In Nevada, ‘most authentic’ railway site has steam, smoke — and a cat
One of the things Mark Bassett noticed on his first visit to the Nevada Northern Railway Museum some 25 years ago was the lack of warning signs, glass cases and velvet ropes protecting the artifacts.
“There were no signs saying, ‘Don’t Go There’ or ‘Don’t Touch That,’ ” said Bassett, then just a visitor but now president and executive director of the railroad. “It was very unusual for a museum.”
That’s because the Nevada Northern Railway Museum is not your typical museum....
...The railroad employs about 20 people and many volunteers, who run and maintain trains, write grants, archive and more. However, the most famous on-site personality is a cat named Dirt. Born inside the locomotive shop in 2008, the orange-and-white cat was adopted by the workers and spends his days exploring the complex and welcoming visitors. He’s also built up a considerable following on social media. One look at Dirt and the reason for his name quickly becomes clear: Living inside an active railroad shop is a dirty affair, but there’s no doubt the cat is well cared for, as exemplified by the bags of treats everywhere and the affection he gets from workers....
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