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| Originally posted by DianaT For years we have seen the sign for Laws Railroad Museum outside of Bishop, CA, but we never visited. It is about 5 miles east of Highway 395 on Highway 6. Even when we drove by, it did not look like much --- we were pleasantly surprised. There is so much more there than we ever imagined ---- Laws was a RR town --- the RR being the Carson and Colorado RR which began in 1880 in Nevada with high hopes of going a lot further south, but never made it beyond Keeler. It completely stopped in 1959 and by that time, most of the buildings at Laws had been torn down --- only the depot and a couple other buildings survived and a few structures remained. So most of what is there now was brought in. Check out thier web-site for more information, history and pictures of the overall place -- 11 acres in all. Laws RR Museum A few isolated images --- A row of memorabilia showcase shops. The collections are overwhelming with one of my favorites being the old cameras --- this image shows only a tiny fraction of what is there --- I want to spend a lot more time there Then there is good old Engine Number Nine -- used in the Steve McQueen movie, Nevada Smith. And the film crew built what is now the reception center --- so much movie history in the Owens Valley --- I just loved this old wooden caboose. I love trains, but to me, they have never been as exciting since they eliminated the caboose! This interesting little engine was found in a salvage yard by a construction company near Mt. Baldy and brought here. BTW -- Mt Baldy is in the San Gabriel Mountains east and north of Los Angles. I loved this since I spent so many years hiking every weekend in the San Gabriel Mountains -- my old hometown. Ah, one of my favorites. This self-propelled car from the Death Valley Railroad has its very own garage and can often be viewed only through the windows of the garage. But when one of the very dedicated volunteers is working on the car, the garage is open and one can go inside this magnificent piece of art. It reminded us of the beautiful old rail car in which we rode over Cooper Canyon many years ago; long before the rail cars they use today. And the volunteer was more than happy to sit down and give us a history lesson of the area, and the development of the museum. He also explained how this this car and other items have been restored. And of course, there is the obligatory ancient automobile with the old gas station. And inside some barn buildings, there are some REALLY great old cars, wagons, trucks, fire fighting equipment and more. And there is LOTS of old farm equipment around. It always gives me wonderful visions of plowing the fields in simpler times -- there is something very serene about that vision of very difficult work. The sign said this contraption was multi-purpose. It was definitely the work of a very creative inventor! And what a wonderful vehicle! I just found the shredded tire fascinating --- seeing all the elements that made that tire. We would have stayed longer, but we had our two favorite little engineers in tow. Oh, there are lots of bells and whistles the little ones can operate. And after a while, they grow weary. So if you have not done so, we very much recommend that the next time you head up 395, take a little extra time to visit this great place before it might fade away like an old photo. [Edited on 4-2-2013 by DianaT] |
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The keep adding more and more --- a good thing!