A Rail of a Good Time: Virginia & Truckee Railroad opens season with great deals

The Virginia & Truckee Railroad opened its 2010 season with completely booked train rides over Memorial Day weekend. As if channeling the “Little Engine that Could,” the historic railway started right where it left off last year with overwhelming public support. After a sold-out season in 2009, the V&T has expanded operations to Friday through Sunday rides, now through Oct. 31.
The strong beginning to the V&T’s summer operations has tourism officials hopeful the trend sticks.
 “With the V&T’s popularity last year, we decided to expand the 2010 season,” said Candy Duncan, Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director. “Adding two additional months to the program and also giving visitors an option to ride the train on Fridays means we have a higher volume of seats to fill. That’s why we’ve made it easier for folks to purchase tickets and get information about the trains so they can experience our ‘newest-oldest’ attraction.”
 Tickets are available online at www.VisitCarsonCity.com or by calling 800-NEVADA-1. Round trip and one-way rides between Carson City and Virginia City run every Friday – Sunday through Oct. 31.
 Trips include:
— Round-trip steam trains operate every Saturday and Sunday with tickets $48 per adult, $40 for seniors 65 and better, $30 for children 12 and under.
— One-way steam train rides on Saturdays and Sundays are $29 per adult, $25 for senior, $20 for children.
— Round-trip tickets on V&T diesel trains operating Fridays are $29 for adults, $25 seniors and $20 for children.
— One-way diesel trains running Fridays are $17, $15 seniors and $12 for children.
 
A variety of ticket packages with lodging are also available for riders. The Bliss Bungalow offers a 10 percent discount to guests who present their V&T ticket; call (775) 883-6129 for more information. The Holiday Inn Express in Carson City and nearby Minden feature a $99 room and free breakfast for passengers; call (775) 283-4055 for details.
 The V&T Railroad’s newly restored 16 miles of track re-opened in August 2009 after 70 years of non-operation. Each 75-minute ride includes scenic vistas of the snow capped Sierra Nevada, passing through tunnels, by abandoned mine shafts, old cemeteries and offering occasional sightings of wild mustangs. The V&T travels the same silver path paved by the excesses of the Virginia City mines of the infamous 1860s Comstock silver boom.
 In addition to the V&T’s Carson City-Virginia City 16-mile excursion, known as the “Sisters in History” route, the V&T also offers its popular 4-mile, 35-minute loop through Virginia City and Gold Hill, or the “Historic Route.” Here, the V&T has run since 1972 under the ownership of the Gray family who have preserved the railway’s heritage. Only with their help has the reconstruction project between Virginia City and Carson City become a reality for future generations. For “Historic Route” schedule and ticket prices: www.VirginiaTruckee.com.
 The Saturday round-trip train feature a 1916 Baldwin consolidation 2-8-0 steam engine pulling two 1914 Pullman cars displaying the distinctive yellow and green of the V&T. Private group discounted charters for 20 or more passengers are also available to organizations or businesses. Email cccvb@visitcarsoncity.com or call 1-800-NEVADA-1 for details.
 The Carson City station at Eastgate Siding on Flint Drive off U.S. Highway 50 East, also has a gift shop with various V&T souvenirs to keep the memories rolling.
 For more information on the “Sisters in History” route between Carson City and Virginia City, www.VisitCarsonCity.com and for details on the “Historic Route” between Virginia City and Gold Hill, visit www.VirginiaTruckee.com (775) 847-0380.
 
Photos by Jim Grant
With last summer’s season a complete sell-out, getting “all aboard” now preserves a window to Old West history. Tickets to ride the historic V&T Railroad are available online or by calling 800-NEVADA-1.