[3] The site was cited as one of the best-preserved early 20th-century railroad yards in the nation, and a key component in the growth of the region's copper mining industry.

Developed in the first decade of the 20th century, it served passengers and freight until 1983, when the Kennecott Copper Company, its then-owner, donated the yard to a local non-profit for preservation.

[12] In late October 2020, locomotive #40 was taken out of service for its Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) mandated 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.

Porter, Inc. steam locomotive which was used at the McGill smelter and had a brief preservation career on the early Niles Canyon Railway.

[16] The depot was a significant location on the Nevada Northern as the chief embarkation point for the copper mining region of White Pine County.

[2] The museum & Ely City own the entire original Nevada Northern Railway route, however only a small segment from Ruth to Ely is currently in use by the railroad for the tourist trains; plans to reopen the line to McGill were announced on October 14, 2021, by way of a $10 million federal grant.

[24] In 1987, Number 40 appeared in the Made-For-Television movie: Once Upon A Texas Train starring country singer Willie Nelson which was broadcast on the CBS TV network in early January of 1988, Albeit in the opening & closing credits.

Over the Years, some of the equipment at the museum was shown in several episodes of the History Channel's Reality Show: American Restoration.

In 2019, the railroad's shop cat "Dirt" went viral after photos of him were posted online by professional photographer Steve Crise.