Nevada Northern Railway #40

Locomotive #40 is a 4-6-0 “Ten-Wheeler,” a type widely used for both passenger and mixed trains. Of the seven Ten-Wheelers once rostered by the Nevada Northern Railway, none are more storied than #40.

By 1910, just a few years after the line reached Ely, demand had grown rapidly. The railroad operated daily suburban trains to Ruth and McGill, plus a mainline passenger run. The existing engines—dating as far back as 1869—were aging and overworked. To relieve the strain and modernize service, the railroad placed an order with Baldwin Locomotive Works for a new passenger engine. It was the Nevada Northern’s first Baldwin.

Delivered in July 1910 and placed into service by September, #40 quickly proved itself. In one test run, it averaged 60 mph while making up lost time—a fast clip for the era. The locomotive would remain largely unchanged until 1928, when it received piston valves and a superheater.

By the late 1930s, competition from automobiles cut deep into passenger rail traffic. The railroad replaced passenger trains with buses in 1941. #40 pulled the last train on July 31 of that year and was stored after an overhaul in 1942, in case the buses failed.

In the 1950s, the railroad began scrapping out-of-service steam engines. According to legend, crews hid #40 around the system to save her—earning her the nickname “The Ghost Train.” In truth, General Superintendent Harold “Pete” Peterson formally requested permission from Kennecott to preserve the engine, and it was granted.

For the railroad’s 50th anniversary in 1956, #40 was steamed up to pull celebratory trains. Over 6,000 people rode in a single day. She ran occasional excursions until 1964, then was placed back into storage. Though several museums asked to acquire her, the Nevada Northern always said no.

After the closure of the mines in 1983, residents of Ely asked Kennecott to donate the railroad and #40 to create a museum. On October 23, 1984, the transfer became official. Work began to restore #40, and she returned to service in 1987, pulling excursion trains once more.

In 2009, due to her continuous operation on her original line and remarkable preservation, the Nevada State Legislature named #40 the official state steam locomotive. #40 was retired again in 2020 for a full overhaul—bringing her back to her 1910 strength. More than a century after she rolled off the line in Philadelphia, #40 remains the pride of the Nevada Northern and one of the most historically intact locomotives in America.