The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City preserves the rolling stock and locomotives of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, the line that hauled silver and gold ore down from the Comstock Lode mines of Virginia City. Operated by the Nevada Division of Museums and History, the museum opened in 1980 as the Virginia & Truckee Railroad Museum and took its present name in 1985. Its collection numbers roughly 65 locomotives and cars, of which about 40 were built before 1900 and 31 once ran on the V&T itself.

The centerpiece is Virginia & Truckee No. 22 "Inyo," a 4-4-0 "American" type wood-burner built in 1875 by Baldwin Locomotive Works (then trading as Burnham, Parry, Williams & Company). Alongside it the museum holds the world's only operable McKeen motor car — V&T No. 22, a 70-foot gas-powered railcar built in 1910 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012. Other significant pieces include the 1875 narrow-gauge Baldwin 2-6-0 "Glenbrook" of the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company and V&T No. 25, a Baldwin 4-6-0 ten-wheeler built in 1905.

Exhibits are displayed in the museum's main galleries and the Jacobson Interpretive Center, while the historic Wabuska Depot — relocated from Wabuska, Nevada — serves as the working ticket station for train rides. The museum also runs an active restoration program and an annual railroad history symposium.

The locomotive halls allow close-up photography of the V&T fleet, with the polished brass and wood of No. 22 "Inyo" and the streamlined McKeen car the most photographed subjects. On operating weekends the outdoor loop gives a chance to shoot steam under power against the high-desert backdrop of the Carson Range. The Wabuska Depot and period rolling stock parked on the grounds make strong static compositions. Morning light favors the east-facing display tracks; ask staff before using a tripod indoors.

For railfans, the draw is the concentration of original Virginia & Truckee equipment in one place — locomotives, coaches and freight cars from the railroad immortalized in countless Western films. V&T No. 22 "Inyo" has itself appeared in numerous movies and television productions over the decades.

The McKeen motor car is the rarest object here: of roughly 150 McKeen cars built between 1905 and 1917, this is the only one restored to operating condition, with its distinctive knife-edge "wind-splitter" nose and round porthole windows. On operating weekends visitors can ride behind steam — V&T No. 25 or the narrow-gauge Glenbrook — or aboard the McKeen and Edwards motor cars on a 2,000-foot loop around the grounds. Handcar rides and an active research collection round out the offering.

The museum is open Thursday through Monday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, with self-guided access to the locomotive halls and the Jacobson Interpretive Center. Plan on roughly two to three hours to see the collection at a relaxed pace. General admission is $10 for adults and free for visitors 17 and under and museum members.

Train and motor-car rides operate only on select weekends, holidays and special events rather than daily, so check the current timetable before visiting. Steam and McKeen rides are about 40 and 30 minutes respectively and carry a separate fare. Signature events include the Star Spangled Steam-Up over the July 4th weekend and the springtime Eggstravaganza. Note that the museum's loop ride is distinct from the Virginia & Truckee Railway's Carson City-to-Virginia City excursion train, which departs from the Eastgate Depot about five miles east.