Pequop, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pequop, Nevada
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Exit for Pequop along I-80
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Country | United States |
State | Nevada |
County | Elko |
Area | |
• Total | 2.48 sq mi (6.42 km2) |
• Land | 2.48 sq mi (6.42 km2) |
• Water | 0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
Elevation | 6,142 ft (1,872 m) |
Population
(2010)
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• Total | 709 |
• Density | 286/sq mi (110.3/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Area code(s) | 775 |
FIPS code | 32-53200 |
GNIS feature ID | 856101 |
Pequop, also known as Pequop Siding, is a ghost town in Elko County, Nevada, United States. A ghost town is a place where most people have left, and few or no people live there anymore. Pequop was once an important stop for trains on the Central Pacific Railroad and later the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was located near the Pequop Mountains, between the towns of Cobre and Wells.
Pequop: A Nevada Ghost Town
Pequop was first established as a stop for the Central Pacific Railroad. Later, it became a non-agency station for the Southern Pacific Railroad. This means it was a place where trains could stop, but it didn't have a full-time station agent. Several buildings were built there to house the crews who worked on the railroad tracks.
A Stop on the Railroad
In November 1870, Pequop Siding was the site of a train robbery. A train that had already been robbed once was targeted again here. This event shows that Pequop was a place where things happened, even if it was a small railroad stop.
The End of the Line
Pequop became a ghost town in the 1940s. This happened because of a big change in how trains worked. Locomotives, which are the engines that pull trains, started using diesel fuel instead of steam. Diesel locomotives could travel much longer distances without needing to stop for water or fuel as often. This made many smaller railroad stops, like Pequop, no longer necessary. As a result, people moved away, and Pequop became a ghost town.