July 3 - Ely, Nevada

We got to Ely mid-afternoon, and checked into our B&B which was only a block from the East Ely depot of the Nevada Northern Railway.

I hustled down to the depot to find that the local high school was holding a reunion for all the folks who graduated in a year ending in nine. I met folks from the classes of 1949, 1959, and more. Hearing the rumble of an old Alco, I walked back of the depot to find this RS-3 shunting cars in and out of the shop across the tracks.

Pretty soon Alco steamer #93 pulled up to the station with her train (two coaches, an open car, a wide-vision caboose, and a short flatcar holding a replica of a birthday cake and a two-inch cannon! #93 is a hundred years old this year (as of January 17, I've been informed).

The train crew held a meeting before loading the train for this evenings excursion.

The passengers are loaded onto the train, the conductor has given the high sign, and the engineer clears the cylinders before shoving the train back out onto the mainline.

The Nevada Northern Railway is run by a dedicated group of volunteers. We're looking forward to our excursion tomorrow.