This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Wasatch Front residents who take their families to Great Basin National Park — one of the closest national parks to the majority of Utahns — might also consider driving a few miles west to Ely.
That's the home of the Nevada Northern Railway and the adjacent museum, one of the more interesting old-time railroad operations in the Western United States.
The railroad, which offers museums as well as a chance to ride historic trains, is preparing for its 30th season.
Excursion trains begin running Saturday at 1 p.m. An anniversary celebration is planned for Memorial Day weekend.
New in 2017 is the Pony Express Limited, which includes special postage and horseback riders.
Another special event for the railway in 2017 will come with the total solar eclipse crossing a swath of North America, including parts of Idaho and Wyoming, on Aug. 21. The Eclipse Express will take visitors to see the solar eclipse at 9:15 a.m.
Other visitor favorites include:
• Be the Engineer, where visitors can take the throttle of a steam locomotive.
• Ride with the Engineer, where visitors ride in the cab with an engineer.
• The Rockin' & Rollin' Geology Trail.
• The Fourth of July Fireworks Train.
• The Wild West Limited.
• Railroad Reality Week, an intense hands-on opportunity to work on a railroad.
• A Halloween Ghost Train.
• The Polar Express train for the Christmas holidays.
For information and train schedules, visit http://www.nnry.com or call 775-289-2085.