Ely was
named in honor of Smith Ely, president of the Selby Copper Mining
& Smelting Co.; which was founded on the site of the present
Ely's City Hall in 1878. By 1902 extensive copper deposits were
found in the area. Mark Requa, son of a wealthy Comstock silver
magnate, owned the Eureka & Palisade Railroad, a narrow gauge
in Eureka. Requa was interested in bolstering the sagging economy
of the E&P and explored the local copper properties at Ely. He
organized the White Pine Copper Company - constructing a route that
would require 140 miles of track construction. In 1904 White Pine
Copper Co. merged into other mining properties and organized as the
Nevada Consolidated Copper Co. ( NCCCo)
1905-1906 -
Construction at Cobre began and tracks reached Ely and a gala
"Railroad Days" celebration took place. The branch line was
completed from McGill Junction to McGill.
1907-1908 -
Construction of the McGill smelter began. NN tracks reached Lane
City, Keystone mining district, Veteran Mine and Kimberly.
Passenger & express service begins to McGill. The Hiline is
completed.
1920 -
Regular Pullman passenger service discontinued.
1938 - Local
passenger and express trains discontinued.
1948 -
Dieselization of ore trains begins and most Kennecott ( successor
to NCCCo. ) steam engines retired.
1978 - Ruth
district mines are closed & ore trains to McGill are
discontinued.
1983 - Last
NNRy freight operated in East Ely to Cobre.
In
1983, the White Pine Historical Railroad Foundation was organized
to receive, administer, and develop an operating railroad museum.
Kennecott made substantial donations consisting of: over 32 miles
of track, East Ely Complex of machine shops, roundhouse, yards, and
rolling stock as well as the McGill Depot.
In
September of 1986, Engine #40 was steamed up for the first time
since 1964 and pronounced to be in perfect mechanical condition. A
new era thus was born as the newly dubbed "Ghost Train of Old Ely"
began chugging along once familiar rails to thrill generations.
Here is your invitation to come to Ely and experience the nostalgia
of an era gone by.