Train Time Line

			Virginia and Truckee Railroad TIMELINE "When Did It Happen?" Compiled by Don Bush
Photo By Charles Clegg	1825	Stockton and Darlington Railway in England
	1828	Baltimore & Ohio RR , horse drawn cars, Charles Carrol of Carrollton, richest American of his time
	1830	First run of Peter Coopers "Tom Thumb," a steam powered locomotive. Settlers move to Oregon valley for agricultural reasons
	1847	Discovery of steel by William Kelly, a Kentucky iron master
	1848	Mexican cession of California and New Mexico, Nevada and Utah
	1849	Gold discovered at Sutter's Mill in California
	1850	Steam boat transportatio;, 750 steam boats in the Ohio and Mississippi river systems, canals and great lakes competed until Civil War for commerce traffic to the free West, a struggle that paralleled the rivalry of the free states and the slave states. By 1850's control swung to the canals and the lakes, Weland canal, Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, ships could go from Chicago to London. California becomes a state. By the far the biggest user of iron was the rail road, although machines and buildings were being made of cast and wrought iron. Railroads also had the most extensive machine shops in America, turning out parts iron and steel tools and other machinery.
	1855	Panama Isthmus railroad opened, monopolized traffic to west coast until 1869 when the first transcontinental railroad was opened.
	1856	Sleeping car patented by G.M.Pullman
	1857	Utah war(statehood in 1896 after Mormon church repudiated polygamy)
		August, New York Bank crash
	1858	Morman station established in what is now Genoa.
	1859	First all steel car
		Oregon becomes a state
		Gold discovered on the Comstock
	1860	By 1860 there were 30,000 miles of railroad in America, passenger trains sped along at an incredible speed of 20 mph, freight 11 mph, track mostly in north east and south.
	1861	Nov 29, original charter, Virginia, Carson & Truckee Railroad Co.
	1862	Charter, Virginia and Truckee Railroad Co.
	1863	Development of Bessemer process of steel manufacture.
		Nationwide general use of steel rails
	1864	Formation of Bank of California, headed by Darius Ogden Mills, help from genius William C.Ralston, soon VC branch headed by William Sharon. Mine foreclosures were passed on to Union Mill & Mining Company, same shareholders.
		Nevada becomes a state
	1865	Sep 1, Virginia and Truckee River Rail Road Co, W. Sharon stepped in...
	1867	May 8, Sharon incorporated the V & T RR CO to build from Hold Hill North through VC along Lousetown creek to Truckee River, ten miles east of future site of Reno, (Lakes Crossing.) Settlers donated $500,000 from Ormsby and Storey Counties and petitioned to move route through Carson City.
	1868	Final charter V&T, Mar 5...
	1869	Feb 18, ground was broken.
		Sep 28, Engine arrives Carcon City.
		Sep 30, completion of Crown Point trestle
		Nov 12, First regular train on CP Trestle
		Dec 21, trains from CC to Gold Hill
	1869	Transcontinental railway, Union Pacific, westward from Nebraska, Central Pacific, building eastward from California, met at Promontory Point, Utah, May 10
	1870's	Nation wide battle of railway financiers, Vanderbilt, Gould, Fisk, Hill, Harriman.
		Mines run out, roughly a the 1000-1100 foot level.
	1870	Jan 29, V&T line open in entirety.
	1871	February, Hill Beachey, arranged right of way for VC to Reno, by Legislature, route surveyed partly paralleled the line of present Geiger Grade,(This was before V&T went from CC to Reno)
		July, Sharon forces take action,contract for bridge across Truckee River in Reno.
		Nov 11, excursion to steamboat springs,(from Reno)
	1872	Aug 24, first train full length of the line from Virginia City to the Truckee River.
	1873	February, Discovery of the "Big Bonanza" in the Con Virginia Mine
		Five years of rushing business on the V&T, 30-45 trains per day, 35 carloads of lumber from Huffackers, (Owned by Bonanza Kings Mackay et al.)20-40 carloads of other materials and merchandise. Outgoing tonnage was ore, 80-100 carloads a day. four of seven carded trains between Carson City and Virginia City were passenger trains.
	1874	Rails of V&T replaced with new and heavier steel rails
	1875	V&T RR paid dividend over $360,000
	1876-77	Most productive for V&T, then slump
	1879	Only 52,841 tones of ore down to Carson city mills, one fifth of 1876, surplus locomotives were sold.
	1880's	Standardized rail width to 4 ft 81/2 in.
	1880	Begin construction of Carson and Colorado RR at Mound House to the south.
	1886	Branch to Silver City abandoned
	1890's	V&T Dividends eliminated.
	1901	Many miles of spur track, removed following an increase in the tax rate.
	1903	Rehabilitation of Bowers Mansion by saloon keeper, Henry Riter.
		Improved ore production, slight revival of V&T, Carson City Railroad started using V&T rails between Mound house and Carson City.
		Nov 17, fire destroyed Homestead Tunnel, two months to repair because of hot rocks.
	1904	Southern Pacific and CC RR standard gauging of CCRR.
	1905	Connection to Hazen Cutoff for Tonapah traffic.
	1906	Spur to Minden began(trying to take advantage of agriculture)
		Aug...first regular service to Minden.
	1910	Henry Yerington, superintendent and Darius Ogden Mills, owner of the V&T die. Ogden Livingston Mills, grandson of DO. Mills, becomes president of V&T.
	1917	V&T 90 of the eight-ton ore cars were scrapped.
	1920	Decline of railroad industry across the nations as the trucking industry booms.
	1921	Cyanide Mill built at American Flat between Mound house and Gold Hill by United Comstock Mining. Short reprieve for V&T, Frank Murphy becomes VP and General Manager.
	1924	Beginning of red ink era. Deficits were reported continually until closing down in 1950.
	1926	American Flat Mill closes.
	1933	Ogden L. Mills becomes sole owner of V&T, picks up annual deficits out of pocket.
	1935	Crown Point Trestle torn down by mining company.
	1937	Ogden Mills Dies, V&T placed in Receivership.
		Short spurt of Hollywood money.
	1938	March 4, Board of Directors resolution, "Be it therefore resolved that because of the death of the owner of this Railroad, D. Ogden Mills (sic), this road shall cease to operate as a common carrier on a date to be determined."
	1939	June 4 - last freight train to Virginia City.
		Began selling of old equipment, running "Railfan" excursion trains to keep alive.
	1941	Tracks to Virginia City are torn up.
	1942	Begin negative profit days as feeder line to Southern Pacific hauling freight from Minden and Carson City to Reno.
	1945	Engine #11, "Reno" in all her brass trimmed glory, was sold to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Sam Bigaloe, receivership manager, dies. V&T has only three trains, ten wheelers, 25, 26, and 27.
	1948	Attempt to dieselize the V&T railroad fails due to the high cost of a 90 ton diesel engine large enough to pull Lakeview grade.
	1949	January, Virginia & Truckee Railway applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Public Service Commission of Nevada for authorization to abandon the entire line.
	1950	May 1, Engine 26 burns from mysterious causes in Reno roundhouse.
		May 11 - #27 makes the last run from Minden, through Carson City, to Reno.
		May 31, V&T officially abandoned.
	1970	Huge Penn Central filed bankruptcy, fed created AMTRAK.
	1976	Robert Gray acquires a section of V&T line between Virginia City and Gold Hill and begins running steam trains under the name "Virginia & Truckee Railroad."
	1980	Nevada State railroad Museum opens in Carson City and features many V&T treasures.
	1991	Track is extended past Tunnel Number Three and reaches the Gold Hill terminal.