Railroad Nation

The V&T's McCloud River Railroad engine No. 18 sits on the newly completed tracks at Eastgate Siding along the Lyon County-Carson City line. Geoff Dornan/Nevada Appeal

CARSON CITY, Nev. - Virginia & Truckee Railway officials have planned to run the first train over rebuilt tracks between Carson City and Virginia City Aug. 14, the Associated Press has reported. The train will mark the first rail trip between the two cities since 1938, when the original V&T was abandoned.

The 12.8-mile line, built mostly on the abandoned grade of the old V&T, aims to draw tourists to an area of Nevada that doesn’t see many. The first train will run after 17 years of lobbying and fund raising to make the rebuilt $55 million reconstruction project a reality.

Dwight Millard, chairman of the commission and the Carson City Convention and Visitor’s Bureau said he expects 80,000 riders next year, with more than 100,000 in future years. The riders could bring more than $10 million to Northern Nevada each year in tourism and gambling revenue, according to the commission’s Web site.

The trips that will begin next month will take about an hour. The railroad plans another four miles of track, to be completed in two years, that will take passengers closer to the center of Carson City.

V&T was a mine-haul railroad and shipped silver ore prior to its shutdown.

The former McLeod River Railroad engine, No.18, was purchased seven years ago and finally arrived in Nevada Tuesday — by flatbed trailer. It was rented out the past few years by the  tourist train operation in Oakdale, Calif. The 1914 Baldwin built locomotive, is an oil-fired steam engine rated to haul 100 tons that will pull the V&T tourist train between Carson City and Virginia City.

Along the way, No. 18 drew a lot of attention. Dozens of spectators pulled over to take pictures with their cell phones just in the final 10 miles of the journey.

The next section of track to be added to the tourist line  will take the train into the most beautiful part of the trip — Brunswick Canyon above the Carson River. That phase will end with reconstruction of Eureka Siding in the canyon.

When completed, however, the train will go all the way down the hill to the outskirts of Carson City itself — a 17-mile trip. Plans call for a depot along Drako Way just off Highway 50.

For more on Nevada train rides, visit www.scenicrailexcursions.com/nevada_trainrides.php

PUEBLO, Colo. - It was the train of the future, and now it’s headed to a museum. The Rohr Tracked Air-Cushioned Vehicle, better known as the Aerotrain, has moved to permanent display at the Pueblo Railway Museum, the Pueblo Chieftan has reported.

The train arrives from the Transportation Technology Center, where it underwent testing in the 1970s. The center built a concrete guideway, over which the train tested riding on a cushion of air. It was able to reach 145 mph, and could have gone faster had the guideway been longer.

Two other artifacts from ’70s-era experiments at TTC will also be displayed at the museum: A Grumman-built air-cushioned train powered by three jet engines, and a Garret linear induction motor research vehicle. The latter vehicle is now displayed in Pennsylvania.

The museum is located at 330 E. D Street in Pueblo.

For more on the Pueblo Railway Museum and additional Colorado rail attractions, visit www.scenicrailexcursions.com/colorado_trainrides.php

OWOSSO, Mich. - More than 36,000 people from 50 states and 14 countries made the Steam Railroading Institute’s Train Festival 2009 a success, organizers of the Owosso, Mich., railroad event said Monday. While accounting for the event won’t wrap up until after Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449 completes its westbound trip home to Portland, Ore., in late October, the feeling is that the event will end up in the black with a modest profit. All proceeds will go toward the 15-year inspection and rebuild of the institute’s own Pere Marquette 2-8-4 No. 1225, says Executive Director T.J. Gaffney.

Exact figures will be known later, but Gaffney says the nonprofit group stands to make in the “low six figures,” an amount that could cover or just be a down payment on expensive boiler work on such a large engine.

Underscoring the need for that rebuild, No. 1225 went down early Friday morning when a boiler tube snapped, sidelining it for its own party and causing the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society’s Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765 to pinch-hit on a July 25 excursion.

Rain hampered crowds on Thursday, limiting them to 6,000, but Friday, Saturday, and Sunday each saw upwards of 10,000 visitors. All-day trips to Alma, Mich., sold out, as did most one-hour trips with Little River Railroad 4-6-2 No. 110. The only significant problems were water on the grounds that left huge puddles. Eight steam locomotives, the largest gathering in 10 years, were the headliners. The replica 4-4-0 Leviathan from 1868 made its debut.

Will there be another such festival again soon? Gaffney says a smaller event could happen again next year with a much larger event possible after 1225’s rebuild is complete to celebrate that milestone. “On some very real levels, I think it will be tough to top; 4449 is pretty special, and the debut of the Leviathan turned out to be bigger than any of us figured. In many ways, it stole the show,” Gaffney says. - Jim Wrinn

Photos from TrainFestival2009: http://www.railfan.com/trainfest2009.html

One day until America’s Celebration of Railroading kicks off in Owosso, MI. All 8 steam locomotives are on the property ready for the public. Gates will open at 9:00am on Thursday and close daily at 6:00pm until Sunday July 26th.

This is a once in a lifetime event. No other exhibition of trains has 8 or more steam locomotive gathered in the East since the late 1940’s. You will not want to miss this festival. Hundreds of vendors, miniature trains, big train and steam powered train rides await thousands of visitors.

You can see a sneak peek at the Michigan ABC Station. Click here to see video!

Something to remember, your ticket purchase goes back to preserve the Pere Marquette #1225 for another generation. The #1225 will go done for routine maintenance next year. Please come out and support Steam for another generation!