#3 Passenger Car

Facts

Built

1872

By

Kimball Mfg.

Length 36'6"

Cost

$4,500

Status

Nevada State Railroad Museum

History

1872 Built by Kimball Carriage and Car Manufacturing Co. in San Francisco.
August 1872 The car arrived to Virginia & Truckee.
October 1872 Placed in express passenger train service between Reno and Virginia City.
November 1874 Reconstructed and air brakes added.
1878 Coach #3 was designated as a smoker.
1917 Equipped with electric lightning.
1925 Last run as express train.
1937 Sold to Paramount.
1972 Acquired by Short Line Enterprises.
1988 Acquired by the State of Nevada.
Today At the Nevada State Railroad Museum,
Carson City

Comments

During the period October 1871 to September 1872,
 the V&T operated a daily passenger service between Reno and Steamboat
 using rented Central Pacific passenger and baggage equipment
 and either the I. E. James or the Storey as the locomotive.
 Connections to Virginia City were via stagecoach.

The four Kimball cars were ordered to operate the express passenger train
with the Reno (and Genoa as back-up) between Virginia City and Reno
and to connect with the Central Pacific's Overland Express.

August 1872
 T
he four Kimball cars (Nos. 1 - 4) arrive, no color mentioned,
but they are lettered V. & T. R. R.

They were placed in that service on October 1st 1872 when
the V&T opened the Reno division from Carson to Steamboat.
Slightly earlier than that the Reno pulled a "Sharon special" from Reno
 to Virginia City and one of  the Kimball coaches  was part of that train.

November 1874 New Train.
In 1874 V&T bought 4 new cars from the east, 2 from Oxford and 2 from Detroit.
The new cars were used for the express train and alternated with the 4 old.
The four Kimball cars were reconstructed and air brakes added to them and the locomotive Reno.
 The cars are painted a Fawn color with gold ornamental work.

The siding was replaced twice on Coach 3.

Today
The car is in pretty bad shape, but under cover.
The roof is gone, no platform overhang, the floor rotted out, steps missing at one end.
 

Source of information: Charlie Siebenthal, Mike Collins.