Nevada Northern Railway

In the early 1900s the mountains west of Ely held one of the largest copper deposits in North America, but there was no way to move the ore to market. Mark Requa's company answered by building a railroad, about 150 miles of it, from the transcontinental line at Cobre south to the mines and the smelter town of McGill. The first passenger train reached Ely in 1906, and for decades the railway hauled copper out and hauled nearly everything else in.

The line carried people too. A daily passenger run served the mining towns, and a school train carried McGill children to the high school in Ely until 1941. When the copper mines finally closed in 1983 the railroad shut down, but instead of scrapping it, the community and later a foundation kept the entire complex intact, engines cold in the roundhouse and tools still on the benches.

What sets the Nevada Northern apart is that it still works. The collection includes original steam locomotives, rare wooden passenger cars, Kennecott diesels, dozens of early freight cars, and a machine shop and foundry that are not props but functioning tools. Volunteers and crew maintain and rebuild the equipment on site, using the same shop that served the railroad when it was hauling ore.

Because the machinery survives together, the yard tells the whole story of how a steam railroad lived: how an engine was watered and coaled, turned on a table, and pulled into the house for repair. In 2006 the East Ely yard was designated a National Historic Landmark for exactly this completeness, a rare surviving picture of turn-of-the-century steam railroading.

Today you can ride the surviving track, often behind steam, on excursions that run out of the East Ely depot across the high desert. The railway is known for going beyond the standard ride: night photography sessions lit for old-time drama, be-the-engineer experiences that put you in the cab, and a full holiday season of Polar Express trains that fills the yard with families.

The pace is unhurried and the setting is vast, sagebrush basin rimmed by bare mountains, which makes the small human scale of a steam train feel all the more impressive. It is the kind of place where railroad people come from around the world, and where a first-time visitor leaves understanding what a steam locomotive actually is.

Ely grew up as a copper and ranching hub in one of the emptiest quarters of the Great Basin, and it still feels that way, a real working town rather than a resort. The murals scattered through downtown and the historic Hotel Nevada anchor a main street that has changed less than most.

The country around Ely is a road-tripper's reward. US-50 rolls east and west across empty valleys and forested passes, Great Basin National Park and its bristlecone pines rise to the east, and a scatter of ghost towns and Pony Express sites lie within a day's drive. The railway is the anchor, but the whole region rewards slowing down.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Nevada Northern Railway, in Ely in eastern Nevada, is one of the best-preserved historic railroads in the country, a National Historic Landmark offering rides aboard authentic vintage steam and diesel trains. Built to serve the copper mines of the region, the railway retains its original historic depot, engine house, shops, and equipment in remarkable completeness, and today it operates scenic and themed excursions through the high desert and mountains, letting visitors experience early twentieth-century railroading firsthand. Popular experiences include steam-powered rides and special events like its famous seasonal trains. A living railroad museum, it delights train lovers and families. With its historic trains and heritage, the Nevada Northern Railway offers a fascinating destination in Nevada.

You can ride authentic vintage steam and diesel trains on scenic excursions through the high desert and mountains, tour the remarkably preserved historic depot, engine house, and shops, see the collection of original locomotives and equipment, and enjoy special themed and seasonal train events. The historic train rides, the authentically preserved railroad complex, and the special excursions are the highlights, offering an immersive and memorable railroading experience. Steam-powered rides and holiday and themed trains are especially popular. With its historic trains and rides, the Nevada Northern Railway offers a rewarding experience in Ely, Nevada.

The railway operates seasonally with train rides much of the year, and the warm months offer the most excursions and pleasant weather, while special themed and seasonal trains, including popular holiday trains, run at particular times. Because schedules and special trains vary and popular rides can sell out, checking the current schedule and reserving ahead before you go is important. For the fullest choice of excursions aim for the warm season, or time a visit to a special themed train, at the Nevada Northern Railway in Nevada.

The Nevada Northern Railway is historically important as one of the best-preserved and most complete historic railroads in the country, a National Historic Landmark that retains its original depot, engine house, shops, locomotives, and equipment in remarkable authenticity from the early twentieth century, when it served the region's copper mining industry. Rather than a reconstruction, it is a genuine surviving railroad, offering an unusually authentic window into the age of steam railroading. This exceptional preservation makes the Nevada Northern Railway a treasured destination in Ely, Nevada.

The Nevada Northern Railway is in Ely in eastern Nevada, within reach of the Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park, Great Basin National Park with Lehman Caves and Wheeler Peak to the east, and the Great Basin desert crossed by US Route 50. That makes the Nevada Northern Railway a fascinating stop to combine with the Ward Charcoal Ovens, Great Basin National Park, and the other attractions of eastern Nevada on a visit to the state.