Growing up, the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City has been Braden Brickman’s avocation. It’s now his vocation as the 23-year-old is employed as the restoration specialist to not only oversee said restorations, but also the maintenance and operation of the museum’s railroad and historic equipment.
How did you get involved in rail preservation?
Braden Brickman: I was always coming out to the museum as a young kid. For me, trains got into the blood and never got out. On one of my visits when I was 10 years old, I asked a volunteer if they were looking for more help in the future. The very next weekend, I was out here helping and never looked back.
But at 10 years old, you can’t do much for both safety and federal reasons. It wasn’t until I was 14 that I really started to get heavily involved by starting as a car attendant. The museum then welcomed me into the shop, and I was able to learn from the old heads. When I was 18, they presented me with my engineers license and that was a very rewarding moment.
When Randy Hees was our director, we always talked about this [restoration specialist] job coming up one day and what it would take for me to be a viable candidate. So, I left for a while to do some contract work, helped with a few short lines, and worked at the Virginia & Truckee Railroad for a year. All to learn everything I would need to get the job.
The State then called and said, “We’ve got an opening, do you want to come back and be our restoration specialist?” I absolutely wanted it. It was where I got my start and grew up with this place.
As a young preservationist at age 23, what have you found to be the most challenging aspects in the industry?
Braden Brickman: I would say for a young person in this industry, especially my generation, we’re kind of branded to what our generation is. We’re looked at as maybe not having enough experience and not taken seriously.
It’s the same thing if you deal with the old heads: guys who worked for the railroads in the 1970s-1980s. They were raised and taught differently. The young generation back then was treated differently than we are today. It’s gotten better, but there’s still that need to prove yourself.
After you prove yourself, then everyone will welcome you with open arms. But I say that the most challenging part of it is getting your foot in the door. But once you’re in, you’re in and there’s no going back.
What’s been the most rewarding for you so far?
Braden Brickman: I would say the most rewarding part is there are not a lot of young people in the position that I’m in right now. There are many mechanics, engineers and train crew, but there’s not a lot in my age as head mechanics for railroading equipment. To say that I can be the one to help make a difference for young people to get into larger roles like this is immensely rewarding.
The other aspect I would say is helping to boost the museum’s reputation because I don’t do this for me. I do this for the museum. Being able to give back to the people who taught me by showing them what I retained and put forward, that’s another rewarding part of it all.
Where do you see rail preservation as it is today and what do you hope it’ll become for the future?
Braden Brickman: It’s ever changing. Right now, there is a national shortage, and this is for all museums (not just the rail industry). Volunteer numbers are lower than they’ve been in previous years.
But we continue to outdo ourselves. If you would’ve asked me 15 years ago: “Would there ever be a restored Big Boy, would there be a group building a new Pennsylvania Railroad T1, or would there be Reading T1 running again?” I would’ve said, “No, that’s crazy. It’s never going to happen.” Yet every year, an organization will knock it out of the park with a restoration or a project that we thought would never happen. The more of these we do, the better it’s going to be for all of us.
As we go forward into the future, especially for my lifetime working on the preservation side, we’ll be able to not only preserve more pieces, but also replicate others. You had David Kloke who built beautiful 19th Century equipment. Are they original pieces? No. But are they accurate representations of what they would have been? Absolutely, without a doubt.
What advice would you give for any young person looking to get involved in the industry?
Braden Brickman: I would definitely say don’t give up. There will be challenging days as a young individual. I had a few. But sticking with it had me work some amazing jobs and see some incredible things that not a lot people get to see.
There will always be people in your corner wanting to see you succeed and grow. Those are the ones that you want to keep close with. They will back you through everything, support your decisions, and will help when you ask for it.
