At the Throttle
Articles by Mark Bassett, Executive Director
A selection of reflections & research, and guest submissions, examining the history of the Nevada Northern Railway, the Ghost Train of Old Ely. Originally published in the weekly edition of the Ely Times. These articles are written by Mark Bassett, Executive Director of the White Pine Historical Foundation, operator of the Nevada Northern Railway Museum.
One Unusual – Project Nevada Northern Railway HY-RAIL #18
As with most things in life, it started with a simple comment. “Hey that’s a cool 1956 Pontiac Chieftain Station Wagon.” Paul Mickelson, one of the museum members was reviewing a book Joan and I had done
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
Spring forward, fall back, twice a year we go through this time gyration. After we spring forward, when someone asks the time, “We’ll say it is 11:00 am Pacific Daylight Time.” And in the fall, “We would
Bringing Freight Back to the Rails
A long term goal of the museum is to open the railroad for freight service from Ely to Shafter Nevada. Once a small community, Shafter is now a ghost town, but it is the interchange point between
Snow, Steam and Pink Shower Caps
It has snowed and snowed and snowed here in the high desert of east central Nevada. According to the National Weather Service, Ely received 20.4 inches of snow in December 2009, which was 13 inches above normal.
A Steaming Miracle
It is 7:00 a.m. on a cold February morning. It’s not quite light yet. The sky is threatening snow. Fog surrounds the entire rail yard. But magic is about to begin. In the century old enginehouse sits
Starting with a Bang
Above Ely, you could see twelve railroad cars pulled by a 101 year-old steam locomotive creeping along at two miles an hour. Looking forward towards the cab of the locomotive every once in a while you would
Twelve Days of Christmas at the NNRy
Everyone knows the English Christmas Carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” What would be more appropriate then the Nevada Northern Railway Museum version at this time of year? 2010 promises to be a busier year than normal
Climb Aboard
Sitting in my office, I can hear locomotive 93 whistling for the schoolhouse crossing about a mile away. It is a reminder of why, “This Place Matters.” Locomotive 93 is only in operation today because individuals from
Polar Express Steams Up
It is that time of the year again-the days are getting shorter, the weather is definitely colder, and we have had snow on the ground. The staff and volunteers are preparing the locomotive and the passenger cars