Steam & Excursion > Question Regarding V&T Restoration

Would someone in the know be able to update me about the on-goings with the re-build of the V&T? I hear that the new ownership is slating 2009 for the start of operations? I also heard that the #18 from McCloud was sold to the new V&T owners to run their railroad operations?

Thanks in advance for any information that you can share.

Scott Kuhl
Keizer, OR

McCloud #18 was sold to the V&T 2 years ago. She will be moved to Nevada later this year from McCloud.
2009 is still the EARLIEST that the new V&T hopes to start.

Martin

Is there any work being done restoring the ex-SP suburban coaches they bought from the GGRM?

I believe these are still at Western Pacific RR Museum in Portola -something abouyt being too long for the V&T line?

There is projection that the Nevada State Railroad Museum's V&T 1910 McKeen Windsplitter #22 will be completely restored, fully operational, and ready to run on the V&T in 4 or 5 years when those tracks are extended into Carson City.

Fred Harrison
Central Point, OR
CORPpower/JSS/EORS

The cars are at Portola. I have heard whisperings that they are too long for the railroad- but that remains to be seen. There have also been reports in the media credited to people close to the V&T reconstruction effort that the #18 may also be too big.

A big part of why the cars are still in Portola and the #18 is still in McCloud is that the V&T Reconstruction effort has nowhere to put any of the equipment. They have built a couple miles of track beyond Gold Hill and that is it. They would have to find someplace to store the equipment, either on the current V&T tourist railroad (that does not exactly have a lot of extra track or siding space) or somewhere else. A lot of the actual equipment work will be done by the actual contractor operating the line, which the commission awared to the Sierra Railroad a month or two back.

By my calculations they will actually only get a couple years out of the #18 before it comes up for new tubes and other work. Assuming they actually meet their 2009 goal.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

How does a government agency with state tax-payer funds make decisions of acquiring equipment without knowing if it would be able to operate on the line?

Who's in charge?

iliketrains Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How does a government agency with state tax-payer
> funds make decisions of acquiring equipment
> without knowing if it would be able to operate on
> the line?
>
> Who's in charge?

ilike,

Welcome to the world of Nevada politics. As Jeff Moore pointed out, the Commission For the Reconstruction of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad is the agency that is handling this. The commission is composed of appointed officials from the three counties involved and the cities of Virginia and Carson as well as appointees from the governors office. There is at this time I believe no Executive Director or other office staff, I could be wrong on this point. The agreement with the "operator" may take effect soon or at the time that the railroad is ready for the operator to operate, postings to the Nevada legislature web site or the Request for Proposals for the operator was not clear on that. I'm sure that other have more to add and correction to my faulty memory on this.

J.

If the V&T project makes their 2009 goal of running #18 they should have 8 years of tube time left on her.

Martin

fredkharrison Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There is projection that the Nevada State Railroad
> Museum's V&T 1910 McKeen Windsplitter #22 will be
> completely restored, fully operational, and ready
> to run on the V&T in 4 or 5 years when those
> tracks are extended into Carson City.


When I was in Carson last year I received a personal tour of the #22 in the shops. They are doing a beautiful job and the interior wood work is first class to say the least.

Jason

J.Ferris Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> iliketrains Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > How does a government agency with state
> tax-payer
> > funds make decisions of acquiring equipment
> > without knowing if it would be able to operate
> on
> > the line?
> >
> > Who's in charge?
>
> ilike,
>
> Welcome to the world of Nevada politics. As Jeff
> Moore pointed out, the Commission For the
> Reconstruction of the Virginia and Truckee
> Railroad is the agency that is handling this. The
> commission is composed of appointed officials from
> the three counties involved and the cities of
> Virginia and Carson as well as appointees from the
> governors office. There is at this time I believe
> no Executive Director or other office staff, I
> could be wrong on this point. The agreement with
> the "operator" may take effect soon or at the time
> that the railroad is ready for the operator to
> operate, postings to the Nevada legislature web
> site or the Request for Proposals for the operator
> was not clear on that. I'm sure that other have
> more to add and correction to my faulty memory on
> this.
>
> J.

I got a hold of the RFP when it was put out last year. There is a section that as I read between the lines, it said to me, "We want to choose an operator soon so they can help make these decisions and recommendations, because we don't really have a clue, and they're the ones that will have to deal with the results for the duration of the contract."

I know that specifically they were referring to the track plan and arrangement of the terminal in Carson City, which right now holds nothing more than a vacated warehouse/vehicle shop facility. In the proposal there was a proposed "possible idea", but nothing set in concrete.

I seem to remember that they requested that the operator be willing to expand the fleet and schedule as needed to sustain the operation.

- Mike Lewis
Wasatch Railroad Contractors

Mike Lewis
Cheyenne, WY
Wasatch Railroad Contractors

> I got a hold of the RFP when it was put out last
> year. There is a section that as I read between
> the lines, it said to me, "We want to choose an
> operator soon so they can help make these
> decisions and recommendations, because we don't
> really have a clue, and they're the ones that will
> have to deal with the results for the duration of
> the contract."
>
> I know that specifically they were referring to
> the track plan and arrangement of the terminal in
> Carson City, which right now holds nothing more
> than a vacated warehouse/vehicle shop facility. In
> the proposal there was a proposed "possible idea",
> but nothing set in concrete.
>
> I seem to remember that they requested that the
> operator be willing to expand the fleet and
> schedule as needed to sustain the operation.
>
> - Mike Lewis
> Wasatch Railroad Contractors

Don't you just love responding to RFP's!!!! I do some responding to RFP's for my job and it is so much work. I have even responded to some of the RFP's put out by the State of Nevada. My heart goes out to you if you have to respond to RFP's.

Jason

waykuhl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Would someone in the know be able to update me
> about the on-goings with the re-build of the V&T?
> I hear that the new ownership is slating 2009 for
> the start of operations? I also heard that the
> #18 from McCloud was sold to the new V&T owners to
> run their railroad operations?
>
> Thanks in advance for any information that you can
> share.

Sierra Railroad in Oakdale CA got the contract ot operate it if and when it does run. Story in today's Nevada Appeal says the 5 Subs currently at the Western Pacific RR museum may only be worth scrap value

I cannot find where V&T ever owned a Mikado. McCloud #18, at 178,400 lbs., is 50% heavier than anything ever used by the V&T on its run up the hill. A ten wheeler would be much better suited historically and practically.

Fred Harrison
Central Point, OR
CORPpower/JSS/EORS

Actually the V&T has a history with 8-coupled engines. In 1947 the V&T bought a 2-8-0 from the Nevada Copper Belt. She was 75 tons in size and had 51" drivers.
She was built by ALCO in 1925 so she was newer than the McCloud #18 and had larger drivers. While #5 was purchased by the V&T 9 years after they pulled up the Virginia City line, she could have handled any traffic requirements on that line.
The #18 will be a perfect engine for the grades on this line and the cars the V&T project hopes to pull.
This photo was taken by Wil Whittaker of #5 in Reno on June 2, 1947.

Martin

---

Becky Bosshart
Appeal Staff Writer, bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com
January 9, 2007

Five historic rail cars purchased for use on the reconstructed Virginia & Truckee Railway may never make it to the rails, an official connected to the project said Monday.

If the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway wants to use them, it'll cost a lot, said Robert Pinoli, vice president of tourist operations for Sierra Railroad, the contractor chosen to operate the railway when it's completed in 2010.

"If we took the cars in the condition they're in today, we're looking at a $250,000 to $300,000 cost per car to get them ready," he said after the afternoon commission meeting.

Commissioners purchased the cars for $25,500 from the Golden Gate Railroad Museum at Hunters Point Naval Base in San Francisco. It cost another $29,000 to bring the cars up to Portola, Calif., for storage. With $54,500 total invested into the cars, commissioners were optimistic that they'd be able to use them on the rail line. Some still feel that way, even after hearing Pinoli's report.

"I don't want to disagree with Sierra Railroad, but I really believe, if nothing else, components of the cars can be used to build new cars," said Commissioner Ron Allen, who pushed for the commission to purchase the cars in late 2005.

Pinoli said there could be compatibility issues with fitting 1920s equipment with more modern steel. The cost goes up because workers would have to remove asbestos and repair almost every component of the 1923 Southern Pacific Harriman suburban coaches.

"From a distance, they look great," said Pinoli, who has restored rail cars in his 15 years in the business. "But up close, you start seeing visible signs of wear, decay and aging."

Commissioner John Tyson said he'd like to see investors come forward and fund the restoration.

The $40 million project will carry tourists 18 miles between Carson City and Virginia City on the historic Comstock-era right-of-way. The project is funded by state grants, private donations and revenue from room and sales taxes in Carson City and Storey County.

Pinoli said it would be cheaper to let Sierra Railroad construct rail cars for about $175,000 each. Pinoli said the cars would be financed by the company and used on the V&T line, but they would be the property of Sierra Railroad.

One of the goals of the commission was to build up its own rolling stock.

Pinoli said the commission could resell the cars to another tourist line or scrap them to make up the cost.

The commission will discuss the rail cars at its Feb. 5 meeting.

• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.

Looks like a twin to the BC&G #13 now on Ohio Central... :-)