| Virginia and Truckee Railroad | |
|---|---|
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| Reporting mark | VT |
| Locale | Nevada |
| Dates of operation | 1870–present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 81⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Virginia City, Nevada |
The Virginia and Truckee Railroad (reporting mark VT) was built to serve the silver mining communities of 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
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, 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[1]. 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, a mechanical problem was discovered, and the locomotive now awaits repair at the Virginia and Truckee shops in Virginia City. Cars and locomotives from the original railroad are on display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, at the Comstock History Center and on C Street in Virginia City and at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
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.[2]
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.[3]
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Historic equipment
The Virginia and Truckee's locomotives and other equipment appeared in numerous Westerns 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.[4]
| No. | Name | Type | Builder | C/N | Built | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
Reno[5] |
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Baldwin |
|
|
On display at Old Tucson Studios. |
|
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Genoa[6] |
|
Baldwin |
|
|
On display at the California State Railroad Museum |
|
|
Empire[7] |
|
Baldwin |
|
|
On display at the California State Railroad Museum |
|
|
Dayton[8] |
|
CP's Sacramento shops |
|
|
On display at the visitor's center at Virginia City, Nevada. |
|
|
Tahoe[9] |
|
Baldwin |
|
|
On display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. |
|
|
J.W.Bowker[10] |
|
Baldwin |
|
|
On display at the California State Railroad Museum. |
|
|
Inyo[11] |
|
Baldwin |
|
|
Operational, on display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. |
|
|
Unnamed[12] |
|
Baldwin |
|
|
On display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. |
|
|
Unnamed[13] |
|
Baldwin |
|
|
On display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. |
Historic designations
- National Register of Historic Places #NPS–04001198[14] — Virginia and Truckee Railroad No. 27 (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 Inyo
- 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
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This section requires expansion. |
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 track 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.[15][16]
On August 14, 2009 the ceremonial first run from Virginia City to Mound House 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.
See also
Bibliography
- Steamcars To The Comstock, Lucius Beebe & Charles Clegg, Howell-North, 1957
- Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California, Vol. 1 The Northern Roads, David F. Myrick, Howell-North, 1962
- Rebirth of the Virginia & Truckee R. R., Ted Wurm, May-Murdoch Publications, 1992
- The Silver Short Line, Ted Wurm & Harre Demoro, Virginia & Truckee RR, 1983
- Virginia & Truckee: A Story of Virginia City and Comstock Times, Lucius Beebe & Charles Clegg, Howell-North, 1949
- Virginia & Truckee, The Bonanza Road, Mallory Hope Ferrell, Hundman Publishing, 1999
References
- ^ "Virginia & Truckee reopens", TRAINS Magazine: 13, November, http://www.trainsmag.com, retrieved 2009-11-28
- ^ Lohse, Jim. "Popular Nevada and V&T Myths: Comstock Silver and the Civil War, State Seal". Train Arts. http://www.livingsteam.com/virginia-truckee-history-articles/nevada-virginia-truckee-myths-debunked.html. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
- ^ Rocha, Guy. "Myth #8: The "Trestle" on the State Seal". Nevada State Library and Archives. http://nevadaculture.org/nsla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=670&Itemid=95. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
- ^ "V & T Locomotive Roster". Nevada State Railroad Museum. http://www.nsrm-friends.org/nsrm09.html. Retrieved 2006-03-12.
- ^ Reno
- ^ Genoa
- ^ Empire
- ^ Dayton
- ^ Tahoe
- ^ J.W.Bowker
- ^ Inyo
- ^ Unnamed
- ^ Unnamed
- ^ #NPS–04001198
- ^ Anderson, Tim. "V&T Railroad project marks milestone". Reno Gazette-Journal. http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060104/NEWS15/601040357/1144. Retrieved 2006-01-06.
- ^ "Voters reject tax for Virginia & Truckee project". [[Trains (magazine)|]]. 2008-11-06. http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=4217. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
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
- 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
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