was safely published. Free museum admission does not prove that a special train operation is free.
How long is the ride?
It is a short museum-yard ride, not a trip over the historic Carson & Colorado route. No current duration or distance was published.
Where does the ride board?
At the Eastern California Museum grounds, 155 N. Grant Street in Independence. Exact check-in and boarding instructions remain unpublished.
Is the ride wheelchair accessible?
No sufficiently detailed ride-specific accessibility guidance was found. Call the museum at 760-878-0258 before travel about boarding, seating, or mobility needs.
Is Southern Pacific No. 18 original to the Carson & Colorado?
It was built for the Nevada–California–Oregon Railway in 1911 and joined Southern Pacific’s former Carson & Colorado system after the N-C-O acquisition.
Is the Eastern California Museum fully open?
The historic west wing is under construction during 2026. Several galleries, research resources, the bookstore, and outdoor resources remain available, but call about a specific exhibit or route.
What else can I do nearby?
The host museum is onsite, Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery is about three miles away, and Manzanar National Historic Site is about six miles south. Each has a complete planning guide linked here.
Sources & Verification
Source-checked August 14, 2026. This free profile has not yet been claimed or confirmed by the operator.
- Official Carson & Colorado homepage for current operating location, 2026 dates, ride invitation, organization, and current project context
- Official January 2026 update for annual inspection work, the July and October operating dates, and current restoration projects
- Official organization page for nonprofit status, volunteer program, museum partnership, work location, and mailing address
- Official No. 18 history for builder, ownership, service, retirement, display, restoration, and return-to-steam chronology
- Official route history for incorporation, construction to Keeler, Southern Pacific ownership, and final narrow-gauge operation
- Current Inyo County museum page for operating address, phone, email, weekly hours, construction, collections, and host-site context
