No worries! Steam Locomotive 93 is not being converted to electricity. If you read the article in last month’s April 1st edition of the Colorado Time-Table, it was announced that we were going to convert locomotive 93 to electricity to save money.

It was the fortuitous combination of events that created the article. First is that it was April Fool’s Day. Secondly, the Time-Table has a sense of humor. And, finally, is yours truly, Nevada Northern Railway “Executive Prankster”, who spent too much time watching “Mission Impossible” growing up. The combination of these events led to the article and, I hope, some chuckles.

While the article was fun to write, it actually underscores the challenges being faced by the Museum. In March, I was in Death Valley. I enjoyed the trip immensely until I stopped at the Furnace Creek Chevron Station. The fuel prices were astonishing! Regular - $5.23; Plus - $5.34; Supreme - $5.45 and Diesel No 2 a heart stopping $5.49 and this was no April Fool’s joke!

It was those gas prices that planted the seed for the “April Fools” Locomotive 93 conversion article. There, on vacation, I started thinking how will this impact the Museum? Short version: not good. When fuel went over $4.00 a gallon in 2008, we saw a drop in our ridership. After six years of ridership increases, our ridership dropped 27%. Since that time, we have been rebuilding - increasing every year, but we’re still not quite to where we were in 2007.  Now this, fuel prices climbing again.

The Museum is a non-profit corporation. When people hear the term “non-profit”, they think, ‘Oh, they don’t need to make a profit.’ Well, yes we do. Non-profit really means that we’re non-taxable. We face all of the financial challenges that confront a for-profit corporation.

At the end of the year, we need to take in more money than we spent. Additionally, money needs to be set aside for depreciation, for repairs to century-old steam locomotives and buildings. We need to advertise and market to create demand for our product. We need to increase our customer base, our membership and boast ridership. And all of this is done on a shoestring budget that has some knots in it.

Being in the museum business brings its own particular set of challenges. Here nothing is cheap or inexpensive. First, we are operating an obsolete technology that Kennecott scrapped in five years because it was economically unfeasible to keep the steam locomotives.

Secondly, we need to stay true to the way something was built and operated. Are there easier, faster, cheaper ways of doing things, yes. But we want to stay true to our mission of preserving the Nevada Northern Railway as it was. And there are no two ways about it. That is incredibly expensive.

We recently spent almost $400,000 to rebuild Locomotive 93’s running gear. Now the locomotive needs tender work. Next in line is Locomotive 40; it needs about $400,000 worth of running gear and tender repairs. Then there is Steptoe Valley Smelting and Mining steam Locomotive number 3, it needs another $400,000 to put it back in service. And waiting in the wings is steam Locomotive 81, needing about $1,200,000; and don’t forget the steam-powered rotary snowplow, needing about $300,000. So that’s $2,300,000. And that’s just the steam side of the engine house.

On the diesel side, we have locomotive 105 needing $35,000 worth of work. We have the opportunity to bring back one of the Baldwin locomotives; figure about $80,000 or so. Locomotive 204 needs additional attention; figure $80,000 - $90,000. Then the big project is Locomotive 13. It is an RS-3 not original to this railroad. Our plan is to strip it down and put in a new gen-set with new airbrakes and controls. The reason? This would then be our principal locomotive for excursion service and would save wear and tear on the ALCOs and Baldwins. It would also be cheaper to operate; figure $350,000 or so. So for the diesel side of the engine house, we need an additional $550,000. It costs lots less money to keep an old ALCO diesel locomotive operating than an old ALCO steam locomotive operating.

Of course, having the locomotives running is great, but they don’t do us much good without passenger equipment. And, if you’ve come this far, you will not be surprised to learn that we need to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in our passenger cars, too.

Then there are the buildings. The locomotives and cars are cool and neat. But what really sets us apart from just about any other railroad in the country are our historic buildings. Seventy buildings and structures here in East Ely, with another dozen or so scattered 140 miles across the high desert of Nevada. Most of these buildings are a century or more old and needs lots of help, literally millions of dollars’ worth of help.

Now, factor in that we are 240 miles from any large populated area. We are located in a county with a population of less than 10,000. It is evident that we do have our work cut out for us.

So, how do we do we stay financially solvent and how can we grow? Believe me, it is not just from ticket revenue. Our not-so-secret weapon is our members. We have over 2,500 dues-paying members. They make a financial investment in the Nevada Northern Railway. We have members in every state of the union. Without such an active and generous membership, frankly, trains would not run. Locomotives would not be repaired, train cars would not be repaired, and buildings would fall down.

It is our membership who makes this possible. So, yes, I did have a little fun last month with the story on electrifying Locomotive 93. If last month’s story startled you, then take action, become a member of the Museum. It is your membership that will keep Locomotive 93 steaming, the trains going and the buildings standing.

If seeing Locomotive 93 operate is important to you, then you need to step up to the plate and become a member of the Museum, today.

It is easy and takes only a few minutes. By joining you are making a statement and showing your concrete financial support of the railroad. Don’t delay, memberships begin at $30, join today and be part of the group that keeps Locomotive 93 steaming.