Virginia City and the Virginia & Truckee RR - 06-20-2016
1. Driving up route 342 into Gold Hill NV. Old mine tailings everywhere.
2. Mine dump. Gold Hill NV.
3. The Crown Point Mine looking southwest. High mountains bordering Lake Tahoe in distance.
4. Looking north up the hill at Gold Hill. That red structure just to the left of center is the former V&T depot. Crown Point mine Gold Hill NV. View 2.
5. Gold Hill NV. View 2.
6. The former V&T depot and ore chute at Gold Hill.
7. Mine chute. Gold Hill NV. View 2.
8. V&T 55 ton ballast hopper 124. Ex-Navy Dept. built 1951.
9. The depot was opened in 1872 and closed in 1938.
10. The historic Fourth Ward School was built in 1876 and graduated its last class in 1936. It shows up prominently in photos from the 1800’s. You can tour it, but we did not.
11. 2-8-0 #29 is ex-Longview, Portland & Northern #680. It was built by BLW in 1916.
12. V&T # 29. Virginia City NV. View 2.
13. The old Vriginia & Truckee had only one 2-8-0. No. 5, built at Richmond in 1925, was acquired from Nevada Copper Belt in 1947. It retained its old number for the three years it worked on the V&T before the railroad closed down in 1950. It was the heaviest and most powerful engine used by the V&T but evidently was very hard on the old track structure. No. 29 fits the image of the V&T perfectly but is not as big as No. 5. Most, if not all, of V&T’s later motive power were oil burners. View 3.
14. Looking over the tender of 2-8-0 #29 before departure down to Gold Hill. The original V&T depot is on the left behind the trees. That’s where you buy tickets and visit the gift shop. The E Street Tunnel (Tunnel #6) is to the left of the depot and goes under the beautiful Saint Marys In The Mountains Catholic Church. Tracks no longer go through the tunnel.
15. Looking east across the valley at the Combination Mine site.
16. The train runs about every hour, so its schedule is bound to fit yours. They back down the hill to Gold Hill.
17. Passing the present V&T shop complex.
18. I think that the ALCo S-4 normally powers the weekday trips out of Virginia City, so maybe we were hugely lucky. The longer weekend trips from the Eastgate depot on US 50 are powered by former McCloud River RR 2-8-2 #18. It must be in the engine house.
19. V&T shop. Virginia City NV.
20. Approaching V&T Tunnel 4 near Virginia City NV.
21. Exiting V&T Tunnel 4 near Gold Hill NV.
22. V&T dropping down to Gold Hill.
23. The area to the left of the Crown Point Mine was once the site of the huge Crown Point wooden trestle. Subsequent mining eventually filled the gully with waste material. Yellow Jacket Mine Gold Hill NV.
24. V&T depot. Gold Hill NV.
25. Concrete hoist frame of the Crown Point Mine.
26. V&T 29 leaving Gold Hill NV.
27. V&T Old Tunnel 3 was bypassed in 1991 after continued problems with the 1869 bore.
28. Approaching V&T Tunnel 4.
29. It suddenly becomes hot!!
30. V&T 29 Tunnel 4.
31. The highway 341 overpass entering Virginia City NV was the site of Tunnel 5. No. 5 was day-lighted in 1938.
32. V&T approaching Virginia City NV.
33. The Fourth Ward School. Virginia City NV.
34. Looking east down 6-Mile Canyon. Virginia City NV.
35. The next run backs down the hill out of Virginia City NV.
36. This cut is the day-lighted Tunnel 5.
37. V&T 29 near Virginia City NV.
38. For some reason the train stopped at the east portal of Tunnel 4.
39. V&T 29 at Tunnel 4. View 2.
40. V&T 29 at Tunnel 4. View 3.
41. Chuffing upgrade from Gold Hill. Bypassed Tunnel 3 is at center.
42. V&T 29 near Virginia City NV.
43. V&T 29 near Virginia City NV. View 2.
44. C Street in Virginia City NV.
45. C Street in Virginia City NV. That’s V&T car 13 on the right. View 2.
46. St. Mary’s In The Mountains Catholic Church has undergone major restoration. The E Street Tunnel passed below and directly in front of the church.
47. St Paul’s Episcopal Church.
48. Former V&T freight depot north of E Street Tunnel. There are plans to re-open the tunnel and renovate this 1876 depot.
49. Mine hoist. Virginia City NV.
50. Comstock Lode marker. Virginia City NV.
It was about 3:30, and we had a long drive ahead to Tonopah.
Train images used by permission of Everett N Young