BHP Nevada Railroad

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BHP Nevada Railroad
Reporting marks BHP
Locale Northern Nevada Shafter - Ely
Dates of operation January 1996 – July 9, 1999
Track gauge 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)
Headquarters Ruth, Nevada

The BHP Nevada Railroad Company (AAR reporting marks BHP), is a defunct Nevada railroad shortline that operated from 1996 - 1999. BHP acquired the line from the Nevada Northern Railway. The railroad hauled copper ore concentrate from BHP's concentrator at Riepetown to Shafter, Nevada. At Shafter the railroad interchanged with the Union Pacific and the ore continued to BHP's smelter at San Manuel, Arizona. The railroad was owned by Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP), an Australian based company that purchased the Robinson copper mining district in Ely from Magma Copper. The line ran south from a connection with the Union Pacific at Shafter to Ely.

The railroad ended up turning over its locomotives and rolling stock to the Nevada Northern Railway Museum as part of a settlement over their track lease agreement.

A small portion of the BHP was operated over the Nevada Northern Railway Museum tracks with trackage rights between East Ely and Ruth.

Contents

[edit] Locomotives

For road use the BHP used 5 former Southern Pacific Railroad EMD SD9 locomotives built between 1954 - 1956 to operate over the line. They were numbered #201 - 205. For switching and local operations the railroad used two GE 70-ton switchers from the Santa Maria Valley Railroad. The BHP also had one ALCO RS-3. The switchers were also built in the 1950s and BHP numbered them #12 and #13.

[edit] Connection with the Union Pacific Railroad

  • Shafter, Nevada (former Western Pacific junction)
  • Decoy
  • Dolly Varden
  • Mizpah
  • Currie
  • Goshute

[edit] Route

  • Shafter
  • Decoy
  • Dolly Varden
  • Mizpah
  • Currie
  • Goshute
  • Greens
  • Cherry Creek
  • Schellbourne (Ray)
  • Requa (Raiff)
  • Warm Springs
  • Steptoe
  • Glenn
  • McGill Junction
  • J&M Spur
  • Hiline Junction (Hi Line Junction)
  • Mosier
  • East Ely
  • Ore Yard
  • Calumet
  • Tunnel 1
  • Lane
  • Keystone
  • Lone Tree Road
  • Ruth
  • Sunshine
  • Tripp Pit
  • Riepetown

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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