Friday afternoon we visited Laws Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum in Bishop, CA. Back in 1880, the Carson and Colorado Railroad Company planned to have a narrow gauge railroad go from Nevada to the Colorado River, but it only went as far as Keeler, CA.
A railroad town was born in Laws (Bishop) when folks learned that they could travel east from the Owen's Valley. The town declined when the local mines closed. Also, it became cheaper to truck freight, as opposed to rail. The end of the train here was in 1959.
The depot, the agent's house, the turntable, are all original, but some of the other buildings were moved and reconstructed. What an interesting museum, capturing the life in the 1880's in the Owen's Valley. I find it fascinating to take a peek into the lifestyles of those that came before us!
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| Laws Railroad Museum |
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| the town is depicted nicely on a wooden boardwalk in parts |
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| always interesting to see what products were available in the 1880's and early 1900's |
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| so different from today's "Cube" in the work world....hahahah |
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| always intriguing to see such fancy things in the west |
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| lots of delicate handwork |
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| Hey Jess! A good saddle for you? |
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| the museum is set up very nicely and was a joy to visit |
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| the mountain views were awesome too |
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| lots of sewing machines |
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| hey...I recognize this clock from my childhood! |
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| Yikes! And I HAD this radio!!! (I guess that makes me pretty darned old) |
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| the cars were in good shape |
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| the old barber shop (everything was set up so nicely...just the way it was in the town, back in the day) |
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| Tom doesn't even want to go near this place....ahhahahaha |
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| lots of fancy clothes being made here |
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| Check out that hair contraption in the corner! So glad I'm low maintenance!! |
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| sweet quilt |
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| here's the train...right in the middle of the town |
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| the original station agent's house |
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| lots of cool stuff here |
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| Tom checking out the train |
As we were walking towards the far end of the museum, we noticed a helicopter with something hanging from it. Hopefully, this was another practice drill!
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| What is that in the distance?? Another practice drill, I hope! |
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| note to self: do NOT get hurt on the trails |
Tom was fascinated with the railroad/trains, and really enjoyed the model train area. I think when we get a home, he is going to build one of those set-ups. He says its for Jack, our grandson, but......we know Tom! Its OK!
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| the original turntable |
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| one of the cabins |
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| interesting how people traveled back in the day (clean water extra!!!) |
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| look who's coming through the swinging red doors! |
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| the conesta wagon (the stage coaches and wagon trains really interest me since we've been traveling in the west) |
The little schoolhouse taught a multitude of ages in the same classroom. Our new friend at the Visitor Center went to a school like that (wait...he was in his 70's I think....but anyway, lots of grades in his classroom!). What amazes me is that the teacher lived in the schoolhouse. We've seen this in several museums like this. That's dedication!
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| the schoolhouse |
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| this looks very familiar!! (not me...I was very good in school) |
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| the teacher lived in the schoolhouse |
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| there's the train |
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| Tom was an engineer..... but not that kind! |
Tom loved the trains, but I really liked the houses and stores, and other places of business. He is a good sport though, and waits for me to have my fill of looking at the rooms people lived in. A fun museum for all to enjoy!
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| this is a pretty nice house! |
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| I don't think this was the typical house though, just for the wealthy |
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| another nice quilt |
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| a kid's room.... |
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| the kitchen |
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| the depot |
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| model trains got our attention, right Tom! |
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| at the depot |
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| national register of historic places |
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| driving out, we saw this guy |
The weather in the area was predicted to be cold, windy and rainy for Saturday, so we decided to take a walk in town (Bishop) along a canal that feeds into the Owen's River. This lovely, scenic 5 mile walk was recommended by our friend at the Visitor Center. It was perfect for the day. Actually, the wind was pretty strong! Gusts to 40mph. Ugh!
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| walking along the canal in Bishop |
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| the views were great...though sometimes clouded in |
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| beautiful |
The views were really nice, despite the low clouds and some sprinkles here and there. We saw some wildlife too! Hahah.
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| its so windy even the duck's feathers are standing upright! |
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| wildlife on the "trail" |
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| thank you |
Every once in a while, the sun would come out and warm us up a bit. It did feel good. As we walked along the canal, we noticed several spots where there was a "lock"...controlling the amount of water going down the canal. Interesting. There were fish in the canal as well, and one of the fishermen was telling us about the 3 very large trout he caught.
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| What? You like the wind in your face? |
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| a "lock" to control the flow of water |
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| this is a really nice walk, with mountain views most of the way on both sides |
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| the Sierras |
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| look how pretty the mountains are |
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| the Inyo Mountains...very scenic too |
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| hoping it doesn't rain |
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| just a bit windy!!! (35-40mph gusts, but a steady 20-25mph) |
This was a nice walk, and we were happy not to get rained on or blown away by the gusty winds. It was a good warm up for hikes we are planning for later in the week.
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| peaceful country view |
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| one of the fishermen! |
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| this little guy came running out on to the path on the other side of the canal |
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| these guys started fighting big time |
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| HA! This pic says it all |
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