page_title: Virginia and Truckee Railroad
section_title: Restoring the line
hierarchical_section_title: Virginia and Truckee Railroad / Restoring the line
caption_attribution_description: Below tunnel #2
context_page_description: The Virginia and Truckee Railroad is a privately owned historical heritage railroad, headquartered in Virginia City, Nevada. Its private and publicly owned route is 14 miles long. The railroad owns and uses the service mark "Queen of the Short Lines". The V&T Railroad runs up to seven 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.
  When first constructed in the 19th century, it was a commercial freight railroad which was originally built to serve the Comstock Lode mining communities of northwestern Nevada. At its height, the railroad's route ran from Reno south to the state capital at Carson City. 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 from Virginia City to Carson City was constructed beginning in 1869 to haul ore, lumber and supplies for the Comstock Lode silver mines.
  The railroad was abandoned in 1950 after years of declining revenue.
context_section_description: In 1972, Robert C. Gray, who was one of the passengers on the last train to Virginia City in 1938, sought to rebuild the V&T as a tourist line. After gaining approval from Storey County, reconstruction of the line began from F Street to the Eastern portal of Tunnel #4. The railroad's first operating season was 1976, utilizing former Dardanelle and Russellville #8 (renumbered to #28 to continue the old V&T numbering series), two open gondolas, and caboose #10 from the original V&T. The equipment had been leased from Short Line Enterprises, and it was too expensive to renew the rent, so the equipment was returned at the end the 1976 season. Locomotive #28 and Caboose #10 have since been brought to the Nevada State Railroad Museum, where #28 was given back its old D&R number. An ex-Northwestern Pacific combination car was also acquired, renumbered 25 (also to continue the old V&T numbering series)
  For the 1977 season, the railroad faced a motive power shortage. The only locomotive available was ex-Pacific Portland Cement Company #3, a small Porter 0-4-0T locomotive that was very small, lacking in pulling power (only being able to pull one car at a time), and produced so much smoke, an extension had to be added to the smokestack. It was also around this time that the railroad acquired three pieces of ex-Western Pacific equipment from a siding in Reno (two boxcars and a bay window caboose). One of the box cars was converted into an open-air car and given the number 55, the caboose was modified for passenger service and numbered 50, and the second box car was converted into a tunnel car, which proved very instrumental in reopening Tunnel #4. The car, numbered 54, was also used in passenger service until 2001, and reentered passenger service in 2020 to help space passengers out during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  During the 1977 season, Bob Gray won an auction at the Longview, Portland and Northern Railway and walked away with 1916 Baldwin 2-8-0 #680. The locomotive was trucked to Virginia City and arrived safely (after many blown tires and having to sneak through Washoe due to trucks being forbidden in town on weekends). The locomotive was in good condition, and ran a charter train while still wearing its old identity. A month later, the locomotive was renumbered 29.
  Work to re-open Tunnel #4 continued until it was finally reopened in the late 1980s. Work had started on Tunnel #3 (which had a history of instability to the point that regular passenger cars could no longer fit by the time the last trains ran in 1938), but a large boulder shifted and buried the tunnel. A shoehorn was built around the tunnel, just enough as to not be too sharp for the locomotives, opening up a fantastic view of the valley. Conductors narrating the trip often erroneously state the tunnel collapsed in 1938, though recently, the correct information has been given.
  In 1984, the railroad acquired a former Southern Pacific 0-6-0 locomotive (#1251) from a park in Stockton, California. Tracks had to be built through the park to pull the locomotive onto a truck. Since arriving in Virginia City, the locomotive has been given the tentative number of 30, but has been partially dismantled, and no noticeable work is currently occurring due to lack of funds.
  The 1980s also saw the addition of ex-Feather River Short Line #8, a 1907 Baldwin 2-6-2. The locomotive arrived in operable condition, and was used alternatively with #29. During its career on the V&T, its number and lettering were never changed.
  The line was reopened to Gold Hill in 1991 and marked by a double-header pulled by #29 and #8. Regular service between the two stations began soon after.
  By 2001, #29 and #8 were out of service in need of work, as well as compliance to the Federal Railroad Administration's new boiler regulations outlined in 49 CFR Part 230. After the 2001 season, both locomotives were red-tagged by the FRA and taken out of service. No other steam locomotives were available, so, for the first time in V&T history, a diesel locomotive was used. For the 2002 season, the railroad leased ex-Qui
caption: Train operating on the restored line
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