Nevada County Narow Gauge Railroad and Transportation Museum

Founded in 1983, the museum is owned by the City of Nevada City and operated by the Nevada County Historical Society, preserving the legacy of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad — the three-foot line nicknamed 'Never Come, Never Go' that ran 22.5 miles from Colfax through Grass Valley to Nevada City from 1876 until 1942 and hauled some $200 million in gold out of the county without a single attempted robbery. The railroad made history when Sarah Kidder took charge on her husband's death in 1901, becoming the first female railroad president in the world. The museum's marquee artifact, Engine No. 5 'The Tahoe,' is an 1875 Baldwin 2-6-0 Mogul sold to the railroad in June 1899; after the line shut down it went to Hollywood, appearing in films such as The Spoilers and Rails Into Laramie under Frank Lloyd Productions and later Universal Studios, before being returned to Nevada County, renovated, and put back into service. The museum also runs its own renovation shop and offers short excursions aboard a variety of equipment, including a railbus, in its rail yard.