Mark Bassett

Upcoming Photo Shoots Nevada Northern Heber Valley Feb. 1–3, 2008Feb. 4–6, 2008Feb. 8–10, 2008Feb. 11–13, 2008Feb. 15–17, 2008 (Cancelled)\ If you think you were born one hundred years too late to witness the glory of steam railroading, then I have good news for you: you weren’t. There still exists a place steam locomotives still rule the […]

IT IS DONE! Steam locomotive 40 crossed Gleason Creek on September 8th pulling the 1:00 p.m. excursion train. On the way back to East Ely, 40 ran through a banner commemorating the completion of the Gleason Creek Bridge. The train stopped just off the bridge where passengers and staff witnessed the ceremonial smashing of two

by Rae Nell O’Donnell I consider myself quite fortunate in having been born and raised in Ely, Nevada. All of my life I have lived with the sound of the locomotives, bells, and whistles of the Nevada Northern Railway. During the school year, many of my classmates rode the train in from their homes up

With jokes, fairy tales, and bad luck—everything comes in threes. Three little pigs, three blind mice, and three broken locomotives. It has been a tough summer here at the Nevada Northern Railway. First, we had our bridge challenge, but luckily, our fund-raising for the bridge was successful; we raised over $40,000! (Thanks! to all of

We never seem to run out of challenges at the railroad and at times, they become nearly overwhelming. Right now, the bridge repair project is finally in progress, steam locomotive 93 is down for repairs, and steam locomotive 40 is hanging in there while carrying the load, but at ninety-seven years of age, it could

Running steam in the 21st century is a challenge. On June 22, I was the conductor of the 4:30 steam excursion pulled by steam locomotive 93. We have been having axle troubles with 93 for a while, not unexpected on a ninety-eight year old locomotive. Halfway through the trip at Keystone, the engine crew stopped

Get three gray-headed railfans together and sooner or later, the subject will turn towards engaging the next generation in railroading. Railroading and society have changed since they were youngsters: working parents, September 11th, insurance requirements, frivolous lawsuits, and technology have all conspired to make rail fanning almost impossible for the young railfan to get started.

ELY, NV — As 2012 now comes to an end, its time to look back and see how far we have come. Our 2007 Strategic Plan now needs updating. As we move into a new year, this is the ideal time to reflect and plan for the future. The short version is that we have

What follows is a letter that museum just sent out to its membership. We have 1,910 dues paying members with every state of the union represented. Our membership is our secret weapon. Our member’s generous support allows us to operate steam locomotives in the 21st century in Ely Nevada. Without their support, our steam program

Daily train operations start on May 19th. Until then to the casual observer, the museum appears pretty quiet, like a duck. A duck? Sure, you’ve seen a duck swimming across a pond. Above the surface, all is serene, as the duck appears to glide across the water. Meanwhile beneath the surface, it’s a different story.