Narrow Gauge Railroads of Nevada
Common Carrier Railroads.
Austin City Railway.
36in Gauge. The Austin City Railway was built in 1881 from the Nevada Central's terminal in Clifton to downtown Austin a distance of 2.8 miles. Operating on a heavy 7.5% grade, the line rostered a single 0-4-2T Dummy locomotive called "Mules Relief". The line operated until 1889 when reduced mining in the area forced the line to shut down.
Clifton to Austin, Lander County. 1881 - 1889
Battle Mountain & Lewis Railroad.
36in Gauge. The Battle Mountain & Lewis began life in 1881 effectively as a privately owned branch of the Nevada Central Railway with service from Battle Mountain to the mines at Lewis, Nevada. Always in severe financial crisis the road became a rarely used and short lived branch of the Nevada Central Railway and was gone by 1890.
Lewis Junction to Lewis, Lander County. 1881 - 1885
Carson & Colorado Railroad.
36in Gauge. Constructed by the Virginia and Truckee railroad to tap the southern mining booms. The line was projected to connect to the Colorado river, a feat it never accomplished, ending construction in Hawley, CA (later called Keeler). The line remained barely profitable until it was finally sold to the Southern Pacific in 1900, becoming the Nevada & California RR in 1905.
Mound House, NV to Hawley (Keeler), CA. 1880 - 1905
Eureka & Palisade Railroad.
36in Gauge. Built to connect the booming mining district around Eureka with the Central Pacific at Palisade. Initially successful, the boom ended in 1885 and the smelters closed in 1890. An upswing in mining activity around 1900 revived the line briefly, until it the line was severely damaged by floods in 1910. The line was sold at auction and revived as the Eureka – Nevada Railway in 1912.
Palisade to Eureka, Eureka County. 1873 – 1912
Nevada & California Railroad.
36in Gauge.
Reno, NV to XXXX, CA. 1890 - 1893
Nevada & California Railway.
36in Gauge.
Mina, NV to Keeler, CA. 1905 - 1912
Nevada & Oregon Railroad.
36in Gauge.
Reno, NV to Plumas Junction, CA. 1883 - 1885
Nevada-California-Oregon Railway.
36in Gauge.
Reno, NV to Alturas, CA. 1883 - 1928
Nevada Central Railroad.
36in Gauge. Constructed to connect the rich mines in Austin and the Reese River Mining District with the Central Pacific at Battle Mountain. Initially profitable, the Nevada Central relied upon the mining in the area for traffic, profitable only when mines were operating at capacity. Mining tapered off by the early 1900s and the line hauled local goods until 1938.
Battle Mountain to Austin, Lander County. 1879 - 1938
Nevada Short Line.
36in Gauge. Constructed by the Rochester Hills Mining Company to connect the mines at Lower Rochester with the mill at Oreana on the Southern Pacific Railroad. The line was pushed further up a 7% grade to Upper Rochester and the mines on Nenzell Hill before financial woes put it into the hands of creditors. A flood in 1918 badly damaged the line and it was eventually sold for scrap in 1919.
Oreana to Rochester, Pershing County. 1913 - 1919
Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge.
36in Gauge. In 1912 the Nevada & California Railroad was reorganized into the Central Pacific Ry and operated as the Keeler Branch of the Southern Pacific system. Over the years the line would shorten as sections were abandoned until the Keeler to Laws portion remained. Affectionately known as the "Slim Princess".
Mina, NV to Keeler, CA. 1912 - 1960
Tonopah Railroad.
36in Gauge. Constructed by Eastern interests to connect the mining boom at Tonopah to the Carson and Colorado at Sodaville. The line remained narrow gauge for 13 months, hauling enough tonnage during this time to pay for half of its construction costs. With the opening of the Hazen Cutoff on the Southern Pacific, the Tonopah converted to standard gauge on August 14, 1905.
Sodaville to Tonopah; Mineral, Esmeralda and Nye Counties. 1903 - 1905
Logging Railroads.
Lake Tahoe Narrow Gauge Railroad.
36in Gauge. Built by the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Co. to supply lumber to the booming Comstock Lode. Timber was hauled down to the mill at Glenbrook and finished hauled lumber back up the ridge to Spooner Summit where it traveled by flume to their wood yard in Carson City. When the timber lands began to diminish, D. L. Bliss moved the operation to Tahoe City to construct the Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Co.
Glenbrook to Spooner Summit, Ormsby County. 1875 - 1899
Sierra Nevada Wood & Lumber Company: Crystal Bay.
36in Gauge. Started by Walter Hobart and Seneca "Sam" Marlette to supply timber for the Comstock Lode. In 1875 a larger mill and incline was constructed to make use of the flume system and ship lumber to Lakeview on the Virginia & Truckee Railroad. The company constructed a railroad in 1879 connecting the new mill with the woods and later Sand Harbor. When the timber supply began to dwindle in the 1890s, the operation moved to Hobart Mills north of Truckee.
Incline (Village) to Woods, later to Sand Harbor, Washoe County. 1878 - 1896
Industrial Railroads.
Sutro Tunnel Company.
18in Gauge.
Near Dayton, Lyon County. 1865 - ca. 1890