Virginia & Truckee 2005
August 15, 2005, a business trip up to Virginia City gave me the opportunity to check in on the V&T Railroad. Currently the train operates with a former US Army GE 80 tonner acquired from the Portola Railroad Museum. The V&T's steam locomotives remain out of service as new FRA mandated boiler work continues. The 80 Tonner, designated D-1 pushes a train consisting of a gondola and a caboose (Former Western Pacific #680) from their F street station down to Gold Hill. Once in Gold Hill, passengers can detrain and explore the small town while the D-1 pulls the train back up to Virginia City. Passengers that stay behind can take the next train back when it comes back down to Gold Hill. The pictures below more or less take the viewer from Virginia City to Gold Hill
Right next to the
V&T's F street Depot, are these three beautifully restored cabooses. They
are SN 1632, CCT 21 (As DRGW), and CB&Q 14379
This V&T combine serves as Ticket booth and gift shop. John Manter photo
The next 2 pictures are of a unidentified private car that used to sit alongside
the V&T engine shop, it has since been moved to the F street Station
Zoom lens shot of the V&T F street Station. the ticket office and gift shop
reside inside a former V&T Combine
V&T Caboose
#50, a former Western Pacific built wooden caboose crosses F street on the
V&T's outbound run to Gold Hill. John Manter photo
V&T D-1 shoves past clearing F street
The train passes under an old Mine tramway just south of F street
The V&T shops area looking from North to South
The Gold Hill bound train shoves past the V&T shops (Out of the picture to
the right)
The V&T shops
area looking from South to North
Having just passed under Truck Route NV 341A, the train continues towards Gold
Hill
Driving south on Truck route 341A you can look across the canyon and see the
V&T as it hugs the west side of the canyon. John Manter photo
Same canyon about 1/4 mile south of the previous picture John Manter photo
The tracks curve away from the canyon and duck into Tunnel #4. John Manter photo
After Tunnel #4,
the tracks curve around a shoofly built to bypass the collapsed Tunnel #3. This
is also the start of the 4% grade drop into Gold Hill
The tracks cross Highway 341 and the train is now on the west side if the
horseshoe grade into Gold Hill
D-1 has the train well in hand as they approach Gold Hill Station
Gold Hill Station is the end of the line. The Rails and ties seen in the picture
are for the new extension currently under construction
Nevada Highway 341 does a 15% S curve grade out of Gold Hill, this view is from
the top of that grade looking down on Gold Hill. The train will now return to
Virginia City
The 3 pictures below show the construction progress on phase 1 of the V&T reconstruction down to Moundhouse. the other 2 pictures are from what will be phase 3 reconstruction between Moundhouse and Carson City. Click on the pictures to enlarge them, click your browser's "Back" button to return here
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Phase 1 is roughly 1.3 miles long and covers extending from Gold Hill across the Overman Pit to American flats. This section currently is almost finished with rails being laid at the far end and working their way back to Gold Hill |
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Phase 3 will eventually bring the V&T all the way down to it's planned terminus at Arrowhead Drive and the Carson River in Carson City. This view is taken from the access road into the Carson Shooting range and looks down into Brunswick Canyon. The original ROW is still intact between Arrowhead Drive and Moundhouse, it is the dirt road in the picture that parallels the river. |
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This picture was taken from the same location as the above picture, but the zoom lens is at it's maximum. the bridge over the river is a former V&T turntable. The road that crosses it has been damaged and is not passable by vehicle. |
