Adventurers in Utah for Spike
150
Promontory Summit -
150 years later
A Sesquicentennial
Chapter Eleven
Riding the Nevada Northern
Driving through Nevada, So California and
home.
May 12, 2019
Sunday
by
Robin Bowers
Text and Photos by Author
The
author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed
without the author's consent
Comments are appreciated at...yr.mmxx@gmail.com
After spending the night in the bunkhouse located in the middle of
a train yard, both Chris and I arose rested and ready to attack
the last day of our Golden Spike expedition.
Chris's photos of our room in the bunkhouse.
We started the day by going
to McDonald's for breakfast which was under construction so we
took our to-go meal back to bunkhouse and ate in the
kitchen-dining room. After breakfast, we packed up and loaded
the car and then walked around the yard till it was time for our
train ride to Keystone.
Caboose 22 would be a good rental for a group wanting to be by
themselves but there are no bathroom facilities so you need to use
the bunkhouse.
Front of East Ely Station.
Coaling and Water Towers.
Engine house.
Nevada Northern 4-6-0 40 steaming up for our trip at 9:30 am.
#40 backing up to get on the platform track.
A photographers delight.
Our train was getting ready
for a 9:30 am departure. Chris and I ran into Greg and Marty
Smith, OCRHS and NRHS members, and we caught up on things. Once
they boarded the train we went to the open car and were joined
by four other NRHS members.
At 9:30 am the train backed out of the East
Ely station to the switch passed the wig wag crossing signal.
Once they threw the switch we were on our way towards Keystone.
This was Chris's third trip on the Nevada Northern but this was
my virgin trip and hopefully with more in the future.
Ticket to ride.
Pond with RR shops in background.
Views of downtown Ely, NV.
The train approaching the tunnel in Robinson Canyon.
Approaching our second tunnel, the underpass for US 50.
Old school house.
Lone horseman at the wye. The train would pass by here and then
stop, reverse and backup on this leg of the wye.
Is he friend or foe?
The metropolis of Keystone Gulch is approaching.
Oh! this place is not looking friendly.
I am thinking this might turn into a bad experience after the
train backed us into this train robbers hide-a-way.
Not a welcoming town?
Shag hill.
Keystone Gulch residents.
Gunfight after the train robbers gave out fake money to the
passengers. After that we started back to East Ely.
Glad to be leaving this outlaw western town.
The train went around the east leg of the wye to the mainline.
Approaching US 50 underpass.
Exiting US 50 underpass.
Entering the tunnel at Robinson Canyon.
Exiting the tunnel.
And now back to the big city.
Looking over to the water tower and coaling tower.
Another view of the bunkhouse.
A show stopper.
We are backing into the yard.
Engine shop.
Shops.
Now we were
stopped and parked at the platform and disembarked. A shop tour
was offered at this time but we choose to get a early start on
the trip home. We would be getting home sometime in the evening
and didn't want to make if too late. Also, my laryngitis was
acting up so skipping the shop tour was easy choice.
We drove south on US 93 through the eastern side of Nevada to the
has been train stop in Caliente.
The Union Pacific Caliente station.
A great looking station and it is a shame that it is not being
used.
Leaving Caliente we drove south on Rte 371 to Elgin through
Rainbow Canyon.
At Elgin Route 317 ended and from there we took a dusty unpaved
dirt road for 38 miles to get back to US 93. When we arrived at
I-15 we stopped for gas and a Subway to go.
On I-15 south of Las Vegas
which we saw eleven days ago when we started so now we have
completed the circle. Chris was very good at handling the heavy
traffic in Barstow and again on the Cajon Pass. After that it
was just driving on the home turf of the Southern California
freeways. At 8:05 pm we stopped at Chris's home. I moved my car
out of his driveway then unloaded my bags and his from his car.
Then it was my turn to drive now to get me to my abode about 30
minutes from Chris's. After parking, I check the apt and
everything looked as I left it so I unpacked finishing up by
setting down for a rest and glad to be back home sweet home.
Text and Photos by Author, Robin Bowers
The
author retains all rights. No reproductions are
allowed without the author's consent
