A real classic railroad, the V&T deserves the "Queen of the Short Lines" name.
In B&M Minute Man's article "An Era of Expansion: Why We Need a Late 19th Century Route", he stated TS2015 should use an older route since every route in TS2015 is made in the 70's or later. Those wood-burning steamers were the true march into railroading and many have been preserved (Even Operational!) today. Here is my route proposal for a 19th Century Route: The V&T.
Gold and silver was discovered in Nevada (then western Utah Territory) in the spring of 1850 and miners came rushing to claim it. By then, the Comstock Lode has been built and people needed a railroad to transport said gold and miners.
When the V&T was first in service, they only had 1 engine called the Lyon. However by 1870, the line grew to Reno, Nevada and the line owned more and more engines, and the V&T became a subsidiary of the Central Pacific.
V&T #13, The Empire, preserved at the California State Railroad Museum with a few other V&T Engines.
The railroad sadly declined by the 1920's, but many of the older engines had been saved as movie engines to appear in the big screens of the 1930's and 1940's. Some movie engines include Inyo #22, Dayton #18 and Reno #11. I'll include pic of these engines in films at the end of the article.
By the 1950's the V&T ran their last train and went out of business. But in the 70's, a man by the name of Robert C. Gray sought to restore the line as a tourist railroad. He bought an older engine and ran trains on a short section of restored track. By the 80's, more track was restored and Gray bought another engine to run under the V&T line.
The New V&T Map.
Today, two steamers and a few diesels run the line that once belonged to the V&T. Most of the older steamers are preserved at the California State Railroad Museum and the Nevada State Railroad Museum. There are only 2 exceptions, Reno #11 at Old Tucson Studios and Lake Tahoe #20 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.
The Inyo (Front) operational at the Nevada State Railroad Museum with an inoperable Dayton (Back).
Should the V&T be considered a route, it should take place during the 1880's when they owned most of their older steamers. The route should include Carson City to Virginia City to Reno, Nevada as a full 30 or 40 mile route. It should include a number of the engines and period appropriate cars like the ones shown below.
Classic Woodside Passenger and Freight cars. A BIG Note however: this was the time of the link and pin coupler, and not the knuckle coupler. No air brakes either.
I hope the V&T route gets made for TS2015 as we can bring back the days of the cowboy and when steam was in its early years. The V&T is still operable today, but not the way like it used to run.
I welcome comments and suggestions below!
Frisco (SLSF-1522)
Movie Pics
The Inyo portraying Western And Atlantic Railroad's "Texas" engine in the Disney film "The Great Locomotive Chase". She was also joined by B&O #25 as The "General".
Reno #11 in very poor state. She was dressed up as UP #119 for the film "The Wild Wild West". She was also joined by J.W. Bowker as the "Jupiter" and B&O #25 as the "Wanderer". The Reno was damaged in the fire at Old Tucson Studios, which is why she looks this terrible.
The Dayton portraying an ATSF loco in "The Harvey Girls".
The J.W. Bowker #21 still in its "Jupiter" paint scheme from Wild Wild West. She also appeared in "Union Pacific". She is the only example of a Baldwin 2-4-0