Virginia and Truckee Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Virginia and Truckee Railroad was built to serve the Comstock Lode
mining communities of northwestern Nevada
. At its height, the railroad's route ran from Reno
south to Carson City, Nevada
. In Carson City, the
mainline split into two branches. One branch continued south to Minden
, while the other branch traveled east to Virginia City
. The first section constructed from Virginia City to Carson City was constructed commencing in 1869 to haul ore, lumber and supplies for the Comstock Lode
.
The railroad was abandoned in 1950 after years of declining revenue. Much of the rail infrastructure was pulled up and sold, along with the remaining locomotives and railcars. In the 1970s, with public interest in historic railroads on the rise, the old lines were rebuilt by private investors, with an eye towards re-opening the lines.
Today, the privately-owned Virginia & Truckee Railroad Company operates as a heritage railroad
, headquartered in Virginia City. The Virginia & Truckee Railroad owns and uses the service mark "Queen of the Short Lines." The V&T Railroad runs up to 7 trains per day, many in steam behind locomotive #29, a 2-8-0 Consolidation, or an ex-US Army GE 80 ton diesel from Virginia City from Memorial Day
until the end of October each year.
The public Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway has rebuilt the line from Gold Hill (connection with the current V&T Railroad) to Carson City, running the first train over the line in 68 years on 14 August 2009. The Commission acquired a 1914 2-8-2
steam locomotive
(The McCloud no. 18), which had been in use by the Sierra Railroad, out of Oakdale, California on special dinner/lunch trains. When the no. 18 arrived on the V&T, boiler problems were discovered, and the locomotive awaited repair at the Virginia and Truckee shops in Virginia City. She went to Hollywood
for the filming of Water for Elephants
. She returned after her scenes were filmed & finally had her 1st revenue run on July 24, 2010.
Cars and locomotives from the original railroad are on display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum
in Carson City, at the Comstock History Center on C Street in Virginia City, at the California State Railroad Museum
in Sacramento and at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
in Strasburg.
In order to ascend the mountain to Virginia City
it was necessary to build an enormous trestle. Popular Nevada mythology says Crown Point Trestle was considered to be such a feat of engineering that it is featured on the Nevada
State Seal. This myth is mentioned by Lucius Beebe
.
Former Nevada State Archivist Guy Rocha debunks this myth on the state's Myth-a-Month page, pointing out that the state seal predates the trestle and shows a viaduct, not a trestle.
) in the spring of 1850, by a company of Mormon
emigrants on their way to the California Gold Rush
. While these early travelers only lingered in Nevada until they could cross the Sierras, prospectors were soon permanently camping in the area around what is now Virginia City
. In 1859, gold was found in outcroppings in the hills and canyons just outside Virginia City. Among the gold ore in these outcroppings were bluish chunks of silver ore which, initially overlooked in favor of the gold, were soon found to be quite valuable. This was the first of the silver from what came to be called the Comstock Lode
.
Numerous mills soon appeared along the Carson River to process the ore from the Comstock Lode. Many of these mills were built with loans from the Bank of California
, whose Nevada agent, William Sharon
, would foreclose upon the mills when their owners defaulted on loan payments. Thus, the bank gradually came into possession of many important ore-processing facilities. Sharon, along with business partners Darius Ogden Mills
and William Ralston, formed the bank-owned Union Mill & Mining Company to process the ore from the mills that had been foreclosed.
Initially, the Comstock Lode was a boon for the Virginia City area, as the city grew to over 20,000 persons, and was among the largest and wealthiest cities in the West. Soon, however, the costs to transport Comstock ore to the mills from points on the Lode further and further away became so great that many mines were closed and only the higher quality ores were worth processing. William Sharon took note of this, and realized that a cheap form of transportation between the mines, the mills, and the cities would allow all mines on the Lode to be profitable.
where the first of the Comstock Lode was mined, passing the mills along the river, ending up at the state capital, Carson City
. When finished, this route would cover 21 miles and descend 1,600 feet of elevation. The section between Virginia City and the Carson river involved fourteen miles of track at a 2.2% grade. The ceremonial first spike was driven on September 28, 1869, with the remainder of the route being finished just over a month later, on November 12.
The same day, V&T Engine no. 1, an H.J. Booth
2-6-0
, pulled the first revenue train for the company from Carson City to Gold Hill. Nicknamed the Lyon, engine #1 was one of three 2-6-0's purchased from Booth by the fledgling railroad, along with engines #2, the Ormsby and #3, the Storey. Lyon would finally arrive in Virginia City on January 28, 1870, completing the initially planned route. The railroad had cost $1,750,000 to build, not including the cost of rolling stock
or buildings. The V&T ran up to 40 trains per day at the height of the Big Bonanza. Still primarily a freight railroad, there were 361 freight cars in use at the peak of the V&T's operations, which carried over 40,000 tons of freight per month, including 13 tons of silver ore. This was in contrast to a mere 10 passenger cars.
was begun, to connect the V&T line with the Central Pacific Railroad
. This would allow through train
service between Virginia City and San Francisco. Construction began with track being installed starting at the Reno end of the line. The first train to run end-to-end from Virginia City to Reno took place on August 24, 1872, pulled appropriately by the newest V&T locomotive, No.11, the Reno. This milestone marked the completion of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. By 1873, as more rich silver deposits were discovered, the railroad was earning a profit of over $100,000 per month, and paying $15,000 per month in dividends to investors.
In 1880, the V&T built a 3' gauge
railroad called the Carson & Colorado. The railroad never did reach the state of Colorado, its aim was to head to the southern part of California, and eventually to the Colorado River where new mining claims were being struck. These never did pan out, and by 1891 those claim sites were all but forgotten. A liability to the V&T, the "slim princess" was sold to the Southern Pacific in 1900. The words of Ogden Mills
, "Either we built this line 300 miles too short or 300 years to early" reflected V&T's attitude towards the railroad.
Shortly after the sale of the C&C, however, silver was discovered at Tonopah, Arizona
. The C&C became prosperous for the Southern Pacific, as wagon trains would run for miles through the desert to reach the narrow-gauge line, which would then carry it back to the V&T at Carson City. Because of the break of gauge between the C&C and V&T, the Tonopah ore had to be unloaded from the narrow-gauge cars and into the standard gauge cars. Southern Pacific officials did not like this arrangement, so in 1904 they converted the narrow-gauge line to standard gauge, now renamed the Nevada & California Railroad. In addition, the Southern Pacific offered to buy the Virginia & Truckee, but the V&T officials set their price too high. Instead, the Southern Pacific built their own line from a branch on the former C&C, 28 miles to connect with their own main line, thus bypassing the V&T entirely.
The corporate headquarters of the V&T was moved from Virginia City to Carson City in 1900. In 1904, the corporation changed its name to the Virginia and Truckee Railway. In response to agricultural and cattle ranch concerns, the V&T built a short branch line to Minden, NV, about 26 miles south of Carson City, in 1906. This branch line brought in increased freight traffic; as a result the V&T purchased 3 new ten-wheelers from Baldwin: No.25, 26, and 27, in 1905, 1907, and 1913 respectively.
The sole owner of the railroad in 1933 was Ogden Livingston Mills
, grandson of original co-founder Darius Ogden Mills. He personally paid the deficits in the railroad's operating costs as a nod to the past and his family's involvement in the early days of Virginia City. Mills died in 1937, and the following year, as the railroad went into receivership, the V&T management began plans to cease operations of the railroad.
The decline of the V&T began in 1938 when the Virginia City branch was torn up. the railroad, at the time of its closure, had 3 locomotives to use. An Alco 2-8-0 called the 2nd #5, two Baldwin 4-6-0s # 26 & #27. The #26 was originally was scheduled to haul the last train, but after making its run on May 1, 1950 and put away into the single locomotive shed for the night, caught fire. Loco #26 was a total loss. Loco #27 was heavily serviced to make her usable and on May 30, 1950, the #27 pulled the last train of the V&T. Many experts consider it fitting since the #27 was the last new locomotive purchased by the V&T.
over the years since the railroad operated otherwise obsolete equipment well into the "cinema age." Many of these pieces have been restored, and are currently on display at museums throughout the country. In addition, an operating 5/8-scale replica of the V&T locomotive, Reno, has been running on the Washington Park and Zoo Railway since 1959.
near Gold Hill
. The construction, completed in September 2005, is part of an effort to restore the V&T's mainline from Virginia City to Carson City for operations. Then Senate
Minority Leader Harry Reid
(D-Nev), who was instrumental in securing $
10 million in federal funding for the project, and Nevada Lieutenant Governor Lorraine Hunt
, who secured an additional $1 million in state funding for the project, both spoke at the ceremony.
It is estimated that completion of the line from Gold Hill to Carson City will cost in excess of $55 million, and it is hoped that the line, which was originally abandoned in 1938, will be completed and operational once again in 2012.
On August 14, 2009 the ceremonial first run from Virginia City to Mound House (Mistakingly referred to as "Carson City Eastgate" in official material) occurred for VIPs. On the 15th and 16th the line opened to the public. Funds raised from these runs will be used to pay for the tracks through the Carson River Canyon, and will continue throughout the fall, every Saturday from August 22 through October 31. The runs will use the V&T Railroad's equipment (such as steam locomotive #29) and not that of the V&T Railway (owned by the Commission). Ticket price is set at $48.
The railroad is currently building up its collection, acquiring passenger cars from the nations museums & other private owners.
In May 2010, an ALCO S-4 was acquired from Montana in operable condition. It has been numbered D-2 (the number was previously used for a leased 44-tonner).
On July 24, 2010, the No. 18 steam locomotive was brought on-line for revenue service. The locomotive had recently come back from Hollywood, appearing in the movie Water for Elephants
.
In December 2010, an ex-CB&Q
railcar was trucked into Virginia City. It was to be operational in time for the 2011 season, but is still undergoing restoration work.
As of June 2011, No. 29 is once again down for maintenance. In her absence, D-1 has been fitted with a rare Hancock 4700 air whistle to keep the familiar sound of a whistle around, though some return riders believe it was due to sound complaints, as her old horn, a Nathan 3-chime horn, was very loud & could be heard all over town, echoeing off the canyon walls.
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
mining communities of northwestern Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. At its height, the railroad's route ran from Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
south to Carson City, Nevada
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
. In Carson City, the
mainline split into two branches. One branch continued south to Minden
Minden, Nevada
Minden is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,836 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Douglas County and is adjacent to the city of Gardnerville. It is named after the town of Minden, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It...
, while the other branch traveled east to Virginia City
Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
. The first section constructed from Virginia City to Carson City was constructed commencing in 1869 to haul ore, lumber and supplies for the Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
.
The railroad was abandoned in 1950 after years of declining revenue. Much of the rail infrastructure was pulled up and sold, along with the remaining locomotives and railcars. In the 1970s, with public interest in historic railroads on the rise, the old lines were rebuilt by private investors, with an eye towards re-opening the lines.
Today, the privately-owned Virginia & Truckee Railroad Company operates as a heritage railroad
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
, headquartered in Virginia City. The Virginia & Truckee Railroad owns and uses the service mark "Queen of the Short Lines." The V&T Railroad runs up to 7 trains per day, many in steam behind locomotive #29, a 2-8-0 Consolidation, or an ex-US Army GE 80 ton diesel from Virginia City from Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
until the end of October each year.
The public Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway has rebuilt the line from Gold Hill (connection with the current V&T Railroad) to Carson City, running the first train over the line in 68 years on 14 August 2009. The Commission acquired a 1914 2-8-2
2-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
steam locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
(The McCloud no. 18), which had been in use by the Sierra Railroad, out of Oakdale, California on special dinner/lunch trains. When the no. 18 arrived on the V&T, boiler problems were discovered, and the locomotive awaited repair at the Virginia and Truckee shops in Virginia City. She went to Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
for the filming of Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants is a historical novel by Sara Gruen. Gruen originally wrote the novel as part of National Novel Writing Month.- Plot :...
. She returned after her scenes were filmed & finally had her 1st revenue run on July 24, 2010.
Cars and locomotives from the original railroad are on display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum
Nevada State Railroad Museum
Nevada Southern Railway is a railroad museum in Boulder City, Nevada operated by the Nevada State Railroad Museum which is an agency of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs....
in Carson City, at the Comstock History Center on C Street in Virginia City, at the California State Railroad Museum
California State Railroad Museum
The California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the state park system of California, USA, interpreting the role of the "iron horse" in connecting California to the rest of the nation. It is located in Old Sacramento at 111 I Street....
in Sacramento and at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a railroad museum in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.The museum is located on the east side of Strasburg along Pennsylvania Route 741...
in Strasburg.
In order to ascend the mountain to Virginia City
Virginia City
Virginia City is a city located in Storey County, Nevada.Virginia City may also refer to:* Virginia City, Montana* Virginia City, Nevada* Virginia City, Virginia* Virginia City , a 1940 film starring Errol Flynn...
it was necessary to build an enormous trestle. Popular Nevada mythology says Crown Point Trestle was considered to be such a feat of engineering that it is featured on the Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
State Seal. This myth is mentioned by Lucius Beebe
Lucius Beebe
Lucius Morris Beebe was an American author, gourmand, photographer, railroad historian, journalist, and syndicated columnist.-Early life and education:...
.
Former Nevada State Archivist Guy Rocha debunks this myth on the state's Myth-a-Month page, pointing out that the state seal predates the trestle and shows a viaduct, not a trestle.
The Comstock Lode
Gold was discovered in Nevada (then western Utah TerritoryUtah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
) in the spring of 1850, by a company of Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
emigrants on their way to the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. While these early travelers only lingered in Nevada until they could cross the Sierras, prospectors were soon permanently camping in the area around what is now Virginia City
Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
. In 1859, gold was found in outcroppings in the hills and canyons just outside Virginia City. Among the gold ore in these outcroppings were bluish chunks of silver ore which, initially overlooked in favor of the gold, were soon found to be quite valuable. This was the first of the silver from what came to be called the Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
.
Numerous mills soon appeared along the Carson River to process the ore from the Comstock Lode. Many of these mills were built with loans from the Bank of California
Bank of California
The Bank of California was opened in San Francisco, California, on July 4, 1864, by William Chapman Ralston. It was the first commercial bank in the Western United States, the second-richest bank in the nation, and considered instrumental in developing the American Old West.-History:The ancestor of...
, whose Nevada agent, William Sharon
William Sharon
William Sharon was a United States Senator from Nevada who profited from the Comstock Lode.-Early life:Sharon was born in Smithfield, Ohio, January 9, 1821, the son of William Sharon and Susan Kirk. He attended Ohio University. After studying law in St. Louis, Missouri, he was admitted to the bar...
, would foreclose upon the mills when their owners defaulted on loan payments. Thus, the bank gradually came into possession of many important ore-processing facilities. Sharon, along with business partners Darius Ogden Mills
Darius Ogden Mills
Darius Ogden Mills was a prominent American banker, philanthropist and, for a time, California's wealthiest citizen.-Biography:...
and William Ralston, formed the bank-owned Union Mill & Mining Company to process the ore from the mills that had been foreclosed.
Initially, the Comstock Lode was a boon for the Virginia City area, as the city grew to over 20,000 persons, and was among the largest and wealthiest cities in the West. Soon, however, the costs to transport Comstock ore to the mills from points on the Lode further and further away became so great that many mines were closed and only the higher quality ores were worth processing. William Sharon took note of this, and realized that a cheap form of transportation between the mines, the mills, and the cities would allow all mines on the Lode to be profitable.
Early years
Sharon envisioned a railroad to run from Virginia City, down through Gold HillGold Hill, Nevada
Gold Hill is a community in Storey County, Nevada, located just south and downhill of Virginia City. Incorporated December 17, 1862, in order to prevent its annexation by its larger neighbor, the town at one point was home to at least 8,000 residents. Prosperity was sustained for a period of 20...
where the first of the Comstock Lode was mined, passing the mills along the river, ending up at the state capital, Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
. When finished, this route would cover 21 miles and descend 1,600 feet of elevation. The section between Virginia City and the Carson river involved fourteen miles of track at a 2.2% grade. The ceremonial first spike was driven on September 28, 1869, with the remainder of the route being finished just over a month later, on November 12.
The same day, V&T Engine no. 1, an H.J. Booth
Union Iron Works
Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries.-History:...
2-6-0
2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
, pulled the first revenue train for the company from Carson City to Gold Hill. Nicknamed the Lyon, engine #1 was one of three 2-6-0's purchased from Booth by the fledgling railroad, along with engines #2, the Ormsby and #3, the Storey. Lyon would finally arrive in Virginia City on January 28, 1870, completing the initially planned route. The railroad had cost $1,750,000 to build, not including the cost of rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
or buildings. The V&T ran up to 40 trains per day at the height of the Big Bonanza. Still primarily a freight railroad, there were 361 freight cars in use at the peak of the V&T's operations, which carried over 40,000 tons of freight per month, including 13 tons of silver ore. This was in contrast to a mere 10 passenger cars.
Expansion and prosperity
In late 1871, a line extension to RenoReno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
was begun, to connect the V&T line with the Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
. This would allow through train
Through Train
Through Train may refer to:* Through running line, a concept of rail transport, commuter rail, subway systems, and/or mass transit, that involves a change in the operating provider of the line, or a change in the identity of the line, at a specified boundary....
service between Virginia City and San Francisco. Construction began with track being installed starting at the Reno end of the line. The first train to run end-to-end from Virginia City to Reno took place on August 24, 1872, pulled appropriately by the newest V&T locomotive, No.11, the Reno. This milestone marked the completion of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. By 1873, as more rich silver deposits were discovered, the railroad was earning a profit of over $100,000 per month, and paying $15,000 per month in dividends to investors.
In 1880, the V&T built a 3' gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
railroad called the Carson & Colorado. The railroad never did reach the state of Colorado, its aim was to head to the southern part of California, and eventually to the Colorado River where new mining claims were being struck. These never did pan out, and by 1891 those claim sites were all but forgotten. A liability to the V&T, the "slim princess" was sold to the Southern Pacific in 1900. The words of Ogden Mills
Ogden Mills
Ogden Mills was an American financier and Thoroughbred racehorse owner.-Life and career:Born in Millbrae, California, he was the son of Jane Templeton Cunningham and her husband Darius Ogden Mills, a highly successful banker and investor who in 1910 left Odgen Mills and his sister an estate valued...
, "Either we built this line 300 miles too short or 300 years to early" reflected V&T's attitude towards the railroad.
Shortly after the sale of the C&C, however, silver was discovered at Tonopah, Arizona
Tonopah, Arizona
Tonopah is a census-designated place in western Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, approximately 50 miles west of downtown Phoenix off Interstate 10...
. The C&C became prosperous for the Southern Pacific, as wagon trains would run for miles through the desert to reach the narrow-gauge line, which would then carry it back to the V&T at Carson City. Because of the break of gauge between the C&C and V&T, the Tonopah ore had to be unloaded from the narrow-gauge cars and into the standard gauge cars. Southern Pacific officials did not like this arrangement, so in 1904 they converted the narrow-gauge line to standard gauge, now renamed the Nevada & California Railroad. In addition, the Southern Pacific offered to buy the Virginia & Truckee, but the V&T officials set their price too high. Instead, the Southern Pacific built their own line from a branch on the former C&C, 28 miles to connect with their own main line, thus bypassing the V&T entirely.
The corporate headquarters of the V&T was moved from Virginia City to Carson City in 1900. In 1904, the corporation changed its name to the Virginia and Truckee Railway. In response to agricultural and cattle ranch concerns, the V&T built a short branch line to Minden, NV, about 26 miles south of Carson City, in 1906. This branch line brought in increased freight traffic; as a result the V&T purchased 3 new ten-wheelers from Baldwin: No.25, 26, and 27, in 1905, 1907, and 1913 respectively.
Decline of the railroad
1924 saw the first year with no profit for the railroad. Mining revenue had dropped off to very low levels, though revenue from the Minden line continued to flow. Passenger revenue was on a steady decline, due to the increased use of the automobile on the ever-expanding highway system in the US.The sole owner of the railroad in 1933 was Ogden Livingston Mills
Ogden L. Mills
Ogden Livingston Mills was an American businessman and politician.-Biography:The son of Ogden Mills and Ruth T. Livingston, he had twin sisters Beatrice Mills and Gladys Livingston Mills. Odgen L. Mills was the grandson of Darius O...
, grandson of original co-founder Darius Ogden Mills. He personally paid the deficits in the railroad's operating costs as a nod to the past and his family's involvement in the early days of Virginia City. Mills died in 1937, and the following year, as the railroad went into receivership, the V&T management began plans to cease operations of the railroad.
The decline of the V&T began in 1938 when the Virginia City branch was torn up. the railroad, at the time of its closure, had 3 locomotives to use. An Alco 2-8-0 called the 2nd #5, two Baldwin 4-6-0s # 26 & #27. The #26 was originally was scheduled to haul the last train, but after making its run on May 1, 1950 and put away into the single locomotive shed for the night, caught fire. Loco #26 was a total loss. Loco #27 was heavily serviced to make her usable and on May 30, 1950, the #27 pulled the last train of the V&T. Many experts consider it fitting since the #27 was the last new locomotive purchased by the V&T.
Historic equipment
The Virginia and Truckee's locomotives and other equipment appeared in numerous WesternsWestern (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
over the years since the railroad operated otherwise obsolete equipment well into the "cinema age." Many of these pieces have been restored, and are currently on display at museums throughout the country. In addition, an operating 5/8-scale replica of the V&T locomotive, Reno, has been running on the Washington Park and Zoo Railway since 1959.
| No. | Name | Type | Builder | C/N | Built | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon | 2-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul... |
H.J. Booth Union Iron Works Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries.-History:... |
Replica under construction in Mason City, IA. | |||
| Reno | 4-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels... |
Baldwin Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of... |
On display at Old Tucson Studios Old Tucson Studios Old Tucson Studios is a movie studio and theme park just west of Tucson, Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and close to the western portion of Saguaro National Park. Built in 1939 for the movie Arizona, it has been used for the filming of several movies and television westerns since then,... , although heavily damaged in the 1995 studio fire. |
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| Genoa | Baldwin | On display at the California State Railroad Museum California State Railroad Museum The California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the state park system of California, USA, interpreting the role of the "iron horse" in connecting California to the rest of the nation. It is located in Old Sacramento at 111 I Street.... |
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| Empire | 2-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul... |
Baldwin | On display at the California State Railroad Museum | |||
| Dayton | CP Central Pacific Railroad The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental... 's Sacramento shops |
On display at the Comstock History Center at Virginia City, Nevada Virginia City, Nevada Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :... . |
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| Tahoe | Baldwin | On display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a railroad museum in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.The museum is located on the east side of Strasburg along Pennsylvania Route 741... . |
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| J.W.Bowker | 2-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels.... |
Baldwin | On display at the California State Railroad Museum. | |||
| Inyo | Baldwin | Operational, on display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum Nevada State Railroad Museum Nevada Southern Railway is a railroad museum in Boulder City, Nevada operated by the Nevada State Railroad Museum which is an agency of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs.... . |
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| Unnamed | 4-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular... |
Baldwin | Operational at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. | |||
| Unnamed | Baldwin | On display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. |
Historic designations
- National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
#NPS–04001198 — Virginia and Truckee Railroad Engine No. 27Virginia and Truckee Railroad Engine No. 27Virginia and Truckee Railroad Engine No. 27 is a historic standard gauge steam locomotive. It is currently on display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, Nevada...
(also known as Baldwin Locomotive Works #39435) - National Register of Historic Places #NPS–73002245 — Virginia and Truckee RR. Engines No. 18, The Dayton; and No. 22, The InyoVirginia and Truckee RR. Engines No. 18, The Dayton; and No. 22, The InyoThe Virginia and Truckee Railroad Engines No. 18, The Dayton; and No. 22, The Inyo are two historic standard gauge steam locomotives. The Inyo is on display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum and the Dayton is on display in Virginia City, Nevada...
- National Register of Historic Places #NPS–77001508 — Virginia and Truckee Railroad Shops
- National Register of Historic Places #NPS–98001208 — Virginia and Truckee Railroad Depot, Carson City
Restoring the line
Officials with the Commission held a "silver spike" ceremony January 3, 2006, in Carson City to commemorate the completion of two miles of trackRail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
near Gold Hill
Gold Hill, Nevada
Gold Hill is a community in Storey County, Nevada, located just south and downhill of Virginia City. Incorporated December 17, 1862, in order to prevent its annexation by its larger neighbor, the town at one point was home to at least 8,000 residents. Prosperity was sustained for a period of 20...
. The construction, completed in September 2005, is part of an effort to restore the V&T's mainline from Virginia City to Carson City for operations. Then Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Minority Leader Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
(D-Nev), who was instrumental in securing $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
10 million in federal funding for the project, and Nevada Lieutenant Governor Lorraine Hunt
Lorraine Hunt
Lorraine T. Hunt is an American politician. She is the former 32nd Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. State of Nevada, serving from 1999 to 2007...
, who secured an additional $1 million in state funding for the project, both spoke at the ceremony.
It is estimated that completion of the line from Gold Hill to Carson City will cost in excess of $55 million, and it is hoped that the line, which was originally abandoned in 1938, will be completed and operational once again in 2012.
On August 14, 2009 the ceremonial first run from Virginia City to Mound House (Mistakingly referred to as "Carson City Eastgate" in official material) occurred for VIPs. On the 15th and 16th the line opened to the public. Funds raised from these runs will be used to pay for the tracks through the Carson River Canyon, and will continue throughout the fall, every Saturday from August 22 through October 31. The runs will use the V&T Railroad's equipment (such as steam locomotive #29) and not that of the V&T Railway (owned by the Commission). Ticket price is set at $48.
The railroad is currently building up its collection, acquiring passenger cars from the nations museums & other private owners.
In May 2010, an ALCO S-4 was acquired from Montana in operable condition. It has been numbered D-2 (the number was previously used for a leased 44-tonner).
On July 24, 2010, the No. 18 steam locomotive was brought on-line for revenue service. The locomotive had recently come back from Hollywood, appearing in the movie Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants is a historical novel by Sara Gruen. Gruen originally wrote the novel as part of National Novel Writing Month.- Plot :...
.
In December 2010, an ex-CB&Q
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
railcar was trucked into Virginia City. It was to be operational in time for the 2011 season, but is still undergoing restoration work.
As of June 2011, No. 29 is once again down for maintenance. In her absence, D-1 has been fitted with a rare Hancock 4700 air whistle to keep the familiar sound of a whistle around, though some return riders believe it was due to sound complaints, as her old horn, a Nathan 3-chime horn, was very loud & could be heard all over town, echoeing off the canyon walls.
Current equipment
The following is a list of the locomotives currently owned by the reborn V&T.Steam locomotives
- No. 18: Ex-McCloud River Railroad No. 18. Baldwin 2-8-2 built in October 1914. Leased by the commission to the V&T Railroad. Operable.
- No. 29: Ex-Longview, Portland and Northern Railway No. 680. Baldwin 2-8-0 built in October 1916. Acquired by V&T in 1977. Restored 2001-2008. Named "Robert C. Gray". Operational
- No. 30: Ex-Southern Pacific No. 1251. Built at SP Sacramento Shops in November 1919. On display in Stockton, CaliforniaStockton, CaliforniaStockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
from 1957-1984. Arrived in Virginia City in July 1984. Inoperable & partially dismantled. Funds are short to restore the locomotive to operation & is stored in a siding awaiting funding. - No. 8: Ex-Feather River Short Line No.8, nee Hobart Southern. Stored operable in Gold Hill, with no plans to return to service on the V&T in the near future. Baldwin 2-6-2 built in 1907.
Diesel locomotives
- D-1: Ex-US Army No. 1694. General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
80-ton switcherGE 80-ton switcherThe GE 80-ton switcher is a locomotive model built by GE Transportation Systems. It is classified as a B-B type locomotive. It was designed for industrial and light switching duties around railheads and ports.- Military version :...
built in 1953. Arrived in 2003. Operable & in daily service. Formerly fitted with a Nathan-AirChime Ltd. 3-chime horn, but was later replaced by a Hancock air whistleHancock air whistleThe Hancock air whistle was a railroad whistle intended for use on North American diesel locomotives in place of the standard air horn.- History :...
. - D-2: Ex-PPL Montana No. 101. ALCO S-4 built in 1951. Arrived in May 2010. Operable.
Motor cars
- M-1: Ex-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy RailroadChicago, Burlington and Quincy RailroadThe Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
No. 507, later No. 9507. Built by Edwards Rail Car CompanyEdwards Rail Car CompanyEdwards Rail Car Company was located in the small town of Sanford, North Carolina, specializing in the manufacture of self-propelled rail cars.-History:...
in 1926. Arrived in December 2010. Inoperable.
Passenger cars
- No. 25: Combination Car. Ex-San Francisco and North Pacific RailroadSan Francisco and North Pacific RailroadSan Francisco and North Pacific Railroad provided the first extensive standard gauge rail service to Sonoma County and became the southern end of the regional Northwestern Pacific Railroad...
No. 37, later Northwestern Pacific RailroadNorthwestern Pacific RailroadThe Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
No. 37. Arrived in 1975. Used as the Virginia City Ticket Office. Built in 1888 by Harlan & Hollingsworth. - No. 50: Ex-Western Pacific RailroadWestern Pacific RailroadThe Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California...
bay-window caboose. Built in 1916. Entered service in 1977. Operable & in daily use. - No. 55: Ex-WP Box Car. Converted into an open-air gondola. Built in 1916. Entered service in 1977. Operable & in daily use.
- No. 54: Ex-WP Box Car. Converted into a tunnel car, but capable of carrying passengers. Possibly built in 1916. Last used in passenger service in 2001. It is, however, still used on the Labor Day & Civil War trains. Serviceable.
- No. 100: Ex-Bangor & Aroostook parlor car No. 100. Named "Ardelle Mae", unofficially "Reno". Built in 1907 by American Car & Foundry. Stored on the runaround track at Virginia City Monday-Wednesday.
- No. 101: Ex-Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadDelaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadThe Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
coach. Built by Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
in 1914. Named "Gold Hill". Arrived in July 2008 & entered service in May 2009. Serviceable. - No. 102: Ex-DL&W coach. Built in 1914 by Pullman. Named "Silver City". Entered service in May 2009. Serviceable.
- No. 103: Ex-DL&W coach. Built by Pullman in 1917. Named "Carson City". Entered service in September 2010. Serviceable.
- No. 104: Ex-SP coach No. 1165. Built in 1909 by Pullman. From Tehachapi, CaliforniaTehachapi, CaliforniaTehachapi is a city incorporated in 1909 located in the Tehachapi Mountains between Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County, California. Tehachapi is located east-southeast of Bakersfield, at an elevation of...
. Under restoration.
External links
- Virginia and Truckee Railroad V&T Operations
- Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway
- Northern Nevada Railway Foundation
- Friends of the Nevada State Railroad Museum
- Nevada State Railroad Museum
- Virginia & Truckee Historical Society
- Kent Kristiansson's V&T History Site History, Facts, Stories
- Road Trip America visits the V&T Railroad
- V&T Route Map
- V&T Locomotives No. 18, the Dayton, and No. 22, the Inyo
- The Studio Trains — Virginia & Truckee in Films
- Guide to the Virginia & Truckee Railroad Company Records, 1872-1950 at The Bancroft Library
- Photos of the V&T