Davenport No. 2240 is a 30 ton 0-6-0 gas-mechanical locomotive switcher built in 1936 by the Davenport Locomotive Works of Davenport, Iowa.
It was purchased new by the Department of the Interior to be used on the US Construction Railroad during the construction of the Hoover Dam. It operated on a ten-mile railroad from Boulder City to the rim of Black Canyon overlooking the Hoover Dam to periodically haul supplies and materials to the dam site in order to complete the construction and installation of the turbines and generators. It continued in operation on the dam until 1946 when a larger Whitcomb locomotive was purchased to replace it after the World War II restrictions were relaxed.
Following its work at the Hoover Dam, it was taken to Henderson Industrial Park and was renumbered to 1051. In the mid-1980s, it was taken to Jake’s Crane and Rigging in Las Vegas to be stored. It remained in storage until June 2003 when the then owner of the locomotive decided to donate it to the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City.
No. 2240 still resides at the Nevada State Railroad Museum on static display after being cosmetically restored by museum volunteers. Currently it is not in running condition, and there are no current plans to repair it.
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