Mark Bassett

I just received a thank you card. On the cover is a Chinese character called a Hsu (pronounced xu). The explanation on the back of the card explains that the character means, “to wait.” It further goes on to explain, “If you have the patience and endurance all of your dreams and wishes will be […]

“They’re divas— they’re temperamental and expensive to maintain,” was Gwyneth’s comment as we were talking about when we’ll be steaming again. Our plan is to have locomotive 93 steaming by the 4th of July. Of course, the $200,000 question is whether we’ll make that deadline. So will we? Well . . . the forthright answer

There is no easy way of breaking this to you: steam locomotives 93 and 40 are both out of service for the foreseeable future. I know that this news is disappointing to the friends of the museum, but while the news is disappointing, it is not unexpected. Why is it not unexpected? Simple, locomotive 93

I recently read a posting on an internet site dedicated to railroad preservation, which offered an opinion that museums should not have shoot-outs because they are “hokey” and do a disservice to the museum. As the Executive Director of the most complete steam era railroad complex in the country, I’ve been struggling with just such

A volunteer recently gave me a small orange traffic cone. Imprinted on the cone is a saying, “Change is inevitable, growth is not.” As 2007 ends and 2008 begins, that phrase is resonating through my brain. 2007 was a challenging year at the museum, but that observation in itself is meaningless. It’s like saying the

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. Inside the engine house, the shop crew is preparing the equipment for some very special annual trips. What trips? Why, they are the most special trips of the year. Beginning

For the past four years, the Nevada Northern Railway Museum has partnered with community groups to offer the Haunted Ghost Train. For the next three Saturdays, the Haunted Ghost Train departs the East Ely Depot promptly at 7:00 p.m. for a trip through the supernatural. Ghosts, goblins, and eerie sights are encounter as the train

The last Haunted Ghost Train of 2007 has rolled. After the last train was put away that night, those involved held a chili feed in the men’s waiting room of the depot. All of the ghosts and goblins were invited to celebrate a very successful Haunted Ghost Train experience. The Nevada Northern Railway National Historic

by Mark Blackwell One has to ask, how does a child fall in love with trains? Was it the Thomas the Tank Engine movies and toys? How about having family involved with railroading in its glory days? Or maybe those trips to the steam tourist railroad near home? Well, for me it was a lot