Good morning East Ely! With a loud hiss of steam from their cylinder cocks, Nevada Northern Consolidations #81 and #93 emerge from the East Ely Engine House to bright sunshine and very cold temperatures. Although I have witnessed this scene several times at previous Winter Photo Shoots, this is the first time I can recall seeing it under a crystal clear sky, with brilliant sunshine and the air temperature hovering just above 0 degrees Fahrenheit. The resulting steam show was perhaps the most spectacular I have ever seen here. The recently-restored Baldwin #81 was sporting a green boiler jacket, and some other green trim which added color to what was already a pretty colorful display.
This is also the first time I have had the opportunity to compare the sizes of these two engines. In previous visits, the 81 had always been a derelict and was typically squirreled away at the back of the house, never being close enough to the 93 to compare them. I had always assumed that 81 was a bit larger than 93, when in fact, as you can see here, the opposite is the case. Museum President Mark Bassett refers to the 81 as NN's "Goldilocks" locomotive, because she's "just right" for the museum's needs. Apparently, the 40 was a little too light for the longer tourist and holiday trains, and the 93, which was designed as a heavy freight engine, was overkill. For now, the museum will be operating with these two, but the 40 is not done by any means. The crew has already started on her 1,472 SDI, and is in the process of assessing her other mechanical needs, which are considerable. Basically, her running gear needs a lot of work, so it is expected to take at least a couple of years to get her back in running condition.
