Carson & Colorado Railway Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
770522799
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2014–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025, Form 990-N 2024
Location
Independence, CA, USA
Phone
7608765586
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Historical Societies, Related Historical Activities

Reported finances

Revenue
$74,982
Expenses
$32,933
Assets
$77,903
Liabilities
$184

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAVE MULL (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • DAVE MULL (PRESIDENT)
  • RANDY BABCOCK (VP)
  • LAURIE BILYEU (TREASURER)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Restoration of historic railway and related educational activities. The organization has been dedicated to the restoration and operation of southern pacific narrow gauge locomotive #18 as a living reminder of the proud history of independence, California and the history of railroading in southern inyo county.

What it reported doing in 2025

The organization has restored southern pacific locomotive #18 and returned it to operation. At its permanent home in independence at the eastern California museum, locomotive #18 will continue to be maintained by the organization for public display and demonstrations. Work will also continue on boxcar restoration and other projects in the furtherance of the oranization's mission.up to date information on the organization's activities and progress can be found on its website at www.carsoncolorado.com

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 94% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 60
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 74
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 41%; rating input score 41
  • Program expense ratio: 93.4%; rating input score 93

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 56.1%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.37; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -7.5% per year; rating input score 0; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -6% per year; rating input score 0; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1.1% per year; rating input score 0; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 41% of revenue deployed · 93.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $31K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 8 of 8 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2014 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 41/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 29/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.