V&T first run on new section...

All Aboard For The End Of The Line; Diesel Engine Makes First Run On 1.4 Miles Of New Track South Of Gold Hill On Reconstructed V&T Railway
CARSON CITY, NV -- Watching the Gold Hill Cemetery get swallowed by the horizon and looking out onto American Flat was a sight Bob Gray had longed to see for a very long time.
Gray was there for one of the last trips made through the area by the V&T Railroad in 1938. In 1974, Gray reconstructed the first rails along the historic short line's right-of-way in Virginia City.
Saturday night, Gray was aboard the first train to traverse the 1.4 miles of track completed by the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway in April. Further adding to his excitement was that his son Tom was behind the controls.
"This is a bigger thrill than the last time, but you really can't compare the two," Bob Gray said. "I've walked the track several times, but it's a much different view from the train." Tom Gray said they wanted to do a test run on the new track to work out any glitches and to get the engineers more familiar with the route.
"These rails have never been run on, so they need a lot of weight on them so that it will help the bedding," Tom Gray said.
The weight of the cars helps to drive the rail supports into the ground and makes the track more stable.
The new track features a 3 percent grade after leaving Gold Hill and a 14 degree curve to be navigated.
One of the safety features along the way is two red lights situated off to the side of the track. Between them underground is part of the honeycomb of mine shafts in the area. Crews stretched a thin wire through the shaft and if the line tightens or slacks, it causes the lights to go on and prevents the train from rolling over the shaft.
During the inaugural trip, three engineers took turns piloting the D-1 Diesel engine and three cars along the track. In order for more regular trips to begin, engineers must complete certification on the new track.
The train made two trips to the end of the line Saturday evening, completing both without even a minor glitch.
"We took it extra slow the first time just to make sure that everything worked well," Tom Gray said.
This test run will prepare the engineers for the Sunset Wine Train, a two-hour excursion set for Aug12.
Next month's event will be the first experience on the new track for tourists. The 19:00 ride is limited to 100 passengers. The Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway has been charged with reconstructing the entire 18-mile tourist line from Carson City to Gold Hill. It is expected to be completed by 2010. - Jarid Shipley, The Nevada Appeal

 

Way too cool...keep us up to date!!
John

 

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1980s tourist steam line at Virginia City

In the late 80's and early 90's I rode on steam
powered train that ran on several miles of track
on old right of way there. I also rode on the
abbreviated trackage of the Nevada State RR
Museum on a fall Rail Fair of some kind back then.

Has the steam operation at Virginia City been
closed in order to create this new route?
Or has it been merged into it? Had it gone
defunct prior to this governmental effort?
I thought it was an excellent operation,
as was/is the Nevada State RR Museum.
What's the story?
Thanks, and Good-Luck,
PJB

 

AFAIK it is indeed the same operation you rode. Just new operators, some new equipment (different locos) and some new line. I was up that way a few years back and watched Feather River Shortline #8 climb its way outa Gold Hill. What a grade!!! Then we went up the hill and caught the train in Virginia City.

 

#8 started life as Hobart Southern #8 outa Truckee and Hobart Mills,CA:


She did a stint on the Clover Valley Lumber then was placed on display for a short time in Quincy,CA. After that she was aquired by a private owner and painted as Feather River Shortline #8. AFAIK, she is/was just on loan to the V&T.

V&T should be getting McCloud #18 sometime if they havn't already. I havn't heard any news on her being moved from McCloud yet.

 

To anwer the question about the old operation vs. the new operation...

The old operation (the existing steam railroad) is the creation of Bob Gray. Starting in the 60's he secured the old right-of-way from Virginia City to Gold Hill and then re-built the line, with opening day around 1975 or 1976. The line did not originally go all the way into Gold Hill; he finally got there in the late 1980's/early 1990's after reopening one tunnel and bypassing another that his crews found to be too unstable to re-build. This operation lost both of its steam locomotives (the #8 pictured and their #29, ex-Longview Portland & Northern/Willamina & Grande Ronde 2-8-0 #29) a few years ago when the revised FRA boiler regulations went into effect. The railroad then went diesel, using an ex-Quincy RR GE 44-ton switcher leased from the Portola Railroad Museum in 2002. By the start of the 2003 season they had their own diesel, an ex-Military GE 80-ton diesel that they obtained from the Portola museum in trade for an ex-WP turntable. They have talked about getting steam back up and running every summer since; it appears they might actually do it this year, if what I am hearing is correct. But I am not holding my breath. At this point they are working on the #29; the #8 remains privately owned, and there is some sort of litigation that must be cleared up before it can be available for use again.

As for how things will work between the existing operation and the new operation...that is still in negotiations. No one seems to know how that will turn out. One of the things the Commission is working on is trying to find a way to use the Virginia & Truckee name...Bob Gray actually purchased the original V&T name before he started his operation, so the Commission must come to some sort of terms with him if they wish to use the name on their railroad.

Roughly two weeks ago the Commission released a request for proposals from parties interested in operating the railroad for them. This request shows just how much things are still up in the air, as the request asks those submitting proposals to outline how they would deal with a number of different scenarios, ranging from not being able to operate beyond Gold Hill at all to being able to run a couple trains a day into Virginia City over some form of trackage rights or operating agreement. Bob Gray's V&T does have authority to operate over the part of the Commission's trackage that they have finished. I encourage anyone interested to go look at the prospectus- it makes for some very interesting reading.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

 

Thanks for the additional info Jeff, and the history!! I will keep my fingers crossed that they can get steam back soon
John

 

Jeff,
Thanks for clarifying things more. I had been wondering where #8 and #29 are now. Do you know which 80tonner they got from Portola? Also any news on McCloud #18 yet??

 

Hope I'm not jumping in with information that is not useful here, but was reading this thread this morning , then read my morning paper, the Tri-Valley Herald.

Saw in there travel section, a picture that showed a open train car with people in it. The wording under the picture read "Open-Air Ride Opens Eyes A narrated 35-minute train ride between the historic Comstock mining towns of Virginia City and Gold Hill shows the rugged world that 19-century miners dealt with."

So I then went to the papers web site to see if I could provide a link, but the article online doesn't have this picture up. Reason I bring this all up is because it shows a engine that I think you folks are talking about in the picture. I have no way of scanning it myself. The picture just shows the back of the engine as it heads to its destination.

Steve

 

I'm goin to guess it is Feather River & Western #80 ex US Army unit that I no longer see on the Western Pacific Railroad Museum website. Hopefully Jeff Moore or Dave Epling can verify.

 

I don't know off the top of my head the number the unit carried at Portola...by the time I saw it in Virginia City it wore a green and yellow paint job and a new number, D-1. I could probably find the answer if I pawed through piles of paper long enough, but I don't have that kind of time tonight...maybe later unless someone else jumps in with more definative information first.

McCloud #18 still sits in the back of the McCloud shop building awaiting shipment. The last figure I have heard is maybe 2007, and that the McCloud Railway is giving serious consideration to starting to charge storage fees. That may hurry things up a little bit.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

 

More background and goins on...

(Dave Epling, hope you don't mind me reposting this to this thread...)


Could the V&T Railway stop in Gold Hill?
What will be the fate of privately owned Virginia City rail? V&T commission to lease land in neighboring city
Becky Bosshart Appeal Staff Writer, bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com August 9, 2006
Concerned that the $40 million tourist railway may not make it up to Virginia City, the state commission in charge of the reconstruction plans to lease land in Gold Hill for future parking and a tourist staging area.
Virginia & Truckee Railway commissioners said Tuesday that the land lease agreement is necessary in case they can't hammer out a sale or lease agreement with the owners of two miles of existing railroad between Gold Hill and Virginia City by the time the train is ready to run in 2010.
"We have to have an area to terminate (the train ride) in case we have a problem getting up to Virginia City," said Carson City Mayor Marv Teixeira, who also sits on the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway.
Passengers could then be bused down the mountain or up to Virginia City if needed.
He said there could also be problems with operating the commission's $420,000 locomotive on the track up to Virginia City, which includes one extreme 22-degree curve and tunnels that would have to be reconstructed at high costs.
Tom Gray, co-owner of the V&T Railroad, said Tuesday he is concerned that this could mean trouble for his business, which has operated in Virginia City for 30 years. His father rebuilt the track from Virginia City to Gold Hill in the 1970s.
"If they take buses into Virginia City they'll miss the most scenic part of the railroad, the tunnels and the mines and mills that made the Comstock famous," he said.
The family has anticipated hooking up with the 16 miles of track to Carson City that is being reconstructed by the commission using public and private funds.
The commission plans to lease two small parcels of land adjacent to the Gold Hill Depot owned by Virginia City businessman Joe Curtis. Once signed, the 20-year lease will cost the commission $720,000.
"I am heavily in support of the completion of the railroad and I felt that was the best use of the land to support the progress of the project," Curtis said.
Commissioner John Tyson said he's not in favor of leasing the land in Gold Hill because he believes it would be smarter to purchase the track from the Grays and make the improvements to get the train up to the historic mining town. He expects the track to cost up to $5 million before improvements.
Commissioner Janice Ayres remembers a few years back when the Grays were looking for buyers. She said at that time the price was high and the commission wasn't able to afford it.
The situation may be different now that the completion date nears. Tyson said if the price isn't right the commission can always wait the Grays out.
"We'll run trains to Gold Hill if we have to until that changes," he said.
That's what's worrying Gray.
Gray worries that ending the new track in Gold Hill and busing tourists up to Virginia City could put them out of business. But would he sell? Gray is unwilling to state outright if he would, only alluding that the commission could buy it "if they wanted to."
Commissioner Ayres said leasing the land was a critical decision that the board had to make - or risk losing access to the Gold Hill Depot.
"We're covering all our bets here because if we can't work something out with the Grays, we're in a pickle," she said.
If everything works out with the Grays, and there is no need to load or unload passengers at Gold Hill, then the commission will at least have the use of valuable right-of-way right between the depot and state route 342, she said.
It's still early on in the project. Right-of-way for the entire length down to Carson City is still being acquired and only 1.4 miles of track have been reconstructed. The role the Grays could play is still unknown.
The commission is seeking a qualified rail operator, but Ayres said it has set the bar high. An operator is expected to be chosen by the end of the year. A consultant involved with the project said about six national rail operators are interested.
Gray also isn't willing to say if his company is going to apply.
"I would love for the commission to ask me, 'What do you need to run the railroad successfully?'" he said.
"I don't think they want us to do it. I think it would be a fight."
The commission has said what it wants in an operator: capital to invest in the maintenance fund and experience operating a tourist railroad. . Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212

 

GREAT STUFF JOHN!!!!!!!

I truly enjoy these posts, keep'em coming!!!!!!!
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