The Northern Nevada Railway will host a special Solar Eclipse Limited Train Ride for the upcoming Annular Solar Eclipse on October 14, 2023. The ride has been featured in several national websites including Travel and Leisure in an article that offers full details about the train ride which will provide a unique opportunity to view the upcoming eclipse.
The Nevada Northern Railway was built over a century ago to service what would become one of the largest copper mines in North America. Today, several of the original coal-fired standard-gauge steam locomotives that were ordered and delivered new to the railroad over 110 years ago are still in operation. The Nevada Northern Railway is the best-preserved example of a standard-gauge short-line left in North America.
The Nevada Northern Railway National Historic Landmark is on a 56-acre campus located in Ely Nevada. The Landmark consists of sixty buildings and structures with the majority constructed from 1906 to 1910. In addition to the buildings and structures, there are four steam locomotives, one of which, Locomotive 40, is a Nevada State Symbol. There are twelve antique diesel locomotives the oldest being 72-years old and still in operation. Additionally, there are 100 antique freight and passenger cars, with the oldest dating to 1872.
In addition to the Solar Eclipse Limited Train Ride the Northern Nevada Railway offers nighttime astronomical focused train rides including the Star Train which, as the company notes, “Pulls out of Ely with the Dark Rangers of Great Basin National Park aboard. These rangers love the night sky as much as we do, but probably know a whole lot more about stars than all of us put together. They will guide us to find interesting things up in the Heavens on this journey. We will stop the train away from town and have a special telescope for viewing the night sky.”
They also offer a Sunset, Stars, and Champagne experience, which, as the organization notes, “Experience a marvelous western sunset and watch the stars come out, while enjoying a relaxing train ride in Nevada’s high desert country. The train takes you out into the desert, above Steptoe Valley, giving you a wonderful panoramic view of the sunset. On the return trip, enjoy looking up at the stars, as they come out in the heavens above. Weather permitting, you should be able to clearly see the heavens with your naked eye. Bring your smartphone to help orient you to the night sky. Please note, we do not bring telescopes on this train.”
You can learn more about the Solar Eclipse Limited Train Ride here.
The Sun is more active than it’s been in years and if that’s not enough, we have the Annular Solar Eclipse on October 14, 2023 and the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024! If you’d like to learn more about the technology behind solar observing, solar imaging and more, you can check out our free publication, “The Definitive Guide to Viewing and Imaging the Sun”. You don’t have to sign up or provide any information, simply click here and enjoy reading!
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