While staying at Ward Charcoal Ovens State park, I took a day trip into Ely to look around. This is their historic Railroad Depot.
It is really more than a museum...it is a living history center and fully operational train station using the original train engines and cars.
There is an art gallery in the visitor's center.
And as you step outside in the train yard, here comes a train!
That's a passenger train that will probably go out on an excursion tour later in the day.
Photo in the museum of one of the steam engines on their route. They have several different train tours available.
The original railroad offices are part of the museum exhibits. This is the supply room. Everything was left intact when the last mining company left in 1983.
A list of fares.
Old photographs on display.
The depot under construction in 1906.
All of the furniture and equipment is original.
The coal tower and the water tower can be seen across the rail yard.
The coal is loaded and they're getting ready for a run.
That is the passenger car that was brought in earlier.
Don't know if I was supposed to, but I climbed up to get a photo. A man was hosing out the mail/baggage car in the back.
The day's tour was too late for me to do, as I had left Thistle back in the RV. But if I go there again, the tours sounded interesting enough to plan an adventure.
The self-guided tour takes me to the Engine House...where they still work on and repair the original engines.
You must watch out for your own safety, but can go anywhere you want to.
An engine getting serviced or repaired.
Don't fall in the pit!
Looking out the big doors.
Some old engines are stored in this part of the building, but are no longer in service. This was a wrecking crane.
A rotary snow plow.
The blacksmith shop.
They still have a working blacksmith who must fashion replacement parts for the old engines.
A pot-bellied stove.
You can see people working all over the train yard.
The train whistles and here comes another train! It was a fun tour.
Then I was hungry so I ate at this cafe just up the street from the depot.
You can see the theme. They were still serving breakfast, so I treated myself to French Toast and bacon.
The cafe. It looked like they rent rooms upstairs too.
Notice the ceiling design.
From there I drove downtown to see the old Courthouse.
This is the library next door to the Courthouse.
The library has murals of prominent citizens. I did not take the time to go up and read about who they were.
Down the street is an unusual art park.
Ely Renaissance Society Sculpture Park. The metal sculptures represent certain aspects of the landscape, mining history, or people.
The floor is a labyrinth with a path used for meditation.
And of course it wouldn't be Nevada without casinos!
This large mural depicts the building of the Ward Charcoal Ovens.
And this one shows the railroad tracks being laid.
There were more murals and historic buildings, but it was time to get back to Thistle.
