Museum Wins Preservation Award

Nov 2000

The Nevada Northern Railway Museum is the recipient of the 2nd annual Trains magazine preservation award. They received a check in the amount of $10,000 from Kalmbach Publishing Co. for the restoration to operation of NNRy steam wrecking crane "A".

Built in 1907 by Industrial Works, Bay City, MI, the 100-ton wrecker is one of the few coal-fired "big hooks" extant. Restoration is scheduled to begin in Dec 2000 and to be completed by Jan 2002.

See the new web page on Wrecking Crane "A".

BHP Locomotives Sold

Nov 2000

Six of the ex-BHP Nevada Railroad locomotives, obtained 6 months ago by the NNRy museum (see news item below), have been sold. EMD SD9s Nos. 201, 202, 203, and 205 have been obtained by the Colorado, Kansas, and Pacific RR, along with GE 70-tonners Nos. 12 & 13. Nos. 202, 203, and 205 should be moving north from Ely within the first couple weeks of November. The remaining 3 units will be moved later, with the 70-tonners (friction bearing trucks) likely to be shipped on flat cars.

The museum is retaining SD9 No. 204 and Alco RS3 No. 13.

Museum Obtains Two Military Locomotives

Aug 2000

The Nevada Northern Railway Museum has obtained 2 former U.S. Army locomotives. They were moved by the Union Pacific Railroad from the Tooele Army Depot in Utah to the NN tracks at Shafter. The museum then moved them directly to the yards at East Ely.

Numbered B2080 (b/n 80396) and B2081 (b/n 80397), they are 1600 hp, type C-C MRS-1's (military road switcher) built for the Army between March and October, 1953 by Alco-GE (built by Alco Schenectady as a GE subcontractor). The "B" indicates they have a train-heating steam boiler for passenger service. The Alco model designation is RSX-4.

The 83 locomotives in the 2041-2123 series were custom designed as adjustable-gauge units that could have operated during the Korean War on foreign rail lines. They had a maximum weight of 240,000 lbs. that makes them particularly well suited to the NNRy light duty rail.

The Ely Daily Times (11 Aug 2000) reports that Senator Richard Bryan assisted the Museum in both obtaining the engines and in their delivery to Shafter by the Union Pacific.

Additional photos may be viewed at the Military Rails Online web site. They are at the bottom of the page under the "miscellaneous" category.

B2080 in East Ely, Aug 2000
Copyright © 2000 Al Clemens

B2081 in East Ely, Aug 2000
Copyright © 2000 Al Clemens

Museum Obtains BHP Locomotives and Rolling Stock 

June 2000

On May 15 2000 the Nevada Northern Railway museum obtained the former BHP Nevada Railroad motive power as part of a settlement of their track lease contract. The BHP Nevada Railroad ceased operations in June 1999.

The NN will retain EMD SD9 #204, Alco RS-3 #13, and the two GE 70-tonners. Current plans are to sell the remaining four SD9's.

The motive power, along with various railcars, was moved from the BHP facilities near Ruth to the east end of the NNRy yards at East Ely on June 13 and 14.

Source: "Inventory Swells." Summer 2000. Ghost Tracks - Official Newsletter of the Nevada Northern Railway Museum. p. 1, insert. 

Last modified 16 January, 2004 -/-