ELY, NEVADA — With all three of its restored steam locomotives down for repair and the busy summer season in full-swing, Nevada Northern Railway in Ely, Nev., has launched a “Steam Up Sweepstakes” to fund needed repairs and restore its iconic locomotives to full steam before the season slips away. More than $100,000 in prizes will be awarded, with the grand prize being a “be the engineer experience” for both a steam locomotive as well as a diesel locomotive. Every dollar contributed funds restoration and earns bonus entries. The sweepstakes runs through July 21, 2025. Visit https://nnry.com/sweepstakes/ for more information and ways to enter.
A National Historic Landmark, the Nevada Northern Railway Museum is widely considered the nation’s best-preserved standard-gauge short line and a complete steam-era rail facility.
Issues with the three Nevada Northern Railway locomotives include:
• Locomotive 81, a 1917 Baldwin 2-8-0, was taken out of service due to a snapped Bissel Post, leaking boiler rivets, and a severely worn pilot truck. While initial repairs were underway, crews discovered major hidden issues—likely from a derailment prior to the locomotive being mothballed. The pilot truck showed extensive cracking, worn components, and even misaligned and oval holes. Worse, original factory casting flaws from 1917 were never properly addressed. Almost every part had to be rebuilt or fabricated. The work requires precision boring, but the Lucas Horizontal Boring Machine broke its high-speed transmission, drastically slowing progress. Though the machine is still operational, the repairs are tedious and time-consuming.
• Locomotive 93, a 1909 Alco 2-8-0 encountered an unexpected mechanical failure when a large metal chunk was spotted beside the track—later identified as a broken hub liner from axle 4. Upon removing the axle for inspection, further damage was revealed. The crown brass had overheated and burned, the axle showed severe wear, and a side bearing had reached its condemning limit. These critical issues required sending parts to Salt Lake City for machining. Fortunately, the axle is salvageable and won’t need to be replaced. However, the specialized bearing material must be custom-manufactured, and the current lead time is six to eight weeks. In the meantime, the team is performing the locomotive’s annual inspection.
• Locomotive 40, a 1910 Baldwin 4-6-0, is awaiting its turn in the shop. Though its boiler passed inspection its firebox requires repair, including a patch around the mud ring. Her driver and pilot wheels were sent to Salt Lake for refurbishment, and the pilot wheels have already returned in excellent condition. The largest challenge with Locomotive 40 isn’t mechanical, but financial and logistical. The railway received a Save America’s Treasures grant for its restoration, but it comes with a looming September 30 deadline. All matching funds must be raised, spent, and the work completed by then.
Click here to watch a video of the railway in action.
