Memorial for NNRy’s Dirt draws

By Sasha Horsley

Over the weekend the Nevada Northern Railway Museum had a special memorial for one of the most recognizable names in the history of Ely, Dirt the Cat. Dirt served as quite the ambassador for the NNRy and Ely in general. People were drawn from far and wide to see if they could catch a peek of Dirt while visiting the area. Dirt’s death at the first of the year rocked the community far and wide.
The memorial was an all-day event, starting with the museum opening, then Dirt Engine Tour and Steam Locomotive Cab tours. Groups gathered for the Eulogy at Dirt’s Grave Site, to hear Dirt’s story and say one last goodbye. Then it was time for more tours and Dirt’s Memorial Excursion Ride. The day finished at 5 pm with the closing of the Museum.
Also, that day a beer raffle was held. The beer was made by Wonder Aleworks, and the label design was done using a photo of Dirt by Steve Crise. The talent behind the unique label goes to Damon Miller of Strayman Design Company. Damon offered some of his time and a reduced fee for the endeavor. Proceeds of the raffle will be used for the two memorial statues of Dirt and his gravestone. All leftover money will be used for DJ and future shop cats of NNRy.
Per the NNRy social media page “On Behalf of the staff and Volunteers of the NNRy, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all of Dirt’s fans from across the country and around the world. We are humbled and gratified at the outpouring of support that we have received.” It was a great final send off for a larger than life cat.