COLLECTION NAME:
NNRy Background and History Information
Record
Title:
Passenger Service
Description:
Passenger service on the NNRy spanned a period of 35 years from 1906 to 1941. Over that time, in excess of 4.6 million passengers rode the Great Basin desert rails.
The first passenger train operated on May 22, 1906. A special run for Mark Requa and his guests was made over the 63 miles from Cobre to Currie, while the remaining line south of Currie was still under construction.
Regular tri-weekly passenger service was established on June 2, 1906 between Cobre and Currie. The first mixed train to Cherry Creek was on July 7, 1906.
The railroad reached Ely on Saturday, September 29, 1906. After a weekend celebrating "Railroad Day," regular train service between Cobre and Ely was inaugurated on the following Monday, October 1, 1906.
Two regularly scheduled trains operated between Ely and Cobre; #3 was the scheduled northbound run to Cobre and #4 was the return southbound train. Normally engines #10 and #40 alternated on the daily passenger trains. Engine #11 was used as a "spare," but over a five-year period all three engines accrued about the same mileage.
Both engines #10 and #40 had the engineer' name under the cab number on the right side. Hence, you may sometimes see ten-wheeler #40 called the "R.O Noble." Roy O. Noble was an employee of the NNRy from the beginning, chairman of the local engineers union, and also ran the last regularly scheduled passenger train on July 31, 1941 along with Bill Young another NNRy "lifer."
Pullman service began in 1907. It operated daily at Cobre via the Southern Pacific to Ogden, UT and from there via D&RG to Salt Lake City. Daily service also operated at Shafter via the Western Pacific to Salt Lake City. For westbound passengers, twice-weekly Pullman service operated from Cobre to Oakland, CA via the Southern Pacific.
Local service comprised a major portion of the regularly scheduled trains dispatched through East Ely at least into the 1930s.
-"School Trains" ran between Ruth and Ely and between McGill and Ely transporting students attending White Pine High School in Ely that was opened in 1914.
-"Shift Trains" transported miners and other employees between Ely, Ruth and McGill.
-"Ping Pong Trains" were the interurban commuter shuttle that operated the 1.3 miles between Ely and East Ely. This service was discontinued in September 1931.
A timetable from 1909 shows 44 regularly scheduled trains, many of them the "Ping Pong" interurbans between Ely and East Ely. In 1917, 24 daily passenger trains were dispatched through East Ely. As late as 1931, the two scheduled daily runs between Ely and Cobre were supplemented with ten trains between Ely-East Ely-McGill Jct.-McGill and two additional trains on the mines branch East Ely-Ruth-Kimberly.
All Pullman service was discontinued on November 13, 1920. With the increasing popularity of the internal combustion engine for personal transportation, the "Ping Pong" train was discontinued in September 1931. In 1939, buses replaced the "School Trains" that had been transporting students for 25 years.
Regularly scheduled passenger trains and RPO service between Cobre and Ely were discontinued after July 31, 1941. The pride of the line, Baldwin ten-wheeler #40, was assigned to the last regularly scheduled passenger run just as it had handled trains no. 3 and no. 4 in regular service since 1910.
In September 1956, #40 was used to pull special passenger trains for the 50th Anniversary Celebrations launching a second career as an excursion locomotive. Excursion trains would continue to the end of regular operations and was continued by the Museum.
The first passenger train operated on May 22, 1906. A special run for Mark Requa and his guests was made over the 63 miles from Cobre to Currie, while the remaining line south of Currie was still under construction.
Regular tri-weekly passenger service was established on June 2, 1906 between Cobre and Currie. The first mixed train to Cherry Creek was on July 7, 1906.
The railroad reached Ely on Saturday, September 29, 1906. After a weekend celebrating "Railroad Day," regular train service between Cobre and Ely was inaugurated on the following Monday, October 1, 1906.
Two regularly scheduled trains operated between Ely and Cobre; #3 was the scheduled northbound run to Cobre and #4 was the return southbound train. Normally engines #10 and #40 alternated on the daily passenger trains. Engine #11 was used as a "spare," but over a five-year period all three engines accrued about the same mileage.
Both engines #10 and #40 had the engineer' name under the cab number on the right side. Hence, you may sometimes see ten-wheeler #40 called the "R.O Noble." Roy O. Noble was an employee of the NNRy from the beginning, chairman of the local engineers union, and also ran the last regularly scheduled passenger train on July 31, 1941 along with Bill Young another NNRy "lifer."
Pullman service began in 1907. It operated daily at Cobre via the Southern Pacific to Ogden, UT and from there via D&RG to Salt Lake City. Daily service also operated at Shafter via the Western Pacific to Salt Lake City. For westbound passengers, twice-weekly Pullman service operated from Cobre to Oakland, CA via the Southern Pacific.
Local service comprised a major portion of the regularly scheduled trains dispatched through East Ely at least into the 1930s.
-"School Trains" ran between Ruth and Ely and between McGill and Ely transporting students attending White Pine High School in Ely that was opened in 1914.
-"Shift Trains" transported miners and other employees between Ely, Ruth and McGill.
-"Ping Pong Trains" were the interurban commuter shuttle that operated the 1.3 miles between Ely and East Ely. This service was discontinued in September 1931.
A timetable from 1909 shows 44 regularly scheduled trains, many of them the "Ping Pong" interurbans between Ely and East Ely. In 1917, 24 daily passenger trains were dispatched through East Ely. As late as 1931, the two scheduled daily runs between Ely and Cobre were supplemented with ten trains between Ely-East Ely-McGill Jct.-McGill and two additional trains on the mines branch East Ely-Ruth-Kimberly.
All Pullman service was discontinued on November 13, 1920. With the increasing popularity of the internal combustion engine for personal transportation, the "Ping Pong" train was discontinued in September 1931. In 1939, buses replaced the "School Trains" that had been transporting students for 25 years.
Regularly scheduled passenger trains and RPO service between Cobre and Ely were discontinued after July 31, 1941. The pride of the line, Baldwin ten-wheeler #40, was assigned to the last regularly scheduled passenger run just as it had handled trains no. 3 and no. 4 in regular service since 1910.
In September 1956, #40 was used to pull special passenger trains for the 50th Anniversary Celebrations launching a second career as an excursion locomotive. Excursion trains would continue to the end of regular operations and was continued by the Museum.
Passenger Service
