When it comes to the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, those familiar likely are thanks to either the history books, or the extremely popular Polar Express holiday rides that occur every winter along the tracks.
But the spring and summer rides from Carson City to the Comstock aren’t just for history buffs, Santa’s elves, or those hoping to avoid driving back down the mountain after a day spent hitting the saloons.
When we boarded the historic V&T 1914 Pullman coach, I was surprised to find the railcar filled mostly with families, groups of women in their 30s and 40s, and even a pod of teenagers. The coach is decorated to be reminiscent of the railroad’s 19th century origins, including antique luggage on the luggage racks above our seats, and historic photographs along the walls.
And what was most surprising of all is, despite how many young people and kids were in our car, I didn’t see a single phone, tablet or computer pulled out during the entire of the 35-40 minute ride. While this isn’t nearly as surprising when it comes to the Polar Express — which includes singing and dancing up and down the center aisle along with plying small children with sugary treats — the young passengers last weekend seemed perfectly content in the screen-free experience. Instead, both they and the grown-up passengers chatted, pointed at what my or may not have been horses (my toddler insists they were, but I wasn’t as convinced) or waved enthusiastically to everyone waving or honking their horns as the train passed by, as is tradition, all while listening to the live guided tour over the speakers.
The V&T was completed in 1869 and was originally built to haul millions in gold and silver ore from the mines where it could be minted at the Carson City Mint (now the Nevada State Museum). During its peak in the 19th century, the shoreline railroad was known for its ornate trains that hosted U.S. presidents and foreign dignitaries.
The railway workers and volunteers were happy to play the part when it came to keeping the history alive, decked out in either traditional conductor gear, or Victorian Comstock garb. The V&T is currently celebrating the 50th anniversary of its revived passenger service, which officially resumed operations in 1976 during the US Bicentennial.
Today, the railroad operates from May through October. It leaves from Carson City and takes about a hour and a half to cover the 12-mile expanse, using either (like our trip) a diesel locomotive, or a period steam engine.
The trains have been featured heavily on the silver screens in the last few years; most recently, the steam engine and pullman passenger cars had their own cameo in Paramount’s 1923 series:
The guided tour wasn’t just about the history of the Comstock, but also shared some local knowledge as we rolled up the hills, such as information about a reportedly unscrupulous wild mustang rescue recently shut down by deputies, and the closing of the American Flats.
Now, on this note, I will just make a tiny, friendly correction. As a American Flats Advocate still upset about the complete demolition of the site over a decade ago now: while there was a death in the late 90s at the site after a Wisconsin man in his 40s attempted to ride his ATV up the stairs and was fatally injured, there were virtually no reported serious injuries at the Flats in the five decades prior to their destruction. If I recall correctly, there was one other fatality recorded — but it occurred when the site was still operating as a cyanide- processing plant.
The last injury reported at the site occurred the same year as the fatality in which a teen fell down a hole, but survived. Between that time and the demolition, no other injuries were reported. But I do not blame the tour guide, as the Bureau of Land Management stated at the time of demolition they were doing so due to liability concerns over injuries. But, I digress.
From the train’s windows (which still operate smoothly, I was pleased to discover), you can see what was the American Flats site, as well as several historic but still standing structures relating to mining and processing from the Comstock days. We were also able to go through multiple tunnels, in which passengers could experience a complete black-out — but only for a few seconds, which was a relief to my toddler who I realized had never actually experienced a tunnel up until that point, but did very well considering.
Despite leaving a sunny, moderate day at the valley floor, in typical Northern Nevada fashion, as we rolled into the Virginia City depot, we were greeted with not only a ridiculous, freezing zephyr but actual snow. Just a few days before, temperatures had nearly hit 90 degrees in the valley, so it was a bit of a shock to all. A shuttle waited to take passengers up the hill, but as it was full, our family elected to make the trek by foot up the hill rather than wait for it to return, though I’m told it’s a very short wait, only about five minutes. However, we are an impatient bunch, and instead climbed the stairs built into the hillside that run along Gallagher Elementary School until we hit C Street.
Last weekend was the Chili cook-off, and while some vendors were battening the hatches and securing their tents, others were calling it — but not those brave souls signed ups or the Chili Eating Contest. While my teen briefly seemed to consider joining, it ended up being too cold and we instead trudged along until we could huddle inside our favor coffee and waffles shop down the way.
The V&T excursion is a round trip, and participants are allowed a roughy 3.5 hour time period to take in the sites, get a historic photo taken, maybe slam down as much chili as they possibly can in a very short period of time, or pick up some trinkets at the many shops that line C Street. Then, passengers are welcomed back aboard, then deposited back safely at the Carson City Eastgate depot.
But, as we chose to do, you can also purchase a one-way ticket instead if you want to stay overnight or, in our case, have you nephew’s birthday party in Reno to get to a few hours later.
Tickets for the roundtrip are $50 for adults, $25 for children, $45 for seniors and Veterans, and lap children are no cost. One way tickets are a flat rate of $40 per person, with lap children similarly at no cost.
