Bound for Carson City. One of only 2 remaining operable steam locomotives from the famed Virginia & Truckee shortline, the V&T #25 hauls a short excursion train around the loop at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City. Although she runs on a loop that is only about a mile in length, and despite the fact that the museum is located right on the main drag in downtown Carson City, there are a few places around the museum grounds where, with some careful composition, you can get images of the trains that look like they were taken out on the original right-of-way.
The #25 is a high-stepping, 4-6-0 ten-wheeler, built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Virginia & Truckee in 1905. She was the first engine acquired by the V&T in the 20th Century, and was intended to replace some of the worn-out, wood-burning, 4-4-0s and 2-6-0s that had been the primary power on the line since its inception. Built as a coal burner, she was converted to burn oil just two years later. The 25 became one of the primary duty engines for the next couple of decades, but fell into disuse as heavier locomotives were acquired. Although her frame and her 60" drivers make her look large, she has a rather small boiler and a gross weight of just 45 tons. In 1947, the V&T sold her to RKO Studios, where she became a movie star like several of her older sisters. Today, the 25 is preserved at the Nevada State Railroad Museum, where she is maintained in running condition and is the primary power on the museum's excursion trains.
