Virginia and Truckee 18 Dayton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dayton |
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| Power type | Steam |
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| Builder | Central Pacific Railroad's Sacramento Shops |
| Serial number | 6 |
| Build date | September, 1873 |
| Configuration | 4-4-0 |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Driver diameter | 60 in (1,524 mm) |
| Locomotive weight | 78 short tons (70.8 t) |
| Fuel type | Wood |
| Boiler pressure | 130 psi (0.90 MPa) |
| Cylinders | Two, outside |
| Cylinder size | 17 in × 24 in (430 mm × 610 mm) |
| Tractive effort | 12,716 lbf (56.56 kN) |
| Official name | Dayton |
| Current owner | Nevada State Railroad Museum |
| Disposition | static display |
| Official name: Virginia and Truckee RR. Engines No. 18, The Dayton; and No. 22, The Inyo | |
| Designated: | December 18, 1973 |
| Reference #: | 73002245 |
The Virginia and Truckee 18 Dayton is a special steam locomotive that you can see in Carson City, Nevada. This historic train worked for many years on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. It is a standard gauge train, meaning its tracks are a standard width.
The Dayton locomotive is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It shares this honor with another train, the Inyo. Both trains are recognized for their role in developing transportation in Nevada.
The Dayton is a type of train called a 4-4-0 "American" locomotive. It was built in 1873 by the Central Pacific Railroad in Sacramento, California. This train weighed about 78,000 pounds (35,000 kg) and had large driving wheels that were 60 inches (150 cm) wide. It could carry 2,500 US gallons (9,500 L; 2,100 imp gal) of water and 3 cords of wood to power its journey.
In 1879, a big snow plow was attached to the front of the Dayton. This allowed it to clear snow from the Virginia & Truckee tracks during winter. Besides plowing snow, it also carried passengers for most of its working life.
In 1906, the Dayton had the honor of opening a new train line. This line connected Carson City to Minden, Nevada. After this, the train was used less often. In 1908, it was changed to burn oil instead of wood.
Dayton in Movies
The Dayton locomotive became a movie star! In 1937, it was sold to Paramount Pictures for $1,000. Another train, No. 22 Inyo, was sold at the same time. Paramount Pictures had the Dayton fixed up at the Southern Pacific Railroad shops. They repainted it and changed its number for use in films.
The Dayton appeared in several movies. Its first film was Union Pacific. To promote this movie, the train even traveled all the way to New York City in 1939! Other famous movies featuring the Dayton include Young Tom Edison, The Harvey Girls, and Duel in the Sun.
After Its Working Life
After its time on the railroad, the Dayton continued to be part of history. In 1969, it took part in celebrations for the 100th birthday of the Golden Spike. The Golden Spike marked the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. For this event, the Dayton was changed to look like the Union Pacific's No. 119 train.
The Dayton stayed at the Golden Spike National Historic Site for most of the 1970s. The V&T's Inyo was also there, made to look like the Central Pacific's Jupiter. In 1974, both trains were sold to the State of Nevada. However, they stayed in Utah while new copies of the Golden Spike trains were being built. Finally, in late 1978, both the Inyo and Dayton arrived at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City.
Once at the museum, experts looked at the Inyo and Dayton. They wanted to see if the trains could be made to run again. The Dayton's boiler, which helps make steam, was in poor condition. It would need to be replaced for the train to operate. Since the boiler was the original one, they decided to just make the train look good again. This is called a cosmetic restoration. The Dayton was shown to the public at the museum on Memorial Day weekend in 1982.
In 2005, the Dayton moved to the Comstock History Center in Virginia City, Nevada. It was on display there until April 2018. Then, it returned to the Nevada State Railroad Museum. In its place, the Virginia and Truckee 4-6-0 No. 27 went on exhibit at the Comstock History Center.
