 |
|
Virginia and Truckee Railroad |
||
| Virginia
and Truckee Railroad Virginia City visitors on a 35 minute trip
back in time aboard one of the most famous American short line
railroads. Trains depart hourly (during season) on a journey
past long closed silver mines through one of the original tunnels
to Gold Hill train station. The line has been rebuilt to the out skirts of Carson City with trains traveling the entire route on weekends during the summer. The trip takes about 1.5 hours to climb up to Virginia City. Enjoy magnificent views while traveling the historic route of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad. Virginia City, Nevada is a wonderful historic places to visit and should be on the top of your list of places to see in the Reno/Carson City area of Nevada. No trip to Virginia is complete without a ride on the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad. Sit back and relax while your conductor tells the story of the Comstock mines and how the railroad played its part to make Virginia City the most famous boomtown of the Old West. |
| |
Virginia and Truckee Railroad |
| The Virginia &
Truckee Railroad began operation in 1870. Its primary mission
was to haul silver ore from the mines to be processed into pure
silver at the stamp mills located 10 miles south of Virginia City
on the Carson River. 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 trains ran for more than eighty years before the Virginia & Truckee Railroad ceased operation. The last official train operated on May 31, 1950 between Reno, Carson City, and Minden. The Virginia & Truckee Railroad Depot is located at F Street and Washington in Virginia City. Trains operate daily May 23rd through October 31. V&T offers special trains for weddings and company events. For more information, train schedules and ticket information please visit the official site of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad. Virginia & Truckee Railroad P.O.Box 467 Virginia City, Nevada 89440 |
 |
 |
| This
photo shows the V&T Railroad sitting at the Carson City depot
during a run in the late 1940s. The locomotive has disappeared,
off to do some errands in the nearby yards. The cars have been
left behind to load and unload mail and passengers before the
train continues on its way south to Minden. At the rear of the train is V&T Caboose #24, painted the V&T's trademark canary yellow. In front of that is coach #18, then mail and baggage car #23. You can see someone unloading the daily mail from Reno from #23. The yellow bus parked next to the train is the connection to Virginia City. To the right are the eaves of the Carson City Depot, and to the left is the brick Civic Auditorium. This photo is taken from across Carson Street. The tracks don't have any crossing gates on Carson's main street, or seemingly even a signal. |
Seen here is the tail end of the V&T Railroad
as it leaves Stewart at the south end of the Eagle Valley.
The train is on its way to Minden; Hot Springs Mountain can
be seen in the background to the left. Caboose #24 is pulling
up the rear of this short train, painted yellow like all the
other V&T equipment.
This photo was taken during the
last month of the V&T's operation. The train is being pulled
by Engine #27, which was one of only two locomotives the line
had left running. Also in the consist are coaches 23 and 18; these
three cars were often found together in the Railroad's last days.
Weeds are already growing through the rails here; within a month the railroad would be shut down and the tracks torn up. The Carson City to Virginia City line was shut down in 1938. Thanks to the folks at Virginia & Truckee Railroad visitors can still ride the famous train. |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||