Nevada Northern Railway

In 1906 a railroad reached Ely, in the high desert of eastern Nevada, to carry copper from the mines at Ruth to the smelter at McGill and on to the main lines 140 miles north. For three quarters of a century the Nevada Northern did just that, and when the smelter closed in 1983 the trains simply stopped. Its owner, Kennecott Copper, gave the yard, the shops and the line up Robinson Canyon to a local foundation, which turned them into a museum. The museum calls it America's best-preserved standard-gauge short line, and in 2006 the East Ely yard became a National Historic Landmark: more than 70 buildings and structures and 30 miles of track.

The railway's own trains still run on it. Most excursions leave the 1907 depot at East Ely and climb west up Robinson Canyon, through two tunnels to the wye at Keystone below the old copper pits, a round trip of about 90 minutes; others head out on the Hiline above Steptoe Valley. You can ride in a coach or an open-air car, and the steam trains are pulled by No. 81, a Baldwin locomotive of 1917 that hauled ore over this same line until 1958.

Ely is a long way from anywhere: about 245 miles from Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, on US 50, the "Loneliest Highway in America". The railway runs at about 6,500 feet, so bring a jacket even on a summer evening.

The trip begins at the East Ely Depot, a two-storey Mission Revival building of 1907 with curved gables, a stone ground floor and separate waiting rooms that were once for men and for women. From 1906 a passenger train ran every day between Ely and the main line at Cobre, until the Steptoe Valley Flyer made its last run on 31 July 1941 and buses took over. Behind the depot spreads the 56-acre East Ely yard: the engine house, the 1907 machine shop, a water tank and more than 60 pieces of the railroad's own rolling stock, much of it dating from the 1910s.

The train is made up of vintage coaches and an open-air car, and you are free to move between them; a hat and sunscreen help in the open car, and a jacket on the evening trips. There is a restroom on board, snacks and drinks for sale, and the train is wheelchair accessible. For an extra fare you can ride in the caboose at the back, or up to two people can ride in the locomotive cab with the crew.

Up Robinson Canyon

Most excursions take the Robinson Canyon route, the old Ore Line of 1908. The train runs west past Ely and climbs into the canyon, sharing its floor with Gleason Creek and US 50, then plunges through two tunnels cut through the rock. For seventy years this line carried ore from the mines at Copper Flat, Ruth and Veteran to the McGill smelter, and its 11 miles through the canyon cost more to build than the whole 140-mile main line. At Keystone, beneath the open-pit copper mines of the Ruth district, the locomotive is turned on a wye, and the train drifts back down the canyon to East Ely.

The other route, the Valley Vista, heads east on the old Hiline towards Adverse and climbs above Steptoe Valley, with a view across the whole basin; the sunset and star trains take this line. A third route, north to the old smelter town of McGill, is being rebuilt, and the railway's own map gives 2028 for its completion.

The locomotives

The Nevada Northern still has three of its own steam locomotives. In 2026 the one in service is No. 81, a Baldwin 2-8-0 of 1917 that hauled copper ore until 1958, spent decades on display in town, and returned to steam in 2021. It was out of service again from 2023 and was fired up once more in February 2026. No. 40, a Baldwin 4-6-0 that pulled the Steptoe Valley Flyer and is Nevada's state locomotive, has been under overhaul since October 2020, and No. 93, an ALCO 2-8-0 of the class that hauled the first ore in 1908, is also out of service; the railway hopes to have all three in steam together. The other trains are hauled by the vintage diesels, such as 109, an ALCO RS-3 that was already running specials for Kennecott in 1982.

Every excursion leaves from the East Ely Depot, 1100 Avenue A, and takes about 90 minutes there and back. The depot opens at 8:00; arrive half an hour before your train. The pattern changes with the season, and these are the regular excursions on sale for the rest of the 2026 season:

The steam trains are pulled by No. 81. In summer there are more trains and the steam engine works more days: in the week of the Fourth of July 2026, for example, excursions left at 9:30 on Monday, 16:30 on Thursday, 13:00 on Friday on the Valley Vista route and 16:30 on the steam train, 13:00 on Saturday and 11:30 on Sunday.

Beyond the regular excursions the railway runs a long list of themed trains: the Star Train with telescopes on summer nights, Sunset, Stars and Champagne through the year, the Steptoe Valley Flyer in its original cars of 1882 and 1906, the Haunted Ghost Train and the children's Pumpkin Patch Caper in October, the Santa's Reindeer Flyer at Christmas, and the Fire and Ice fireworks train in January.

Good to know:

• Book ahead for the themed trains, which often sell out.
• Ely is over a mile high, and the weather can change quickly; bring a jacket for the open-air car.
• The museum is open daily, so a train ride and a walk round the yard fit easily into one visit.

Departures as of October 2026, from the railway's booking calendar and its 2026 schedules. Confirm before travelling on nnry.com (opens in a new tab).

The same fares apply to the steam and the diesel excursions: $39 for an adult and $33 for a senior aged 65 or over. Children aged 4 to 12 pay $15, and ride free on the Monday and Wednesday morning trains in October; children under 4 always ride free. Groups of 12 or more save 18%. A ride in the cab with the engineer costs $150 a person, and the caboose can be booked for your own party, from $200.

Admission to the museum yard is a separate ticket, $10 for an adult. Themed trains are priced on their own, mostly from $38 to $65 for an adult. Fares checked October 2026 at nnry.com (opens in a new tab); US dollars.

No rail pass covers the Nevada Northern Railway. It is a museum railroad that sells its own tickets. Amtrak's USA Rail Pass is valid only on Amtrak's own services, and Interrail and Eurail do not apply anywhere in the United States.

The railway's own savings are its memberships, which bring discounts on train tickets and the Hands on History experiences, and a group rate of 18% off for parties of 12 or more.

Checked October 2026 against nnry.com (opens in a new tab) and amtrak.com (opens in a new tab).

Ely is the county seat of White Pine County and the only town of any size for a long way in every direction. The copper pits and Garnet Hill lie just west of town, the Ward Charcoal Ovens and Cave Lake are a short drive south, and Great Basin National Park, with Wheeler Peak and Lehman Caves, is about 60 miles to the east.

Ely has hotels, motels and a campground or two within a short drive of the depot, most of them along Aultman Street and US 50. Book ahead for the summer star trains and the October weekends.

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