I plan on modeling the Virginia & Truckee about 1930 when my mom was a young woman in Virginia City Nevada. I am going to need prototypical rolling stock buildings, scenery, vehicles, people. Any ideas on sources, references, drawings, etc? I am in the early stages of this project and will need advice about everything but benchwork. I will appreciate any help.
Hello “Freighthopper,” A good place to start would be the book, "Steamcars to the Comstock, by Beebe and Clegg, covering the Virginia & Truckee and other Nevada railroads. The authors weren’t paragons of historical accuracy, but they were great at evoking past times and took wonderful photos. The also produced a smaller softcover book entitled “Virgina & Truckee.” For locomotive rosters and history, try “Virginia & Truckee Locomotives,” by Karl R. Koenig. For more comprehensive histories see “The Silver Short Line,” by Wurm and Demoro, and “Virgina & Truckee – the Bonanza Road,” by Mallory Hope Ferrell. For modeling ideas, go to Mike Schafer’s book, “Railroads You Can Model” (Kalmbach but out of print), which includes a chapter on the V&T with track plan ideas. There are also several V&T-related Web sites which you can find by Googling “Virgina & Truckee RR.” Good luck with your layout, Andy
Thanks for all the sources. I appreciate the help.
Andy’s covered resources very well for you. Another addition I would recommend is David Myrick’s RAILROADS OF NEVADA AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA, VOL I, which has a section devoted to the V&T and also the dual-gauge operations of the V&T and Carson and Colorado around Mound House, NV. And at the back of the book is a complete roster of V&T locomotives and their disposition. It’s a fascinating look at all of the railroads around that particular area of Nevada.
Tom [:)]
If you can arrange a visit to Virginia City, by all means, do so. Most of the buildings which were present in 1930 are still standing. Also, there are a number of pieces of V&T rolling stock preserved in town.
The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City has several V&T locomotives, at least one of which is occasionally steamed up and operated (at, IIRC, 40psi!)
The present-day V&T has a highway bridge over the daylighted Tunnel #5, and a shoofly around Tunnel #3, but is otherwise entirely on historically correct right-of-way.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in a southern Nevada garage)
I own the book Virginia & Truckee the Bonanza Road by Mallory Hope Ferrell that Andy mentioned. It is a very good book. With a full history, photo’s that span the entire life of the road, it also has drawings of many of the cars as well as histories of the cars and full rosters. I highly recommend it. Additionally Rio Grande Models produces several kits of V&T equipment in HO. check them out at http://www.riograndemodels.com/
Hi this is N scale but thought it relevant to your comment: Neat little loco. http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH10924
The Navada State Railroad Museum has a Equipment Guidebook that lists all locomotives and rail cars the museum has with pictures of most of the equipment they have.
In 1930 the V&T owned, but was not necessarily using, locomotives 11, 12, 18, 20, 22, 25, 26, 27.
The same goes for most of the passenger & caboose cars, 1 through 21, except 5, 6, 7.
By the end of 1938 the locomotive roster was down to 11, 20, 25, 26, 27 and the only passenger cars left were 8, 13, 18, 19, 20.
The 1930’s freight car roster consisted of a dwindling number of box cars and flat cars. The ore cars were gone. There was also a variety of MOW cars such as water cars, tunnel cars and flangers.
I think the V&T was Railroads You Can Model, Vol 2. Both 1 and 2 have been out of print for a while, but Kalmbach later did a combined reissue that may still be in print?? If not, it’s not hard to find at hobby shops and flea markets. I think the V&T article is in the combined reissue(??)
I want to thank everyone that replied to my query. I have gathered more information in two weeks on this forum than I have in two years of individual research. Thanks to all.