#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
The 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.