History Channel

American Restoration featured several train-related pieces they restored over the course of its 6 “Rick’s Restorations” seasons. A couple episodes even featured trips to the Nevada Northern Railway at East Ely — sadly none of which were available on DVD when I reviewed.

Fortunately, Season One, Episode 4 “Buttered Up” on DVD from 2010 tells the story of turning a junked backyard toy train into a beautifully-renovated masterpiece. [The show takes its name from a movie theatre popcorn machine simultaneously being restored.]

Rick Dale (seen above) spots the locomotive in a pile of junk and buys it (along with two gas nozzles) for $100 bucks from Eric the Picker. Can Rick and the boys turn this rusty, railroad-related relic into a regal ride?

Looks like they did. Here’s a sneak peak at the finished product. Read on for all the juicy details…

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