V&T Commission

In the early 1990s, V&T Railway enthusiasts along with Storey County, Carson City, and state officials began studying the possibility of reconstructing the historic rail line between Virginia City and Carson City. A financial study was commissioned, which indicated that the railroad was feasible, and the non-profit Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway was created to raise money for the project, estimated to cost $25 million when completed.

During the next decade, the railroad project made slow progress as the commission acquired right-of-way easements and financial commitments. Starting in 2005, the project—pun intended—picked up steam.

The Nevada Department of Transportation awarded a $3.8 million contract to extend the railroad south from Gold Hill. The contract included filling in a huge open pit mine called the Overman Pit, which had blocked previous efforts to lengthen the railroad (the pit had been dug after the railroad was abandoned). Funding for this was provided by a 2% increase in room tax by the CCCVB. Additionally, the commission purchased a 1914 Baldwin steam locomotive from a defunct Northern California tourist railroad for $420,000.

The Nevada Legislature provided $500,000 in additional funds to help keep the project going while the Department of Transportation donated a railroad bridge formerly used in Southern Nevada for a crossing over U.S. 50.

The Legislature also granted Carson City permission to raise its sales tax by one-eighth of a cent to fund a big portion of the remaining expenses. The CCCVB and Storey County have also pledged additional funds annually. The reconstructed railroad closely follows the original railroad right-of-way between Virginia City and Carson City. The ride incorporates the Virginia and Truckee Railroad Company’s 2.5 miles of existing track from Virginia City to the Gold Hill Depot. From there, crosses the filled-in Overman Pit and continue through American Flat, a former mining mill district, before reaching U.S. 50 near Mound House. The route crosses the highway and enters the Carson River Canyon area, where it winds along the banks of the river.