Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: A Visit To the Nevada Northern Railway Shops

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-13-2009, 08:51 PM:

Since there are enough steam enthusiasts here I thought I'd give this it's own thread...

Wife and I spent the long weekend and some of my partial retirement exploring the area around Ely, NV. This is the home of the Nevada Northern Railway. They claim they are the most original(from an equipment and tool standpoint)railway museum in the country. The entire facility... yard, shops, storage buildings, station, etc. encompasses a huge area measured in square miles and none of it has ever been altered from the original, only preserves as it was. All this was left to the town of Ely by Kennicott Copper when they ceased operations at the big mine near Ruth, NV. Engine 93 is 100 years old this year and fully restored! This is just a sampling of photos of one of the engines being pulled into the engine shed after a days worth of trips back and forth on their line. They have two other early 1900's steamers all three dating from around 1910, and a number of elderly early 50's ALCO diesels. I shot a ton of pictures but I'm not posting any more unless there is interest and with Brad's permission. Will Kutler would go gaga at the machinery in this place including an 1870's drill press and a wheel lathe large enough to do up to 60" drivers... all old but all still in use and fully functional. The shop also rebuilds and maintains all their own boilers.
Nice You-Tube Video of engine 93

Mark

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 07-14-2009, 10:46 AM:

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
I shot a ton of pictures but I'm not posting any more unless there is interest and with Brad's permission.

How about creating a Flickr account, posting pics there, and just linking to it from here?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-14-2009, 12:48 PM:

Isn't linking to off site pics a voodoo thingy around these parts of the woods?

I'll try so here goes....

Northern Nevada Railway Pics

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-14-2009, 12:55 PM:

GREAT pics!

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 07-14-2009, 02:04 PM:

Is there snow in Nevada? In the video there is snow.

Posted by Bob Koch (Member # 1062) on 07-14-2009, 04:35 PM:

Mark, These pictures are great and bring back lots of memories for me. Ely was a 12 call deal for me and I loved everyone of them. Used to stay at the Nevada Hotel which was quite a place in my day. Someone inquires if there is really snow in Nevada. When I was there Highway 6 was not a viable route so I had to go west to Wendover and south to Ely thru the longest valley in the world; the Steptoe.I got into some bad storms on that road. Again; Great pictures.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-14-2009, 05:35 PM:

Last time in Disney World we took the "Magic Behind Our Steam Trains" tour. It was the best money we ever spent there. I loved it. The downside was -- in the guidebook description of the tour, it said "No cameras allowed" so I didn't even take mine...but once the tour started, the guide said "take all the pictures you want!" [Mad]

So now I want to take the tour again.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-14-2009, 06:33 PM:

Joshua,
Lots of snow in Northern Nevada in the winter.

Mike,
You'd be far better off to go to Ely... It's ALOT more fun than any of the Disney Parks are and very cheap... and not many people in line in front of you... typically none! The cool thing is that none of the stuff you go out and do is theme park stuff but they have rides and attractions at some of the theme parks that are similar to some of the locations and things around Ely! In other words you get to go out and do the real thing instead of going on the make believe ride. The down side is that the attractions can be easily 40 to 90 miles apart... [Eek!]

. The good thing is that I could easily write 10 pages of places to go and things to do when there.

Anyway, Brenda managed to win 200 bucks at the quarter poker slot down stairs so that paid for the hotel and the food over the long weekend. The rooms there are small and the showers temperature fulctuates but thats all part of the antique nature of the building and what makes it so quaint. It's also a very dog friendly hotel and our dog really gets a hoot out of the elevator!!!

Bob,
Yep! Steptoe Valley is 112 miles long... I always stay at the Hotel Nevada when I'm over there. It's quite the historic place and completely restored. The restaurant there is still operating and all. The biscuits and gravy for a buck fifty are to die for! the Centre Theater is still running although it's a real dump and the theater in Pioche is closed due to structural problems.

Here's a picture of it I took last Sunday morning while out walking the dog... looking northwest at the Hotel.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-14-2009, 08:11 PM:

Great pics Mark ... good luck on your extended vacation..

And..on a side shooting note here: While you were in Ely, did you zip over to the Great Basin Nat'l Park, east of Ely and chek out Lehman's Caves?

One of our employees started his love for the theatre industry from the Centre in Ely..

Is the smokestack still prominant in McGill?

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 07-14-2009, 08:22 PM:

During my days in California, I used to drive to Colorado once a twice a year. Ely is a convenient half-way stopping point. After an unhappy night at the Bristle Cone Motel and the Motel Six, I tried the Hotel Nevada.

The Hotel Nevada is definitely a throwback. Most of the rooms are named after stars of the past. I figured they had to stop there on there way from L.A. to Salt Lake City. The rooms are cheap and they always include a drink coupon. I have frequently won enough at the slots to pay for the room and a meal. Their restaurant makes the best steaks ever. The rest of the meal could be thrown away, but the steaks are stellar. I liked it so much I had steak and eggs for breakfast the next morning.

Ely is near The Great Basin National Park which is one of the most under-appreciated and under visited National Parks in the country.

So there is lots to do around Ely Nevada, however I never wanted to spend more than a night there.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-14-2009, 10:45 PM:

Hi Monte and Ian,

Yep been to Lehman caves twice in fact. Very amazing place with formations in there that just don't exist in any other cave anyplace. No smokestack or smelter left in McGill however the theater is still there but closed down. The smelter and chimney is still standing in Hamilton Ghost Town!! It dates back to the late 1860's. In Great Basin you can hug a 2000 year old tree (Bristle Cone Pine). That is if you are a tree hugger... I'm not.

Hamilton Ghost Town Smelter

I agree Ian on the steaks at the Hotel. They are indeed very good as is the broasted chicken. Yep, I could go on for several months exploring that area and probably still not run out of stuff to do. Hundreds of open mine addits (mostly gold/silver mines)to explore and I have yet to go into one of them... also many mining camp ruins and remains to check out. Many more trips to do!!!

Mark

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 07-15-2009, 03:46 PM:

Is that yellow Mustang in the foreground yours, Mark?

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 07-15-2009, 04:15 PM:

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
Isn't linking to off site pics a voodoo thingy around these parts of the woods?

Good point. But in the spirit of the rule, I think this'll be fine, so long as you never ever close your Flickr account, so the thread will stay relevant.

If not, Brad can yell at me for suggesting it, and I'll just kick you in the junk when I'm out there next week.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-15-2009, 04:25 PM:

If you're going to be here in SLC drop me an IM and if I'm in town lets grab lunch...

Mark

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-15-2009, 07:34 PM:

Now there's a lunch that could turn into a fistfight! [Big Grin]

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 07-15-2009, 08:30 PM:

That's a review I can't wait to read! I bet wackiness will ensue.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-15-2009, 08:36 PM:

I don't think soooo.... Now if Bobby showed up that'd be another story....