Railroad Shops: then and now

1906 vs 2011 · Sparks, NV

NowThen

Then, 1906A hand-colored 1906 postcard of the shops, two years after the railroad moved its terminal to this spot.Photo: Brück & Sohn Kunstverlag (postcard) · CC0 · Source · resized

Today, 2011The shops are mostly gone. A historical marker now tells the story. Photo taken in 2011.Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source · resized

The story

In summer 1904 the Southern Pacific moved its terminal from Wadsworth to the new town of Sparks. Workers built a depot, a freight yard, and big shops.

The railroad was the town’s main employer for most of the next century. Passenger trains stopped here until 2009.

Part of the old machine shop was reported demolished in 2024.

Did you know? The depot opened on June 19, 1904, and the building is now a yard office for Union Pacific.

Historians argue about this. The state marker says the machine and erecting shops still stand, but Wikipedia says the machine shop was demolished in 2024. Check what you can see on site.

Fact or tall tale?

SolidThe Southern Pacific moved its terminal to Sparks in 1904.
Both the state marker and Union Pacific give 1904.
Not truePassenger trains still stop in Sparks today.
Passenger service ended in 2009 per Wikipedia.

Sources

More: Look for historic photos at the Library of Congress

Stamp it in person

Go there, answer the question that only someone standing at Railroad Shops can answer, and add the stamp to your passport. Free, no sign-up.

Play Sparks

More in Sparks

Next: Truckee River. Written from the cited sources, not yet walked on site unless noted.