Nevada Northern Railway
Encyclopedia
The Nevada Northern Railway was a railroad in the U.S. state
of Nevada
, built primarily to provide rail access to a major copper
producing area in White Pine County, Nevada
. The railway, constructed in 1905-06, extended northward approximately 140 miles from Ely
to a connection with the Southern Pacific Railroad
at Cobre
.
The Nevada Northern owes its beginnings to the discovery and development of large porphyry copper deposits near Ely in the first years of the twentieth century. Two of the region's largest mines were purchased in 1902 by Mark Requa, president of the Eureka and Palisade Railroad
in central Nevada. Requa then organized the White Pine Copper Company to develop his new properties, and it soon became evident that rail access to the isolated region would be essential to fully exploit the potential of the mines. Subsequent surveys indicated that the most practical route for such a railroad was northward from Ely, connecting with the Southern Pacific somewhere in the vicinity of Wells
.
The Ely-area copper properties were further merged in 1904, forming the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company, and the Nevada Northern Railway was incorporated on June 1, 1905 to build a line connecting the Nevada Consolidated mines and smelter to the national rail network. The task of building the new railroad was contracted to the Utah Construction Company
, which began work on September 11, 1905. Construction began at Cobre, where the Nevada Northern connected with the Southern Pacific, and proceeded southward. The line was finished a year later, its completion marked by a two-day celebration in Ely. The railroad's symbolic final spike—made of local copper—was driven by Requa in Ely on September 29, 1906.
Additional Ely-area trackage was constructed in 1907-1908 to serve the local mining industry. This trackage, known as the "Ore Line," included a route bypassing Ely to the north and continuing west up Robinson Canyon to the copper mines at Ruth
. East of Ely, the Ore Line project saw the construction of the "Hiline," a branch leading to Nevada Consolidated's new copper smelter and concentrator at McGill
. The Ore Line immediately became the busiest segment of the Nevada Northern by far, hosting dozens of loaded and empty ore trains daily.
As a subsidiary of Nevada Consolidated, the primary purpose of the Nevada Northern throughout its history was the haulage of copper ores and products. Other freight traffic was also carried, however, and the railroad operated a daily passenger train between East Ely and Cobre until 1941. Local trains were also operated from Ely to Ruth and McGill for the benefit of mine employees and others until the 1930s, and special school trains carried students to White Pine High School in central Ely.
A series of corporate financial transactions in the 1920s and 1930s brought Nevada Consolidated under the control of the Kennecott Copper Corporation, and Nevada Consolidated was formally merged into Kennecott in 1942. The Nevada Northern thus became a Kennecott subsidiary.
Faced with declining ore reserves and low copper prices, Kennecott closed its Ruth-area mines in May 1978, thus ending the ore trains between Ruth and the McGill smelter. The smelter itself closed on June 20, 1983, and the Nevada Northern suspended all operations immediately thereafter.
which operates a heritage railroad
on this part of the former NN.
Passenger excursion train service is offered between Ely, Ruth, and McGill using period equipment pulled by historic steam and diesel locomotives.
In April 2006, Nevada's National Historic Landmarks Committee granted unanimous support to nominating the Nevada Northern's East Ely shops complex
as a National Historic Landmark
. The nomination was approved by the National Park Service on September 27, 2006.http://nevadanorthernrailway.net/Press/PressRelease%20NHL.htm
The remainder of the Nevada Northern has largely been moribund since 1983. In 1987, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
purchased the Cobre-East Ely line, in anticipation of the construction of a coal-fired generating plant along the route; the plant was never constructed, however. Meanwhile, the 1990s saw a brief resumption of copper mining near Ruth, this time by Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP). This project saw the construction of additional trackage near Ruth, and the resumption of service from there as far as Shafter by the BHP Nevada Railroad
in 1996. Both the mine and railroad shut down again in 1999, however, and when mining resumed in 2004 concentrates were hauled by truck rather than by rail.
The disused line between Ely and Cobre was acquired by the city of Ely in 2006. Recent plans by Sierra Pacific Resources
for the construction of the "Ely Energy Center", a 2,500 megawatt coal-fired generating plant in the Ely vicinity are raising the possibility that the railroad may see yet another revival, this time carrying inbound loads of coal to White Pine County.http://www.sierrapacificresources.com/projects/ely/FAQ.cfm
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, built primarily to provide rail access to a major copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
producing area in White Pine County, Nevada
White Pine County, Nevada
White Pine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. Its population at the 2010 census was 10,030. Its county seat is Ely. It is the home of Great Basin National Park...
. The railway, constructed in 1905-06, extended northward approximately 140 miles from Ely
Ely, Nevada
Ely is the largest city and county seat of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. Ely's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906...
to a connection with the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
at Cobre
Cobre, Nevada
Cobre is an uninhabited ghost town in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The town was located at the former interchange point between the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Nevada Northern Railway, and came into being when construction of the Nevada Northern began in 1905...
.
History
Eureka and Palisade Railroad
The Eureka and Palisade Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad, constructed in 1873-1875 between Palisade and Eureka, Nevada, a distance of approximately...
in central Nevada. Requa then organized the White Pine Copper Company to develop his new properties, and it soon became evident that rail access to the isolated region would be essential to fully exploit the potential of the mines. Subsequent surveys indicated that the most practical route for such a railroad was northward from Ely, connecting with the Southern Pacific somewhere in the vicinity of Wells
Wells, Nevada
Wells is a city in Elko County, in northeast Nevada in the western United States. The population was 1,346 at the 2000 census. Wells is located at the junction of U.S. Route 93 and Interstate 80, approximately east of Elko and is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:The site...
.
The Ely-area copper properties were further merged in 1904, forming the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company, and the Nevada Northern Railway was incorporated on June 1, 1905 to build a line connecting the Nevada Consolidated mines and smelter to the national rail network. The task of building the new railroad was contracted to the Utah Construction Company
Utah Construction Company
The Utah Construction Company was a construction company founded by Edmund Orson Wattis, Jr, Warren L. Wattis and William. H. Wattis in 1900.-History:...
, which began work on September 11, 1905. Construction began at Cobre, where the Nevada Northern connected with the Southern Pacific, and proceeded southward. The line was finished a year later, its completion marked by a two-day celebration in Ely. The railroad's symbolic final spike—made of local copper—was driven by Requa in Ely on September 29, 1906.
Additional Ely-area trackage was constructed in 1907-1908 to serve the local mining industry. This trackage, known as the "Ore Line," included a route bypassing Ely to the north and continuing west up Robinson Canyon to the copper mines at Ruth
Ruth, Nevada
Ruth is a small town in White Pine County, Nevada, that was founded in 1903. It is a census-designated place, with a population in 2010 of 440.- History :Ruth began as a settlement for workers of the White Pine Copper Company in 1903...
. East of Ely, the Ore Line project saw the construction of the "Hiline," a branch leading to Nevada Consolidated's new copper smelter and concentrator at McGill
McGill, Nevada
McGill is a census-designated place in White Pine County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,148 at the 2010 census.-Geography:McGill is located at ....
. The Ore Line immediately became the busiest segment of the Nevada Northern by far, hosting dozens of loaded and empty ore trains daily.
As a subsidiary of Nevada Consolidated, the primary purpose of the Nevada Northern throughout its history was the haulage of copper ores and products. Other freight traffic was also carried, however, and the railroad operated a daily passenger train between East Ely and Cobre until 1941. Local trains were also operated from Ely to Ruth and McGill for the benefit of mine employees and others until the 1930s, and special school trains carried students to White Pine High School in central Ely.
A series of corporate financial transactions in the 1920s and 1930s brought Nevada Consolidated under the control of the Kennecott Copper Corporation, and Nevada Consolidated was formally merged into Kennecott in 1942. The Nevada Northern thus became a Kennecott subsidiary.
Faced with declining ore reserves and low copper prices, Kennecott closed its Ruth-area mines in May 1978, thus ending the ore trains between Ruth and the McGill smelter. The smelter itself closed on June 20, 1983, and the Nevada Northern suspended all operations immediately thereafter.
Nevada Northern Railway today
In a series of donations beginning in 1986, Kennecott transferred the entire Ore Line, as well as the railroad's yard and shop facilities in East Ely, to the White Pine Historical Railroad Foundation, a non-profit organization which today operates the property as the Nevada Northern Railway MuseumNevada Northern Railway Museum
The Nevada Northern Railway Museum is a railroad museum located in Ely, Nevada and operated by a historic foundation dedicate to the preservation of the railroad....
which operates a heritage railroad
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
on this part of the former NN.
Passenger excursion train service is offered between Ely, Ruth, and McGill using period equipment pulled by historic steam and diesel locomotives.
In April 2006, Nevada's National Historic Landmarks Committee granted unanimous support to nominating the Nevada Northern's East Ely shops complex
Nevada Northern Railway Museum
The Nevada Northern Railway Museum is a railroad museum located in Ely, Nevada and operated by a historic foundation dedicate to the preservation of the railroad....
as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. The nomination was approved by the National Park Service on September 27, 2006.http://nevadanorthernrailway.net/Press/PressRelease%20NHL.htm
The remainder of the Nevada Northern has largely been moribund since 1983. In 1987, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is the largest municipal utility in the United States, serving over four million residents. It was founded in 1902 to supply water and electricity to residents and businesses in Los Angeles and surrounding communities...
purchased the Cobre-East Ely line, in anticipation of the construction of a coal-fired generating plant along the route; the plant was never constructed, however. Meanwhile, the 1990s saw a brief resumption of copper mining near Ruth, this time by Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP). This project saw the construction of additional trackage near Ruth, and the resumption of service from there as far as Shafter by the BHP Nevada Railroad
BHP Nevada Railroad
The BHP Nevada Railroad was a shortline railroad that operated in Nevada from 1996 to 1999. BHP acquired the line from the Nevada Northern Railway. The railroad hauled copper ore concentrate from BHP's concentrator at Riepetown to Shafter, Nevada. At Shafter the railroad interchanged with the...
in 1996. Both the mine and railroad shut down again in 1999, however, and when mining resumed in 2004 concentrates were hauled by truck rather than by rail.
The disused line between Ely and Cobre was acquired by the city of Ely in 2006. Recent plans by Sierra Pacific Resources
Sierra Pacific Resources
NV Energy is an investor-owned holding company based in Las Vegas, Nevada.The company is a public utility which generates, transmits and distributes electric service in northern and southern Nevada, including the Las Vegas metropolitan area, and provides natural gas service in the Reno–Sparks...
for the construction of the "Ely Energy Center", a 2,500 megawatt coal-fired generating plant in the Ely vicinity are raising the possibility that the railroad may see yet another revival, this time carrying inbound loads of coal to White Pine County.http://www.sierrapacificresources.com/projects/ely/FAQ.cfm
Locomotive Roster
| Number | Builder | Type | Date built | Heritage | Disposition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schenectady Locomotive Works Schenectady Locomotive Works The Schenectady Locomotive Works built railroad locomotives from its founding in 1848 through its merger into American Locomotive Company in 1901.After the 1901 merger, ALCO made the Schenectady plant its headquarters in Schenectady, New York.... |
4-4-0 4-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels... |
June 1869 | Central Pacific Railroad Central Pacific Railroad The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental... No. 161 Juno Juno (mythology) Juno is an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. Juno also looked after the women of Rome. Her Greek equivalent is Hera... (1869-April 1885) Southern Pacific Transportation Company No. 1228 (1885-November 1905) |
Retired 1923, scrapped 1931. | Purchased for $4,018. Passenger locomotive. |
| 2 | Schenectady Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 4-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular... |
December 1880 | Southern Pacific Transportation Company No. 26, 106, 1609, 2045 (1880-December 1905) | Sold to Steptoe Valley Smelting & Mining in 1914, scrapped in 1931. | Purchased for $5,425. |
| 3 | Schenectady Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | September 1882 | Southern Pacific No. 73, 153, 1645, 2075 (1882-December 1905) | Scrapped 1933 | |
| 4/10 | American Locomotive Company American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
4-6-0 | September 1906 | New for $13,400 | Sold for scrap in 1951, scrapped 1952. | Built in Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S... . Renumbered in 1909. Passenger locomotive. |
| 5 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-2 2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... T |
October 1906 | New for $15,371 | Rebuilt in April 1913 into No. 80. | Built in Dunkirk, New York. |
| 6 | American Locomotive Company | 0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... |
August 1910 | New | Sold March 1916. Presumed scrapped. | Slopeback tender |
| 7/11 | American Locomotive Company | 4-6-0 | April 1907 | New for $13,700. | Sold for scrap 1951, scrapped 1952. | Renumbered October 1911. Passenger locomotive. |
| 8/20 | American Locomotive Company | 4-6-0 | February 1907 | New for $14,975 | Sold for scrap 1954. | Built in Paterson, New Jersey. Renumbered October 1911. Mixed service. |
| 21 | American Locomotive Company | 4-6-0 | March 1909 | New for $13,200. | Scrapped March 1952. | Tender now used on B. |
| 40 | Baldwin Locomotive Works Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of... |
4-6-0 | July 1910 | New for $13,139. | Active. | Passenger locomotive. |
| 80 | Nevada Northern | 2-8-0 2-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels... |
April 1913 | Rebuilt from No. 5 | Sold for scrap 1951, scrapped 1952. | Tender survives. Mixed service locomotive. |
| 81 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 2-8-0 | March 1917 | New for $23,700. | Stored inoperable. | Mixed service. Last ran in 1960. |
| 90 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-0 | April 1908 | New for $17,525. | Sold for scrap 1952. | Built in Pittsburgh. Freight locomotive. |
| 91 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-0 | April 1908 | New for $17,525. | Sold for scrap January 1952. | Built in Pittsburgh. Freight locomotive. |
| 92 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-0 | October 1908 | New for $17,585 | Sold for scrap January 1952. | Built in Pittsburgh. Freight locomotive. |
| 93 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-0 | January 1909 | New for $17,610 | Active. | Built in Pittsburgh. Freight locomotive. Originally retired in 1961. |
| 94 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-0 | January 1910 | New for $15,908. | Scrapped 1951. | Built in Pittsburgh. Freight. |
| 95 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-0 | May 1914 | New for $16,500. | Scrapped 1951. | Built in Dunkirk. Freight. |
| 96 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-0 | June 1916 | New for $20,125. | Scrapped 1951. | Built in Dunkirk. Freight. |
| 97 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-0 | April 1910 | Bought second hand for $14,000 (1917). | Scrapped 1954 | Built in Dunkirk. |
| 401 | EMD | SD7 EMD SD7 An EMD SD7 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between February 1952 and November 1953. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 16-cylinder engine which generated .... |
August 1952 | New | Active at Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Los Angeles Department of Water and Power The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is the largest municipal utility in the United States, serving over four million residents. It was founded in 1902 to supply water and electricity to residents and businesses in Los Angeles and surrounding communities... 's Intermountain Power Project |
Became LADWP No. P-401 in 1980s. |
| B | American Locomotive Company | Rotary snowplow Rotary snowplow A rotary snowplow is a piece of railroad snowfighting equipment. It is characterized by the large circular set of blades on its front end that rotate as a unit to cut through the snow on the track ahead of it.-History:... |
November 1907 | New | Active | Built in Paterson, New Jersey Paterson, New Jersey Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023... . |