EUREKA AND PALISADE RAILROAD (ENP)/
EUREKA-NEVADA RAILWAY COMPANY (EN)
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Historical Snapshot: References: "The Bonanza Railroads", Gilbert H. Kneiss, Stanford University Press, 1941; "Railroads Of Nevada - Volume I", David F. Myrick, Howell-North, 1962 Eureka and Palisade Railroad * The Eureka And Palisade Railroad was incorporated November 19, 1873 to build a railroad from a connection with the Central Pacific at Palisade to the lead and Silver mines developing around the town of Eureka, Nevada. On April 18, 1874 the line was completed and opened as far as Alpha, Nevada, (50 miles south of Palisade. The following summer the line continued on with full service beginning October 22, 1875. * Elevation at Palisade - 4,846 Ft., Elevation at Summit -8,200 ft., Elevation at Eureka - 6,300 feet. * From 1875 to 1888 the railroad proved immenstly profitable with millions of dollars of lead and silver ore coming out of Eureka. Then, two of the bigger companies became exhausted. By 1897 freight, when they could find it was minimal. On June 13, 1900 the railroad went bankrupt by failing to pay interest on its bonds. * Reorganized in 1902 by a group representing the bond holders, name changed from "Railroad" to "Railway". * During 1905 some new strikes were found. For the next three years the railroad prospered. * After 35 years of very successful operation the 90-mile narrow gauge Eureka and Palisade Railroad suffered a season of severe flooding In the Pine Valley in early 1910. Before it was all over eleven miles of their line was under water in the form of a lake in Pine Valley. * Rather than come up with the necessary $150,000 to rebuild, once the lake dried, they declared bankruptsy. The line was sold at Government forclosure sale. * Subsequently the new owner after a short time sold it again. Needless to say during all this title changing hands no train had run between Palisade and Eureka. * Known locomotives: #1 "Eureka" 2-6-0 Brooks 6/1873 To Nevada Central #1 1/1880 #2 "Onward" 2-6-0 BLW 8/1874 To Bodie & Benton #1 1881 #3 "Tybo" 2-6-0 BLW 3/1875 sold 1910 #4 "Eureka" 4-4-0 BLW 7/1875 to S.N.W. & L. #5 1896 #5 "Palisade" 4-4-0 BLW 1/1876 #6 "Reveille" 2-6-0 BLW 7/1878 #7 "P.Evarts" 4-4-0 BLW 3/1883 #8 2-8-0 BLW 8/1906 (Heavy) to Sumpter V. 1912 #9 4-4-0 BLW Ex Carson & Co. #1, 1907 #10 2-8-0 BLW (Heavy) to Sumpter V. 1912 Eureka-Nevada Railway * On May 7, 1912, A new company, the Eureka-Nevada Railway Company stepped forth, made the necessary repairs, and reopened the line. * While never a significant money making proposition, the E-N kept several folks working and kept the town of Eureka semi-prosperous. It did pay a small dividened to its stockholders over several years and with judicious management it continued. * The Eurke-Nevada Railway finally succumbed to the highway, the truck and the end of minning revenues around Eureka, finally closing its operation down on September 21, 1938. * Known locomotives: #5 2-6-0 Purchased 1912, renum #9,1st vacated 1919 #6 2-6-0 Original E&P #7 2-8-0 Original E&P #7 2nd 2-6-2 Porter, 1915 #7 3rd 0-4-4T ??? #8 2-4-4T ??? #9 4-4-0 Original E&P vacated 1919 #10 2-6-0 Purchased 7/1916 #10 2nd 2-8-0 Purchased 1934 #11 2-8-0 Purchased 6/1920 - Porter #12 2-8-0 Vulcan #12 2nd 2-8-0 from Unitah Railway - 1937
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E&P loco #10, Snow!!!
Image, Eureka and Palisade 2-8-0 #10/mixed train, snow!. Item No. ENP10I On this particularly winter day the Eureka And Palisade 2-8-0 steam locomotive #10, one tank car and the #10 baggage car sit wheel high in snow. The fire is up so evidentally the company hopes to make it to Eureka. Ever since people have taken snow photographs they are always over-exposed. So is this one. Still, it truly shows what life was, and is, like on the Nevada high desert. The #10 was the company's youngest locomotive having been built by Baldwin in July of 1890. Wheels, 37" diameter. Sold in 1912 to Sumter Valley as their #15. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] --------------------E-N loco #10 and 2-car train
Image, Eureka-Nevada Railway 2-8-0, 2nd #10, train For reference obly, negative is copyrighted Photographer: Will Whittaker Sometime between 1934 and 1938 photographer Will Whittiker wandered out to Palisade and captured this rare view of second #10, an empty box car and a passenger combine. -------------------- Being out in the middle of nowhere so to speak, not many photographs were ever taken of the road. Fortunately in 1938, Ted Wurm wandered out to Eureka and Palisade to photograph what remained while it was still in operation. The following five views are from that trip and capture the feel of the place and a narrow gauge railroad from once-upon-a-time.E-N combine #2+
Image, Eureka-Nevada Railway passenger-combine #2 Item No. EN02I Palisade, Nevada, 1937: Still useable, though replaced by a rail bus at the time of the photo, narrow gauge combine #2 sits with other passenger equipment. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] --------------------E-N Stock car #56
Image, Eureka-Nevada Rwy. stock car #56, 1937 Item No. EN56I Palisade, Nevada, 1938. That transfer point where freight is moved from the Eureka-Nevada Railway narrow gauge to the waiting standard gauge Southern Pacific and Western Pacific. Here we see company narrow gauge stock car #56 ready for use. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] --------------------E-N box car #203
Image, Eureka-Nevada Rwy. N.G. boxcar #203, 1937 Item No. EN203I Sitting in the yard amongst some ore cars this Eureka- Nevada Railway box car #203 is ready for service. Eureka, Nevada, 1937. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] --------------------E-N Eureka Freight Yard
Image, Eureka-Nevada Railway yard, Eureka, NV, 1937 Item No. ENYARDEI The three track Eureka-Nevada Railway yard sits with rollingstock still useable. To the right at the end of the yard is the company water tank. Off to the left in the distance is the enginehouse. Far off to the right the buildings in the background are the town of Eureka. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] --------------------E-N Ted Wurm, Eureka
Image, E-N Rwy. N.G. boxcar with Ted Wurm hanging off For reference obly, not for sale! Photographer and Historian Ted Wurm used to send out Christmas cards with one of his photographs on it. This view of him hanging off the Eureka-Nevada Railway #203 box car at Eureka in 1938 is one I received from him Christmas, 1977. Obviously it was taken at the same time as the other four above. --------------------
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