The Long Way
White Pine County
Santa Claus and a train conductor visit passengers inside a decorated train car.
Plate I. Santa Express train car, Nevada Northern Railway Museum. From nnry.com
A steam train sits on snowy tracks next to an industrial water tower and mountains.
Plate II. Steam locomotive at Nevada Northern Railway Museum. From nnry.com
People ride on an open-air railway car through a desert landscape.
Plate III. Train ride, Nevada Northern Railway Museum. From nnry.com
A steam train pulling into a station with buildings and mountains in the background.
Plate IV. Steam locomotive at Nevada Northern Railway Museum. Photograph by The original uploader was Pitamakan at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A train parked on tracks in a landscape with mountains under a colorful sunset sky.
Plate V. Train at sunset, Nevada Northern Railway Museum. From nnry.com
A steam locomotive emits smoke while stopped next to a historic station building.
Plate VI. Steam locomotive at Nevada Northern Railway Museum. From nnry.com

Nevada Northern Railway Museum

Ely, White Pine County, Nevada. Museum.

Details

Map. Ely, White Pine County, Nevada. Larger map
Where
1100 Avenue A, Ely, NV 89301. Directions
When
Monday - Wednesday | 8:00 AM - 5:00PM Thursday & Saturday | 8:00 AM - 7:30 PM Sunday | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Federal Holidays | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
Season
Historic steam engines are still in use here year 'round.
Getting there
The Loneliest Highway in America passes right through Ely.
Fees
Adults | $10 Seniors | $8 Children (4-12) | $5 Infant (0-4) | FREE.
Access
Our trains feature on-board restroom, wheelchair accessibility, and snacks and beverages available for purchase.
Walk-in or reserve
Tickets are subject to availability and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. No rain checks. All sales are final—no refunds or exchanges.
Phone
(775) 289-2085
Website
nnry.com
Managed by
Nevada Northern Railway Museum.
Established
1906.

Come to Ely, #Nevada and ride a #steamtrain at our #historic #railroad #museum.

Notable Events

  1. 1906The Nevada Northern had completed 176 miles of railroad in little more than a year, despite one of the worst winters on record and material shortages caused by the rebuilding of San Francisco after the great earthquake. npgallery.nps.gov
  2. 1908Completion of the section to the mine at Ruth gave the Nevada Northern a fully operational railroad of 183.27 miles, under the control of the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company. npgallery.nps.gov
  3. 1933Kennecott Copper Company took over the holdings of Nevada Consolidated Copper, and the railroad ran 54 trains per day carrying freight and passengers to and from Ely. npgallery.nps.gov
  4. 1941The last run of the Steptoe Valley Flyer ran July 31, 1941, to be replaced by bus service; Locomotive #40 and the cars were placed in reserve service, then retired. nnry.com
  5. 1941The Nevada Northern carried no fewer than 4,661,976 passengers between 1906 and 1941, when passenger service was discontinued. npgallery.nps.gov
  6. 1956The 50th anniversary of the railroad was celebrated; Locomotive #40 and the passenger cars were pulled out of retirement for the celebration and soon after began a second life hauling passenger excursions. nnry.com
  7. 1983In 1983 the railroad ran its last train; citizens approached Kennecott to acquire the railroad and open it as a tourist operation. nnry.com
  8. 1983Kennecott made the decision to terminate its railroad operations and donated the East Ely Depot, shops, yards, and rolling stock to the White Pine County Historical Railroad Foundation, Inc. npgallery.nps.gov
  9. 1984After the closure of the mines in 1983, residents of Ely asked Kennecott to donate the railroad and #40 to create a museum; on October 23, 1984, the transfer became official. database.nnry.com
  10. 1984In 1984, the East Ely Depot was individually listed in the National Register. npgallery.nps.gov
  11. 1987The first steam powered passenger excursion left the East Ely Depot Memorial Day weekend 1987, pulled by locomotive #40. nnry.com
  12. 1987The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power purchased the railroad right-of-way, exclusive of the Museum property; that year the Museum began steam and diesel train operations during summer months. npgallery.nps.gov
  13. 2006The East Ely Yard National Historic Landmark was designated by the Department of the Interior, recognizing the railroad's contribution to the preservation of turn-of-the-century steam railroading. nnry.com
  14. 2009Due to her continuous operation on her original line and remarkable preservation, the Nevada State Legislature named #40 the official state steam locomotive. database.nnry.com

People

  • Harold "Pete" Peterson, General Superintendent who formally requested permission from Kennecott to preserve the engine.
  • Frederick Hale, architect of the East Ely Depot.
  • Mark Requa, organized the copper venture and established the Nevada Northern Railroad; drove the commemorative copper last spike (1866-1937).

Sources

  1. nnry.com/train-rides
  2. nnry.com/what-to-see-at-the-museum
  3. nnry.com/events-calendar
  4. nnry.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/White-Pine-Weekend-Press-Release.pdf
  5. facebook.com/nnry1
  6. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Nevada_Northern_Railway_Museum
  7. elynews.com/event/nevada-northern-railway-haunted-ghost-train-11
  8. elynews.com/2026/09/11/nevada-northern-railway-to-celebrate-120-years-of-railroading-with-2026-iron-horse-symposium
  9. nnry.com
  10. nnry.com/about
  11. npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/93000693_text
  12. doi.gov/sites/default/files/archive/news/archive/06_News_Releases/060927.html
  13. database.nnry.com/nnry-resources/nevada-northern-railway-40