TBT: Nevada Northern Railway Museum

On our spring 2012 trip to Great Basin National Park, we stayed in Ely Nevada. While in town, we found the Nevada Northern Railway Museum. Although we didn't have time to take a train ride or take a guided tour, we did make time for a self-guided tour of the yard and engine house. We'll have to go back someday to learn more about the Nevada Northern and the former Kennecott copper mining operations in the area.

The museum notes that "the only thing that makes Ely and the Nevada Northern Railway unique is that it was passed over and saved from the scrapping torch as...it was so remote. At first it was preserved by neglect. Now this treasure is preserved by conscious effort."

Ely is indeed a very remote location. By road, it is 245 miles north of Las Vegas, 320 miles east of Reno, and 240 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. The nearest commercial airport is 180 miles north in Elko.

The UPS of the 1920s

Museum docent with SD-9E locomotive 204

Kennecott caboose

View of the yard from locomotive 204

Built in 1956 by EMD for Southern Pacific

Jordan Spreader 360

Wood-sided steel-framed boxcar NN 1023 at the freight depot platform

Industrial Brownhoist self-propelled diesel crane and tool car

Ballast car

1928 Illinois Central commuter coach

View inside one of the commuter coaches

Repair In Place (RIP) facility

Former SSW (Cotton Belt) boxcar

Looking back at the yard and mountains

Shop side of the engine house

Wide-vision caboose built by International Car in 1972

Another view of the shop

Engine 93 is a 2-8-0 Consolidation built by Alco in 1909

Engineer's side of locomotive 93

Engine 93 builder plate

Steam Locomotive 40 is a 4-6-0 Ten-wheeler built by Baldwin in 1910

Firebox, cab, and tender

Fireman's side of Engine 40

Engineer's side with main and side rods in place

Locomotive 105 is an RS-2 Alco diesel-electric built in 1945

Locomotive 109 is an RS-3 Alco built in 1950

Locomotive 802 is an S-12 built in 1952 by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton

Locomotive 801 is a Baldwin VO-1000 built in 1942

Locomotive 801 builder plate

Locomotive 81 is a GE 85-ton electric

Coal tower

Water tower

Museum admission for a self-guided walking tour of the yard and enginehouse is $6 for an adult and $3 for children ages 4 through 12. A train ride and guided rour of the yard and enginehouse is $31 for an adult and $15 for a child.

The museum website is http://nnry.com/.