Northern Nevada Wrote:
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> Let's not forget the ill fated Northern Nevada
> that operated the line for a short time before BHP
> made them an offer they couldn't refuse to go
> away. Northern Nevada constructed the new line
> from Keystone to the current loader (using
> salvaged rail from the SP Westside line), and
> brought in the SD-9's to handle the (slow) road
> haul over the 70 lb mainline rail. During the
> construction of the new line the infamous runaway
> flat loaded with ties ran into the 93. A brief
> but important foot note to the current status of
> the NN.

Northern Nevada Railroad was the creation of Bryan Whipple, the same guy who started and then lost the Eureka Southern. The Northern Nevada started rebuilding the mainline and the new line to the concentrator- but for motive power, they brought in the two ex-Santa Maria Valley 70-tonners and then purchased a pair of MRS-1 diesels from the Western Pacific Railroad Museum. One of them got painted up in a slight variation of the same yellow and orange used on the EUKA, but the Northern Nevada vanished before either of the MRS-1s could be delivered...the WPRM sold the painted unit to the Yreka Western instead, where it worked until they cut it up a year or two ago. After the Northern Nevada disappeared Magna Copper assumed operations of the railroad, and then not long afterwards Broken Hills Properties purchased Magna, and they set up BHP Nevada Rail to operate the railroad. I seem to recall it was BHP who brought the ex-SP SD-9s in. Magna was the responsible party at the time of the runaway flat, as they paid for the purchase of the two steel coaches from the Willamette & Pacific and covered most of the other damage.

And to Robby's point- I think the parts unit was BHP #201. I don't see it anywhere obvious in Google Earth images of the Ely yards (imagery dated June 30, 2012), so if it is still on the property they have it tucked away inside someplace...

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV