Fly in....and take the train! The Virginia & Truckee's beefy Mikado #18 runs around her train at Eastgate Station in Mound House, in preparation for a northbound run to Virginia City. Although departure is still over 30 minutes away, folks have already started showing up for the sold-out trip. Mound House is the line's current southern terminus, about 5 miles northeast of Carson City (visible in the distance). The state commission that is rebuilding the line has plans to lay track all the way into the state's capitol, but for now, the excursions all run from the interim station complex that you see here. Interestingly, the station is built right at the approach end of Runway 24 at the Parker-Carson STOLport (2Q5)...a local airport serving light aircraft such as the one preparing for departure. Folks planning to fly in for a train ride should be aware that the runway here is only 1700 ft. long. With a field elevation of nearly 5000 MSL and temperatures frequently in the 90s, an airplane with Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) performance is a must-have!
