Gold and silver were discovered in the Virginia City, Nevada area in the 1850’s and activity intensified in the 1870’s with the discovery of silver. The transportation of ore, lumber, and supplies was difficult and expensive and so the Virginia and Truckee Railroad was built. The railroad broke ground in February 1869 and by January 1870 trains were running over the fourteen miles from Carson City to Virginia City, over a 500-foot trestle, and through seven tunnels. At its height, the railroad ran 40 trains a day with its resources of 24 engines, 38 cars, and 400 employees. 755,000 tons of freight were moved. The railroad made a profit until 1924 and by the 1930’s services had been greatly reduced. After the last commercial trip was made in 1950 the rails were dismantled. Restoration of the railroad began in 1972 and it has been operating since 1976. We wanted a ride!
Our two cars were built in 1914 and 1917 and were pulled by a diesel locomotive. Steam engines are sometimes used but are more expensive to operate.
Views from the train:
Tunnel ahead!Gold was discovered first in Gold Hill, about seven miles from Virginia City.Approaching Virginia CityThis pig and its owner were waiting at the Virginia City station.
Street scenes:
There were lots of motorcycles in the area for the Street Vibrations rally.We had lunch at the Cider Factory, established in 1863.Fireplace in the Cider FactoryThe Fourth Ward School had 14 classrooms and served 1020 students. Its last class graduated in 1936. We visited Virginia City in 2011. Here’s a throwback photo of Jane practicing her teacher look.Current school and churchesThe Mackay Mansion was built by George Hearst (father of William Randolph Hearst) in 1859 and sold to John Mackay in 1871. Mackay was a partner in one of the largest silver strikes in world history.Corralled wild horses and burros on the way back to Carson City
August 4, 2022 Vermont’s oldest geocache was closer to our campground near Albany, New York than our campground near Montpelier, Vermont so we treated it separately from other Vermont geocaches. Besides, it was harder to Read more…
1 Comment
Jay Waters · October 16, 2021 at 1:00 pm
Did you happen to run into Hoss or Little Joe?