All Aboard! The V&T is Rolling Again

The Virginia & Truckee Railroad (V & T), "Queen of the Shortlines," is rolling again after over $50 million in restoration costs spread over 20 years. The inaugural excursion on August 14 featured a full train and was the first run between Carson City and Virginia City in over 70 years. The train will run every Saturday from now through October 31. This initial opening of the restored V & T actually goes from Gold Hill (just shy of Virginia City) to Mound House (just east of Carson City). When the entire restoration is completed (estimated to be in 2012), the route from Virginia City all the way to Carson City will be about 21 miles.

The Virginia & Truckee Railroad was built in the 1860s, when the Comstock was flush with money. It carried people in luxurious style, freighted supplies and timbers to the Virginia City mines, and brought ore back down to the Carson City processing mills. The 17 miles of track passed through five tunnels and had so many curves it was called the crookedest railroad in the country. The original route was abandoned in 1938 and V & T service to Reno (not part of the restoration) ceased in 1950.

Round trips will run once a day, departing Carson City at 10 a.m. and arriving back in town at 4:30 p.m. The morning one-way departs Virginia City at 8 a.m., getting to Carson City at 9 a.m. The afternoon one-way leaves Carson City at 5 p.m. and gets to Virginia City at 6:30 p.m. Note that the trip time to Virginia City is a little longer due to it being an uphill climb. On the Virginia City end, a free shuttle takes passengers to C Street in the downtown area. On the roundtrip run, you will have about 3 hours to do Virginia City before the return trip at 3 p.m.

Tickets are available for either round trip or one-way excursions. Roundtrip fare is $48 for adults, $36 for children 12 and under, and $40 for seniors over 65 and veterans. The one-way fare is $29 for adults, $23 for children, and $25 for seniors and veterans. You can reserve tickets by calling (800) 638-2321, (775) 847-4386, or (775) 687-7410. You can also buy tickets online from the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

To learn more about the history of the V & T and the restoration project, visit the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V & T Railway (NCRVTR) and the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Sources: Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway (NCRVTR), Northern Nevada Railway Foundation, Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, Reno Gazette-Journal.

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