Virginia and Truckee Railroad

The Virginia and Truckee Railroad is a heritage railroad headquartered in Virginia City, Nevada, originally built beginning in 1869 to carry ore, lumber and supplies for the silver mines of the Comstock Lode, with its first passenger train running in January 1870. At its peak the line ran from Reno south to Carson City with branches to Minden and Virginia City, but declining revenue and competition from highways led to its abandonment in 1950. Reconstruction of portions of the route began in the 1970s, and the railroad now operates as a tourist heritage line.