Railway Museum's Gift Shop Earns More Revenue Than the Actual Railroad It Commemorates Ever Did

The Nevada Northern Railway Museum in Ely, Nevada, announced that its gift shop generated $2.7 million in revenue last year — exceeding the highest annual revenue ever recorded by the actual Nevada Northern Railway, which during its peak year of 1907 earned approximately $2.4 million in inflation-adjusted dollars hauling copper ore. 'We've surpassed the railroad,' said museum director Helena Roundhouse. 'Not in tonnage or train-miles, obviously. But in revenue. A gift shop selling Thomas the Tank Engine merchandise and refrigerator magnets now out-earns the railroad it's named after. I don't know whether to celebrate or feel complicated about it.' The Nevada Northern Railway operated from 1906 to 1978, serving the Kennecott Copper Corporation's mining operations. At its peak, it moved 1.2 million tons of copper ore annually using a fleet of 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotives. The museum, opened in 1986, preserves the railroad's original equipment and offers excursion rides. The gift shop's bestselling items include a $45 engineer's cap that museum staff privately call 'the money hat,' a $28 brass locomotive ornament, and a $12 spike keychain that is 'literally a piece of metal, and people cannot get enough of them.' 'The original Nevada Northern Railway employed 300 people, operated 150 miles of track, and hauled millions of tons of ore,' said economic historian Dr. Patricia Gauge. 'And it earned less than a shop selling train-themed coffee mugs. This tells you everything you need to know about the American economy's transition from production to nostalgia.' The museum has used the gift shop revenue to restore a 1910 Baldwin locomotive. The locomotive, when operational, will likely generate less revenue than the miniature die-cast version of itself that sells for $24.99 in the gift shop.