Nevada Northern & Railroads of White Pine County

Background

A route map of the Nevada Northern Railway together with a historical timeline is presented as a background to these pages.

The rail route is commonly referred to as the "Nevada Northern". However, there have been several operators over this track in the 20^th century including:

Nevada Northern Railway Company
Nevada Consolidated Copper Company
Nevada Consolidated Copper Corporation
Kennecott Copper Corporation, Nevada Mines Division
Nevada Northern Railway Museum
Northern Nevada Railroad Corporation
BHP Nevada Railroad Company

For most of its history, the mining companies operated the ore trains between the Robinson mining district and the smelter at McGill. The Nevada Northern Railway operating between East Ely and the interchanges with the Western Pacific at Shafter, NV and the Southern Pacific at Cobre, NV performed common carrier operations.

Most recently (until its closure in the summer of 1999) the BHP Nevada Railroad operated its ore trains between its mill at Riepetown and the interchange with the Union Pacific RR at Shafter. The crossing of the former WP mainline at Shafter has been removed although the interchange trackage remains. The line from Shafter to Cobre is abandoned.

The Nevada Northern Railway museum operates tourist excursions between East Ely and both Keystone Junction and the Hiline route to near Adverse Junction.

1940 map of the Nevada Northern Railway
from the collection of Steve Swanson

èHistorical timelineç

BHP Mill at Riepetown
21 June 1999

Last modified 10 May 2002 -/-