Today’s locomotives may be efficient and easier to maintain, but they lack the romance and the “life-like character” of a “breathing steam engine.” As they prepare the engine ready for the day’s run, I walk around the machine shop where the Virginia and Truckee has the capability of repairing and rebuilding old locomotives. Maintaining a steam locomotive requires a lot of work and a shop is a necessity as parts often have to be fashioned to replace those that have worn out. The complexity of a steam engine led to their demise as it is much easier to maintain diesel-electric locomotives. I arrive at the V&T shops a little after 7 AM. Virginia City at sunrise from the Combination Mine shaft I wrote this piece almost ten years ago and have polished it up a bit for posting here. Of course, I would! It was the ride of a lifetime. When I got to town, she asked if I’d like to ride in the cab of the train. Telling this to a friend who at the time was also the bookkeeper for the railroad, she said she’d make a call and see what she could do.
But they had sold out of the tickets for the weekend I was to be in Virginia City. I wanted to ride this train and see what it was like in earlier days. It is a crooked grade as the train climbs up the east flank of the Virginia Mountains. Since then, thanks to generous grants, the train now runs to the outskirts of Carson City. The big news when I was there, was the train crossing the highway into Gold Hill. Before my time there, a tourist railroad had been established and was reconstructing the famed Virginia and Truckee Railroad. I had lived there in the 1980s, when I was a student pastor at First Presbyterian Church. Please check back on this web site for any updates.In 2013, I visited Virginia City, Nevada. Until the areas impacted by the fire are determined to be safe to enter and the rules associated with the current COVID-19 outbreak allow us to open to the public we are not accepting any visitors at the railroad.With the damage from the Santa Cruz fire and given the current situation with COVID-19 our volunteer work weekends and other railroad events have been canceled until further notice.If you are interested in volunteering to help with the recover please click on the Volunteer Opportunities tab. If you are interested in helping to support the rebuilding of the Swanton Pacific Railroad financially, please use the link below to make a donation: Support Swanton Pacific Railroad Recovery Click below or enter the address into your browser to see the most recent posting. Are you curious about how the recovery is going, please follow our Facebook page to get the most recent updates.
These two locomotives will will play an important role in our efforts to rebuild the railroad.
On the bright side, the 1912 steam locomotive was off site having a new boiler installed and the 502 diesel locomotive was in the Machine Shop. We have lost all of our passenger cars and most of our maintenance of way cars.
The 1913, 1914, and 1500 steam locomotives were badly damaged by the fire but we are optimistic that they can be restored. The Machine Shop, Train Station and picnic grounds were spared any damage. The fire damaged or destroyed the Roundhouse, Car Shop, Car Barn and Cal Barn. Unfortunately, the Santa Cruz fires have impacted both the Swanton Pacific Ranch and the Swanton Pacific Railroad. The rolling stock consists of three one-third scale Pacific-type steam locomotives that were built for Exposition, a diesel switcher locomotive, motorcar and a variety of passenger and maintenance of way railcars. Al relocated the trains to Swanton Pacific Ranch where, with the help of many volunteers, he created a working railroad. The Swanton Pacific Railroad serves as an operational memorial to Al Smith who acquired the trains that were build for the 1915 Pan Pacific International Exhibition.
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