Originally a working railroad connecting the mines near Ely (Nevada) to the main railroads near Wells, NV where ore and processed materials where shipped to processing plants and supplies, mail and people could reach the remote Ely area. Today, the East Ely Depot is a State of Nevada Museum. Volunteers operate the Northern Nevada Railway which includes Steam Powered Locomotives, turn of the century area cars and equipment.
Train rides are available during varying schedules and many specialty trains (Wine Train, Dinner Trains, etc) occur different times of the years.
The NNRY is a National Historical Landmark and offers an unique in sight to the operations, maintenance and history of railroads and railroading.
Of special interest to all Train Buffs – the NNRY was one of the first railroads to offer ‘student’ engineers the chance to operate both steam and diesel-electric locomotives. While not cheap, it is the thrill of a lifetime to be the one that blows the whistle, releases the brakes, engages the Johnson Bar and adds steam to the pistons to set in motion the complex systems resulting in the training moving down the tracks. (And I am speaking from personal experience!)
Pictures below are provided by contributors or supporters of this website. If you are interested in sharing your pictures of Nevada, please drop us a note.
Courtesy T. Turner – Desert flowers in bloom