Virginia & Truckee Tahoe

N Gauger

1:20.3 Train Addict
Virginia & Truckee Tahoe

The Tahoe was Built for the V&T RR by The Baldwin Locomotive Works, In Philadelphia in 1875.


tahsep.jpg


When the Tahoe (Road No. 20, a 2-6-0 Mogul) was delivered to the V & T it was put into service for the Comstock Lode Mines about 6,000 Ft up on a mountainside in Nevada. The Ore Mills were at 4,600 Ft above sea level. The Tahoe was used to connect the ore processors to the mines. The Tahoe was frequently seen “double heading” with her twin - the Truckee, between Virginia City & the Carson River Mills.
During the heyday of Comstock Lode mining in 1875, there were 40 trains each day on the single track Virginia & Truckee and the population of Virginia City was about 20,000. The Tahoe was put into Freight service in 1879, then put into storage, in the Carson City Roundhouse, when the population dwindled. In 1900 the population of Virginia City was 2600.
In the early 1900’s there was increased mining activity in the Southern part of Nevada. It led the V & T to completely overhaul the Tahoe. She was put back into service with air brakes, automatic couplers & an air pump. Also a new cab was built from Pine & Ash wood, these were all completed before 1903.
In it’s life, the Tahoe has used many fuels, in 1907 it was converted from a “wood burner” (hence the stack) to a coal fired, in 1907, then finally it was modified in 1911 to burn oil. It continued in the V & T service until 1926, when, once again, it found itself in the Carson City roundhouse. Something of note: The other V & T locos were all sold off to Hollywood for films, the Tahoe stayed in Carson City.
In late 1942, a contractor, Clifford C. Bong, searched for a locomotive to run work trains for the Army Corps of Engineers. he discovered the Tahoe and had it refurbished yet again, and for the last time, by the V & T shops. It was shipped to California where it helped build the Kaiser Steel’s Fontana Steel Mill.
Clifford Bong, saved the Tahoe from the scrap yards after the war. When The Commonwealth of Pa was searching for a typical Baldwin Built 19th Century Loco, Bong decided he would sell the Tahoe. In 1968 the Tahoe arrived at the Railroad Museum of PA. The Museum contracted The Strasburg Railroad to completely restore the locomotive to it’s original 1875 configuration. Thus, it has been returned to the State of it’s origin. Built in Philadelphia, and stored in Strasburg.

Technical Data…….. Weight, 37.5 Tons
Length, 17 Ft. 9 In…...Tractive Power, 15,570 pounds
Cylender Diam. 17 In…..Boiler Diam, 52 In

------------------
------------------
My wife says if I buy One more Train, she'll leave me...
Gee I'll miss HER!!!!
smile.gif
-- N Gauger


[This message has been edited by N Gauger (edited 04-01-2001).]
 
Top