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Nevada Northern Railway

Nevada Northern Railway

Nevada Northern Railway Overview

The Nevada Consolidated Copper Company laid 150 miles of track from Cobre, on the Southern Pacific line, to Ely in 1905 – 1906.

Ore was loaded into railroad gondolas at Copper Flat mines, west of Ely, and transported by rail to the smelter at McGill.

Passenger service and the “school train” carrying McGill youth to Ely High School ended in 1941.

With the closing of local copper mines in 1983, the railroad ceased operations.

Currently, part of the line serves the Nevada Northern Railway Museum for live steam rides.

The East Ely shop complex for the Railway was listed as a National Historic Landmark District in 2006

Category

  • Architecture
  • Mining
  • Railroad

Marker Type

Blue marker

Nevada Historical Marker Number

Nevada Northern Railway is Nevada Historical Marker #100.

Click here to view the full list of Nevada State Historical Markers.

County

White Pine County, Nevada

GPS Coordinates

39.252605 -114.878593

Nevada Historical Marker Transcription

Mark Requa’s Nevada Consolidated Copper Company laid 150-mile of track from Cobre, on the Southern Pacific line, to Ely in 1905-06 to haul ore from the Copper Flat mines west of Ely.

Ore was loaded into railroad gondolas at Copper Flat for the trip to the smelter at McGill, over a double-track trestle that was 1720 feet long.  The trestle burned in 1922 and was replaced with an earth-fill span.

Passenger service and the “school train” carrying McGill youth to Ely High School ended in 1941.  With the closing of local copper mines in 1983, the railroad ceased operations.  Currently, part of the line serves the Nevada Northern Railway Museum for live steam rides.  The East Ely shop complex for the Railway was listed as a National Historic Landmark District in 2006. 

STATE HISTORICAL MARKER NO.  100

STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE

References Used

Nevada Northern Railway