Nevada Northern Railway Museum has unveiled its USA 250th anniversary paint scheme for SD9 No. 204, renumbered to 250. Screen shot from Nevada Northern video ELY, Nev. — Nevada Northern Railway has unveiled its repainted locomotive for America’s semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, coming on July 4, 2026. The design, unveiled on Friday (July 4, 2025), was chosen through a contest held by the museum railway earlier this year. SD9 No. 204, a former Southern Pacific locomotive, has been renumbered to 250 and wears the scheme submitted by Ryan Boettcher. He will receive $1,000 and the opportunity to operate the locomotive on a 14-mile round trip on a date of his choice. In the message accompanying a Facebook video unveiling the locomotive, the museum said the work was funding by a grant from the White County Tourism and Recreation Board, as well as Nevada Northern Railway Museum supporters. The locomotive is slated to wear the paint scheme through 2026, and in 2027 will be returned to No. 204 wthe Southern Pacific paint scheme it wore when operating on the Nevada Northern for then-owner BHP. The locomotive will be featured in Nevada Northern’s Be The Engineer program, which allows visitors to operate the unit on a 14-mile round trip. More information is available at the Nevada Northern website.
I was wondering if any railroads would paint equipment for the 250th celebration. Good to see this. Might start the railroads into action.
Wowsers!! Very nicely done! It's like 1976 all over again, hopefully other railroads will do a couple special units too!
With all of the mergers, etc, since 1976, and (sadly) much less focus on PR today, I am wondering how many will bother. If they still existed, I know MRL would have proudly done up a unit. Will any of the Class 1 operations do something? Now is the time....
Alco/GE/IR 60 ton boxcab switcher in bicentennial paint still lettered for IR listed as complete under restoration and does not run. Hope they bring it out for next year.
It's a very sharp locomotive! I entered the contest with mine; I actually left off my address on the entry form and didn't go forward I plan to make a representation later down the road with my own SD9E/Rs on the roster!
