Virginia and Truckee Railroad Depot - Carson City facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carson City
Location	729 North Carson Street Carson City, Nevada
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
History
Opened	1872
Former services
Preceding station Virginia and Truckee Railroad Following station Sand Cut toward Reno Main Line Lookout toward Virginia City
Virginia and Truckee Railroad Depot - Carson City
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Area	less than one acre
Built	1872
Built by	Virginia and Truckee Railroad Company
Architectural style	Pattern book rail depot
NRHP reference No.	98001208
Added to NRHP	September 30, 1998

The Virginia & Truckee (V&T) Railroad Depot in Carson City, Nevada is a very old train station. It is special because it played a big part in the history of Carson City. This station helped the V&T railroad move valuable gold and silver from the Comstock Lode mine.

This building is also a great example of how train stations were built back then. It was designed using a standard plan, like many other depots. The station is located at the corner of Washington Street and Carson Street. It served the Virginia and Truckee Railroad until 1950, when the railroad stopped running.

The depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. This list recognizes important historical sites in the United States. Other V&T depots, like the ones in Reno and Gold Hill, are still standing today. The V&T Freight Depot in Virginia City also still exists.

The V&T Railroad Story

The V&T railroad was built in 1869. It connected Virginia City, Mound House, and Carson City. Its main job was to move huge amounts of gold and silver ore. This ore came from the famous Comstock Lode mine. The ore was then taken to mills along the Carson River.

The train tracks ran along Washington Street in Carson City. The V&T's train yards and engine house were just east of the depot. There were no safety barriers protecting Carson Street from the tracks.

Rise and Fall of the V&T

The V&T railroad made a lot of money for many years. But by the 1920s, it started to lose money. By 1938, there was very little mining left. Also, new roads and the United States Highway System meant more people used cars and trucks. This created a lot of competition for the railroad.

Because of this, the V&T had to remove some of its tracks. The section from Virginia City to Mound House was taken up. The railroad continued to lose money until its last year in 1950. On that final day, Locomotive #27 pulled the very last train. It traveled from Minden, through Carson City, and ended its journey in Reno.