Steamscape: Lower Tunnel. Nevada Northern's Baldwin Consolidation #81 charges out of the Lower Tunnel near MP 141.8, as she hauls a short passenger consist south (compass west) through Robinson Canyon, bound for Keystone in the Mines District, about 4 miles to the west.
Although the Nevada Northern Railway did not typically run public passenger service on this stretch of track, known as the "Ore Line", it did occasionally run trains carrying personnel and equipment to the Mines District, so the presence of this train in this location may have some historical basis. Typically, such a train would have more likely been pulled by the 10-wheeler #40 or one of her systems, vs. a freight hog like the 81 pictured here. That's the locomotive we normally see with this consist during the Nevada Northern Railway Museum's annual Winter Photo Shoots, but for 2022, the 40 happened to be in the middle of a 1,472 Service Day Inspection, so the recently-restored #81 was substituted. Although she's clearly a freight locomotive, the green boiler jacket and trim on this engine actually make her look right at home with the passenger cars. I'm told that the museum elected to apply the green paint to the jacket and appliances on this locomotive because their review of the original documents associated with the acquisition of this engine back in 1917 revealed that it was indeed painted like this when delivered by the Baldwin factory.