The poor little Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad had a troubled beginning that would stay with it. The N-C-O for those not familiar was narrow gauge line that ran from Reno, Nevada to Lakeview, Oregon. It was initially known as the Nevada & Oregon and later the Nevada & California, before it finally incorporated all three states in its name in 1888.
These initials, N-C-O became a target for criticism for the railroad’s poor service. The railroad received such dreadful titles as the Narrow-Crooked & Ornery, Northern California Outrage, Never Comes Over and the Nevada-California-Occassional. J.M. Tremain, editor of Susanville’s Lassen Weekly Mail, called the N-C-O a Tri-weekly: “It goes to Reno one week and tries to return the next.”