A standard-gauge railroad, V&T Railway was originally constructed in 1869, costing $1,750,000. For the purpose of hauling ore, lumber and wood, and silver mined in the area for the Comstock Lode. After years of declining revenue, V&T Railway’s last run was on May 31, 1950. In 1972, railroad enthusiast Robert Gray began its rebuild, laying the first tie in 1972 on a track bed over 100 years old. And in August 1976, steam train service returned to Virginia City. For more information visit our V&T Railway history page.
Coal-Fired Steam Locomotives
The McCloud No. 18
1914 Mikado 2-8-2
Virginia & Truckee No. 29
1916 Baldwin 2-8-0 Consolidation
Diesel Engine
Ex-US Army GE 80 ton diesel
Gold Hill & Silver City Passenger Cars
The yellow 101 Gold Hill and 102 Silver City are 1914 Pullman-built coaches used on the Delaware and Lackawanna Western RR until the 1970s or 1980s. Tom Gray purchased them from the Kettle Moraine Railway outside of Green Bay, WI. Each car holds 72 passengers and has clerestory windows, open vestibules, and Hale and Kilborn wicker walkover seats. They came equipped with steam heat and had a drop hopper. We have refurbished the cars and added flush toilets, as well as many other improvements. They are known as Boonton coaches having run on the Boonton line in New Jersey.
Carson City Passenger Car
The 103 Carson City is also a Pullman-built coach built in 1917. It is similar to Gold Hill & Silver City, but in 1930 it was retrofitted by the Thomas Edison company with the first-ever electric service to make it into a MU trailer car. (It originally had a DC generator to run the lights.) We have modified the enclosed vestibules for better passenger observation, removed the old “drop hopper” and added modern ABDW braking and roller bearing wheelsets. Before coming to the V&T Railways, the car was in continuous use until 1986 when it was purchased by the Walled Lake Scenic Railway in Michigan.
Ardelle May Private Car
The 100 is a 1904 Bangor and Aroostook wooden-sided private car, the Ardelle Mae.
Some facts from Rebirth of the Virginia & Truckee R.R.: Amazing Revival of a Steam Railroad by Ted Wurm