Trainmaster Chris Nally signals the railroad’s 1930-built ‘Doodlebug’ to pass through a switch outside of Ely, Nev. on Feb. 16, 2025.

Photos series and writing by Nick Stewart

Before the sun rises over the mountains, crews are already working hard at the engine house at the Nevada Northern Railway in Ely, Nevada. Inside the 1907 building, the day begins with routine checks and a hiss of steam slowly building in locomotives that once helped build the Nevada economy hauling copper ore.

Located off America’s Loneliest Highway, Ely is home to a one-of-a-kind railroad. After the closure of the Kennecott Copper Company operations in 1983, the railroad went with it. What happened in the years following that was remarkable. The rails and buildings were all completely left the way they were over 40 years ago and are now a working, living museum.

The Nevada Northern is now a historic tourist attraction, but keeping it running requires the same kind of work that was necessary in the days when they were still hauling copper ore. The locomotive engineers, firemen and shop crew arrive early to prepare the locomotives and cars for another day of service. These shifts will last all day and they push through the snowy, cold winters and the hot, dry summers.

Much of the equipment dates back more than a century. The labor that goes into keeping them running is physical and dirty, but if you ask the crew members why they keep doing it, their answers are all the same — the reward comes from preserving a piece of living Nevada history.

Visitors will see a clean train and treat themselves to a scenic ride, but it’s only possible thanks to the dedicated employees and volunteers of the railroad.