Join us for a trip back in time when the iron horse ruled the rails. Today, the Nevada Northern Railway is the last of its kind - the sole survivor from a grand era of railroading in the Silver State. Now a National Historic Landmark, it is America’s best preserved short-line railroad and complete rail facility still in existence. To see the route map for click here.

The Nevada Northern Railway is a living, breathing, operating historic railroad. This is real! Instead of relics in glass cases or repainted old equipment on static display, here you witness a working 19th century steam railroad. It’s gritty. It’s dirty. It smells of coal smoke, creosote and sweat. Locomotives whistle off, cars clang as they are coupled together and wheels squeal as the locomotive is turned on the wye. At other times, it’s eerily quiet, where the only noise is the wind and the hooting of the owl that lives in the coaling tower. Train excursions operate on the weekends from early April and go through the following January. Weekday operations start after Memorial Day through the end of September.

In 2012, both steam locomotives will operate Memorial Day Weekend. Then from June 29th through July 9th, there will be a daily steam-powered train. For schedules and reservation click on the Train Ride button or give us a call at (866) 407-8326 or (775) 289-2085.

Steam-powered rains travel the Keystone Route towards Ruth, Nevada on the original track through a tunnel that was built in 1907. The McGill Junction Route is the recently reopened old mainline towards Club 50 on Highway 93. McGill is always diesel powered; Keystone can be either steam or diesel powered.

Please note: century old steam locomotives are divas: high maintenance and temperamental. We do our best to operate the steam locomotives on their scheduled days. But after more than 100 years of service they will occasionally take an unexpected day off. If this happens the train will still go but with different motive power. We do reserve the right to substitute locomotives and cars as needed.

Here is where you can experience history. Explore the grounds and experience first-hand what it took to move a mountain of copper ore. Go into the shops and watch as century-old techniques are still used today. Climb aboard a steam-powered passenger train and travel back into the last century. It is all waiting for you here. All Aboard!