Elliott Barber Photography
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06/01/2026
Winter in Ely...
It has a remarkable way of blurring the line between past and present.
Steam hanging in the cold desert air. Nevada Northern 81 powers the rotary snowplow train through the yard before stopping near the depot to await its next assignment. Crew members go about their work much as railroaders did generations ago.
The faces have changed, but the railroad remains.
That's part of the magic of the Nevada Northern Railway. Many museums are collections of preserved equipment or static displays. Not here. This is a living railroad where history still moves under its own power, whistles still echo across the valley, and every so often you're reminded that the past isn't nearly as far away as we sometimes think.
The people, the equipment, and the dedication to the preserving the stories of those that came before make Ely less a destination and more a time machine.
February 20, 2026
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©Elliott Barber Photography
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With power to spare...
BNSF's Barstow to "San Jacinto" manifest snakes along the Box Springs Mountain Reserve. The short mixed freight has loads that are destined to be switched at their respective industries by the San Jacinto Local. A couple visitors from the Great White North are lending a hand as they work upgrade, the homes and trees of the 'Belvedere Heights' in Riverside visible in the background.
05/13/2026
Plenty of action...
The rain has let up, but the action hasn't. A westbound intermodal skirts the West Colton departure yard as all three 'trim' jobs prepare trains and a handful of outbound trains await their turn to leave.
January 13, 2017
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©Elliott Barber Photography
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04/23/2026
Photobombed...
On a less than perfect day Santa Fe 672 is a ray of sunshine as it leads an Eastbound 'Z train' through Blue Cut.
She's part of the 'Super Fleet' of locomotives ordered by ATSF and still looking rather super almost 4 years later, maybe even better than her younger sister BNSF 774. The duo rounding out the quartet of GEs are BNSF 4738 and 4741, both delivered in the colors of the new BNSF 'Heritage 2' livery, albeit without stripes or cigar bands on the nose. All four hustle up Cajon as a UP manifest drops down the Palmdale cutoff in the background. The UP train has all EMD motors, including EMDX 7002, one of the EMD SD70M demonstrator units. The lead units is a speed-lettered SP SD70M, and third a UP GP60. You can just see the power poking out from behind the hill as they also head what Espee classified as eastbound.
June 1998
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©Elliott Barber Photography
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