Challenge Overcome — Powerful Pioneering Focus Made Mining Profitable
How Greatest Money Is Delivered — Focus Made Valuable Results Article 5 of a 5-article series.
Introduction
This is article 5 of our 5-article series. If you missed the first four articles, you should start by reading those first. These articles were written in sequential order, so reading them without considering the order may not provide the entire story without confusing the reader. All five articles have the same title and subtitle. Each article is marked Article # X of our 5-article series.
In this article, we will look at V&T diesel locomotives, motor cars, passenger cars, former equipment used by V&T, the V&T Heritage Railroad, and a list of information resources that you can use if you are inclined to learn more about V&T and other railroads.
Diesel locomotives
- No. D-1: Ex-US Army №1694. General Electric 80-ton switcher built in 1953. She arrived in 2003. Operable and in daily service. V&T fitted her with a Nathan K3LA. A Hancock air whistle later replaced it. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- No. D-2: Ex-PPL Montana №101. ALCO S-4 was built in 1951. She arrived at V&T in May 2010. She is inoperable due to the scarcity of parts for its ALCO 539T engine. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- No. D-3: Ex-Yuma Valley Railway №3; née USMC. G.E. 44-ton switcher built in 1943. She arrived in May 2013. Operable and in daily service. V&T repainted her to V&T colors in July 2017. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- No. D-4: Ex-Evraz №3540, nee BNSF 3540, BN 205, NP 146. EMD SW1200 was built in 1957. V&T acquired her in November 2016. Operable. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- №1059: Ex-Fillmore and Western Railway №1059; née Southern Pacific №1059. ALCO S-6 was built in 1956. She was acquired in February 2022. Operable. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- №1605: Ex-Sacramento Southern Railroad №1605, née United States Air Force №1605. G.E. 80-ton switcher. Acquired sometime in 2018 from the Truckee Donner Railroad Society. Inoperable, used as a source of spare parts for D-1 and D-3. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
Motor cars
- No. M-1: Ex-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad №507, later №9507. Built by Edwards Rail Car Company in 1926. She arrived in December 2010. Inoperable due to small wheels; used as a wood shop. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
Passenger cars
- 1st №25: Combination Car. Ex-San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad №37, later Northwestern Pacific Railroad №37. Arrived in 1975. Used as the Virginia City Ticket Office 1976–2013. Built in 1888 by Harlan & Hollingsworth. De-numbered in 2020 after the second №25, a cupola caboose, entered service. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- 2nd №25: Caboose. Origin unknown. She was acquired from Roaring Camp Railroads in the late 2000s-early 2010s. She initially was planned to be used on Eastgate trains.
- She had a rotting frame, and the railroad entered her in service as a part of photo freight in February 2020. Serviceable. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- №50: Ex-Western Pacific Railroad №680. Bay-window caboose. Built in 1916. She entered service in 1977. Serviceable, used on Gold Hill trains. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- №52: Ex-Union Pacific Railroad №25852. CA-11 bay-window caboose. Built in 1979. V&T acquired her in 2020 from Jim Dobbas Inc. in Antelope, California. Serviceable, used on Gold Hill trains. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- №54: Ex-WP Box Car. Converted into a tunnel car capable of carrying passengers. Last used in passenger service in the mid-1990s; reentered passenger service on June 20, 2020, to aid in social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic; now alternates with Caboose №52. Serviceable, used on Gold Hill trains. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- №55: Ex-WP Box Car. Converted into an open-air gondola. Built in 1916. She entered service in 1977. Serviceable, used on Gold Hill trains. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- №100: Ex-Bangor & Aroostook parlor car №100. Named “Ardelle Mae,” unofficially “Reno .”Built in 1907 by American Car & Foundry. Used for special events. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- №101: Ex-Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad coach. Built by Pullman Company in 1914. Named “Gold Hill”. Arrived in July 2008 and entered service in May 2009. Serviceable, used on Carson City trains. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- №102: Ex-DL&W coach. Built in 1914 by Pullman. Named “Silver City”. Entered service in May 2009. Serviceable, used on Carson City trains. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- №103: Ex-DL&W coach. Built by Pullman in 1917. Named “Carson City”. Entered service in September 2010. Serviceable, used on Carson City trains. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- V&T also owns several coaches currently stored in the Virginia City yard in a dilapidated state. One of the coaches was the private car of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. At the same time, another was a presidential car used by the Mexican Government.
- Another was a former outfit dining car for the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad work crews, another famous Nevada short line. R-K-O Pictures made several movies with other famous pieces of V&T rolling stock. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
Former equipment
- №8: Ex-Feather River Short Line №8, née Hobart Southern. Stored operable in Mound House, there are no plans to return her to service on the V&T because the Gold Hill Historical Society owns her, not the V&T. Baldwin 2–6–2 built 1907. She got steamed up on Memorial Day 2012. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
- №51: Ex-Sacramento Northern Railway №1644, nee W.P. №666. This bay window caboose was rebuilt from a box car in 1964. Destroyed in a fire by a welder’s torch in 2003. Virginia and Truckee Railroad. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_and_Truckee_Railroad
V&T Heritage Railroad
Now that you have heard about the V&T railroad’s history, I would like to take you to the Heritage Railroad and tell you about that. First, this is the most famous of all American short lines. You can ride the train over the scenic and historic V&T railroad from Virginia City, Nevada, to Gold Hill, Nevada, and back.
You can choose either a steam or a diesel locomotive pulling the train you will ride. The locomotives are over 100 years old and depart from the original 1870 depot in Virginia City. The ride is conductor narrated as the train takes ticketed passengers through some of the most famous Comstock mines and ruins.
Seven trains run daily from the last week in May through the end of October. If you have a family, these folks have you covered just as well as they do the singles. There are special events throughout the season: Heritage Days and Battle Trains run through Labor Day weekend and a Saturday evening Champagne Battle Train.
Day Out with Thomas begins in October, and the V&T Candy Cane Express starts in November. Virginia City also plans and schedules events yearly: the International Camel and Ostrich races, Steet Vibrations, Hot August Nights, and others.
For adventurous couples looking to tie the knot, they can schedule wedding ceremonies, receptions, and train rides for a small fee. A V&T Railroad website is available at Ride the V&T Railroad! (virginiatruckee.com). You can get more information on Virginia City at Virginia City, Nevada — Virginia City (visitvirginiacitynv.com).
Websites For Additional Information:
Information Sources for V&T and other railroads:
- 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: A History of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, Ted Wurm & Harre Demoro, (1983, Trans-Anglo Books).
- 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
- Official Guidebook of the Virginia & Truckee, Stephen E. Drew, Virginia & Truckee Railroad, 2011
External links for V&T Information:
Wikimedia Commons has media related to the Virginia and Truckee Railroad.
- Virginia and Truckee Railroad V&T Operations
- 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 №18, the Dayton, and №22, the Inyo
- The Studio Trains — Virginia & Truckee in Films
- Guide to the Virginia & Truckee Railroad Company Records, 1872–1950 at The Bancroft Library
- A Guide to the Virginia and Truckee Railroad Company Records, NC427. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Reno
- Photos of the V&T
Conclusion
In this specific article “5” of our 5-article series, we considered the following topics: V&T diesel locomotives, motor cars, passenger cars, former equipment used by V&T, the V&T Heritage Railroad, and a list of information resources. We hope this was beneficial for learning about these topics
In this article series, we have genuinely covered a lot of ground. We looked at both the V&T from times past and looked at the heritage railroad. We looked at the following information concerning V&T:
Introduction
Definition of Heritage Railroad
What started this railroad?
V&T Purpose
History of Comstock Lode
There’s Gold in those hills
Silver Rejected
Mills, Mines, and Banking
Virginia City flourishes
Beginning Years of V&T Railroad
Work Crews
First Passenger Train for V&T
V&T Builds Locomotive Livery
The Lyon
First Revenue Car Pulled
First Revenue Ore Car
Newspaper Report
Low-Cost Transportation Proven
Cost to Build V&T Railroad
Expansion and Prosperity
Carson & Colorado (C&C) Railroad Built
Silver Discovered
New Challenges
Southern Pacific Resolves Concern
V&T builds Short Branch Line
Decline of the Railroad
Rebuilding V&T as a Tourist Line
Historic Equipment
Other Locomotives Used by V&T
Other historic designations
Operations
Other equipment was acquired.
Locomotives owned by reborn V&T
Steam
Diesel
Motor cars
Passenger cars
Former equipment
V&T Heritage Railroad
Websites for additional information
Information sources for V&T and other railroads
External Links
I hope we have presented convincing information about the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. We would love to invite you to visit and take an excursion to check out this exciting place. We hope you enjoyed learning more about the railway and the locomotives that served it or are now serving it.
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