The engineer of the Nevada Northern Railway #40 has just expertly spotted the tender under the water spout and the fireman is giving the 106-year-old Baldwin 4-6-0 locomotive a nice long drink in preparation for another excursion later in the afternoon. The Queen of the Nevada Northern Railway was purchased new in 1910 for $13,139 and for 31 years it worked in passenger service between Ely and Cobre. The train, consisting of an RPO/Baggage car and a first class coach #5, made the round trip 5 times a day. #40’s 69” driving wheels allowed for an easy 45 mph average, with 60 mph or more likely at times. #40 avoided the scrapper’s torch in 1941 at the end of passenger service and was stored for occasional use. Rumor has it that when Kennecott took over, she was hidden in a tunnel to avoid being sold for scrap. She was restored in 1987 and again in 2005 by the staff and volunteers at the Nevada Northern Railway. Today’s journey almost didn’t happen, after a stuck throttle took her out of service a few days earlier. A lot of hard work over the following days brought her back to operating condition just a day before this photo was made. Nearly everything in this image dates back to her time in passenger service.
