Desert pic with abandoned Nevada Northern tracks in the foregroundThe weekend before Valentine's Day I continued my research of the Nevada Northern by driving to the ghost town of Cobre, Nevada. Cobre was the northern terminus for the Nevada Northern Railway. Trains would then ride Western Pacific rails west or east. To get to Cobre take Nevada 233 north from Oasis for 7 miles. Look for the BLM sign on the left hand sign of the road. Turn and follow road for one mile.
History: Cobre boomed in 1906 when the Western Pacific moved its headquarters from Winnemucca and the Nevada Northern completed its branch from Ely, Nevada. Copper ore trains started to move from mines and mills to the south and passenger trains stopped at a new station. A hotel, post office and saloon opened as well. The town was known for its violence including the murder and robbery of a few saloon owners. In 1910 the town had sixty people and a school opened in 1915.
The town started to decline with a downturn in freight and passenger service. As a result, many people started to leave town. Only twenty people remained when a large pumice deposit was discovered to the north of town in 1930. Within two years a big mill and over a dezen buildings had been built. The mines' owner out of Detroit, Michigan, tried to market the pumice but the operation shut down after two weeks. The end of the town came in 1950 with the closing of the post office. Ore trains continued to rumble on the Nevada Northern until 1980. (Info from: Old Heart of Nevada: Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Elko County by Shawn Hall)
Union Pacific train rumbling through the desert
The engine house; one of the only buildings left standing
Manline Union Pacific tracks
Almost nothing left in Cobbre
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