Machine Shop & Engine House

When the Nevada Northern arrived in Ely, work quickly started on construction on building the main yard and associated buildings at what is now the East Ely Yard following the Railroad Day celebrations September 29-30, 1906.

Initially constructing a small two-stall engine house near the site of the East Ely Depot, the railroad began constructing a larger concrete block building in the northwest corner of the yard in 1907. This was comprised of a two-stall machine shop and six-stall engine house. Work on the building was completed sometime in 1908.

However, by mid-1909 plans were already underway to double the size of the building. This expanded the size of the combined buildings backwards, doubling the stalls on each track. Additionally, plans were made for the addition of a 7 ½ ton overhead crane for the machine shop, though delivery and installation was not accomplished until 1910. A Boiler Room for the heating boilers is also added onto the end of the machine shop.

In 1917, the building received further improvements, including a new drop pit. It is likely that the current Blacksmith shop, Boiler shop, and changing room were constructed sometime between the 1909 expansion and the 1917 improvements. A seventh track was laid next to the engine house for the Rotary Snowplow and Wrecking Outfit.

During 1941, the machine shop/engine house facility received its final major overhaul. This involved the replacement of the east side of the building and the roof, resulting in the facility being open to the air for one summer. The stone front was replaced with brick, the wooden swinging doors with modern rolltops, and new smoke jacks were installed.

With the retirement of steam in the early 1950’s, no major modifications to the building were made. In fact, when the Nevada Northern shut down in 1983, the machine shop/engine house complex was remarkably intact from the steam era.

The building complex needed some structural work before the museum could begin using the facility again, but since 1990 the facility has provided the same function it has since being built.

Machine Shop
The beating heart of the complex, the Machine Shop has been one of the central facilities in the East Ely Yard since its construction in 1907. The majority of the machines inside the building are original, though the museum has acquired some additional machines over the years, including both mills.

Two tracks make up the Machine Shop, with Machine Shop One long enough for a tender, locomotive, or freight car. Machine Shop Two runs the length of the room, with two stalls featuring work pits. The rear stall includes a drop pit which runs into the neighboring engine house.

This room handled most major overhauls to both steam locomotives and rolling stock. This room handled the rebuild of 2-8-2 tank locomotive #5 to conventional 2-8-0 tender locomotive #80 as well as the rebuild of Pullman sleeper “Silisia” to Coach #5. During the diesel era prior to the shut down of the Ruth mines, the Kennecott Alcos were maintained at Copper Flat while Nevada Northern SD7 was maintained here at East Ely.

Engine House
The other central building of the complex is the Engine House. Comprised of six tracks with a seventh outside, each track is comprised of two stalls. The fore stalls are the original 1907 stalls, with the rear stalls being added in 1909. Track 1 is not accessible from the lead for the other tracks, but rather must be accessed from the Machine Shop lead.

Due to the railroad never building a turntable, each track is equipped with two smoke jacks, one on each end, so that no matter how the steam locomotives are pulled in they can be parked under a smoke jack. Additionally, the rear stalls of tracks 1&2 are part of the drop pit extending from the Machine Shop.

Interestingly, though the building is not round, the railroad often referred to the Engine House as the Roundhouse, using both terms interchangeably. In fact, they often called any building designed for the purpose of storing locomotives a roundhouse.

Today, the museum uses Track 1 as either a storage track or where locomotives needing significant wheel work are located so as to keep the machine shop open. The fore stalls of tracks 2&3 are the designated steam bays, and the fore stalls of tracks 4&5 are the primary diesel bays. The rear stalls are primarily used for storage of locomotives not in service or awaiting repairs.

Boiler Shop
Accessible from Track 3 of the Engine House, this workshop was added onto the complex sometime after the 1909 expansion. This room was designed for major work on the steam locomotive boilers, from installing tubes to cutting large pieces of boiler plate with the metal shears. At some point, a Babbitt stove was installed in the back corner of the shop for melting the soft metal for use in bearings. Following the end of steam, the room became a general workshop and air brake room. Recent organization by shop forces have led the Boiler Shop to be prepped for use once again as both a general workshop and boiler workshop again.

Blacksmith Shop
Replacing a separate structure located behind the main Machine Shop/Engine House facility, this area was one of two blacksmith shops located in the East Ely Yard. Of note are the large hammer located to one side and the forge created out of an old locomotive firebox. While the hammer and firebox forge are not currently used, occasionally the smaller rectangular forge is lit for projects.

The large gears and wheels on display on the wooden bench and hanging from the ceiling are wooden foundry patterns from the McGill Smelter, rescued by an employee at the closure of the smelter. The Nevada Northern had no foundry of its own, instead contracting with McGill. Many components of locomotives and rolling stock would have been cast from forms such as these.