The was built to connect the copper mines and smelter of the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company in
White Pine County, Nevada . It also carried passenger traffic and provided a commuter service to bring children from outlying ranches and communities to the schools in
Ely .
In 1983 the
Kennecott Copper Corporation shut down the mining operations and the railway was donated to a non-profit foundation, the , who operate it today as a
Heritage Railway . Visitors can ride in restored cars and even operate the steam and diesel powered historic
Locomotive s, including the railway's flagship Engine #40, dubbed ''The Ghost Train of Old Ely.''
In April 2006, Nevada's National Historic Landmarks Committee granted unanimous support to nominating Nevada Northern as a
National Historic Landmark . The nomination now moves to the National Park System Advisory Board. The designation, if awarded, would make Nevada Northern the seventh Nevada site so named.
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