I can see how that can be a problem in Ely. As such a small town, the locals want to have complete control over the railroad, but at the same time the operation has such an international following that outside influence may be a necessity.

Hi All

Another meeting was held on June 13th. It took an hour to decide which attorney was working for who and who wanted to move forward. The meeting was interupted by multiple closed sessions with the lawyers. I could not stay for the entire thing but reports say the meeting was particularly heated after I left. Apparently the management board is all threatening to resign over the situation. I am sadden to see a National Treasure in this situation. I hope the paper covers the event. A local citizen taped the meeting but I need to ask him what he plans to use it for. Ely has a public access channel so it may show up there.

Robby Peartree

I can imagine that in one form or another, this is a very general problem.

What happens when a museum is owned by any particular government agency, which may pay a few salaries and keep the lights on, but depends upon a foundation or friends group to fund programs? I can imagine that the bureaucrats can't stand to have on-going programs that they cannot control--or worse, have that stream of money going into "their" museum that they can't divert to some pet project of their own. This kind of situation is likely to kill or stymie a worthwhile museum, because the foundation or friends' group will eventually stop providing funds.

Frankly, I don't know the solution.

I had dinner with an early member of the NN family tonight. He is one of the few still alive from the original group that decided to approach Kennecott about the RR. The issues of age and frustrations about the situation keep him from the meetings I asked him what he believed the early local citizens that worked together to with Kennecott would think of today's situation and he said they would be pretty disapointed with it.

I find that many groups or efforts change over time. How a group changes over the years says a lot about who they are. How the initial efforts are viewed by those following is a measure of a groups integrity and ability to stay focused on their original mission.

The night before I had dinner with a ASME boiler committee member and we were leaving the resturant when I looked at a photo of 93 on the wall. It is a photo of an engineer oiling around. Today that would have to be staged because of the changes since 2004. Everyday things change but a real challenge for all operating museums is to resist change for making something "better" because you loose such types of tasks and knowledge.

Robby Peartree

Now it's three headlines --- see

http://www.elynews.com/2016/06/10/compr ... oundation/

Big issue is whether members who don't live in the Ely area should be allowed to vote and whether non residents can serve on the board.

Bob H

There is another story/chapter in the Ely Times in the 7-15-16 edition about the RR management.

Robby Peartree

I have to hand it to Mark and his supporters. Not many others would have put up with the constant carping and interference from the other board nearly as long as they have.

Reading through the TIMES articles over the years and especially now makes me shake
my head and ask, "why bother."

What the heck is it out there? Busybodies? Jealousy? 24-hour access to records?

The money wasted on lawsuits alone would keep the railroad afloat for a little while.

Here's the link: The Ely Times - Railroad boards agree to terms on new corporation (July 15, 2016)

This saga is a good example of why it's important to support your local newspaper. But for the local paper's reporting, little of this would have been known by other than the participants.

More news from Ely:

Link to the rest of the story:
The Ely Times: Ely City Council may pursue annexation of rail line into Elko County to avoid losing lawsuit (September 16, 2016)

Where this could really get interesting is what happens if, at some point in the future, for what ever reason, the railroad is abandoned.

Who then owns the land/easements -- does it go back to whoever owned it before the railroad was built?

Sounds like a title insurance mess to me !!!

Bob H

Interesting article...what I find interesting is the amount of discussion about what S&S Shortline Leasing may or may not do, and I honestly find it somewhat hard to believe S&S has the kind of money Mark seems to be saying they have (with all due respect to him) to throw at a property like the Nevada Northern, especially the mainline in the condition its in. Something just doesn't add up here.

In addition, there seems to be some contradiction over exactly who in involved in the line. A search for S&S Shortline Leasing turns up S&S Sales and Leasing, who by their website specializes in locomotives and parts sales and leasing.

http://www.sssalesandleasing.com/

They have the same Farmington, Utah, address as the S&S Shortline Leasing that filed the Notice of Exemption to lease and operate the Nevada Northern back in 2009, and their logo is the same used on the few pieces of equipment they have on the NN. That being said, Midwest Rail Net & Logistics, the umbrella organization over the various shortlines owned or operated by the Mike Williams group, as per their website also claims S&S/NN as one of their operations:

http://www.midwestpacificrr.com/nevada-northern.html

If the little big of car storage going on as Shafter at the moment is enough to support two operators both claiming the operation as their own, and especially if they have the kind of resources to throw at the situation that is claimed...then man, did I ever get into the wrong business. I wonder what the relationship is between S&S Sales and Leasing and Midwest Pacific...

Edited to include the following- some years ago Congress gave all Federal lands within the old Nevada Northern right-of-way (which is most of the old NN main line) to the city and museum, they now own it. I don't know if there was anything in that legislation dictating how that property would be handled or disposed of should the railroad be abandoned, I assume it would pass back to the Federal government if that did come to pass. I assume any of the right-of-way crossing private land would be through some sort of easement, and what happens with those would be very complicated and would depend on how NN first acquired the easement and what kind of provision are included in the original agreements...assuming, of course, a trail group doesn't take the right-of-way over under railbanking. But I suspect we are a long, long way from dealing with any of those contingencies, if in fact they ever happen.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

One year ago, Mr. Peartree brought to our attention contentious meetings in Ely over bylaws, articles of incorporation and the development agreement for the Nevada Northern.

Hopefully all is running smoothly now. The only news I see reported now is that Nevada Northern begins its 30th Anniversary season this year.

One special excursion this year sounds interesting: the "Solar Eclipse Limited" on August 21. I would say that's some clever marketing.