V&T Railway to start Phase II

Phase II of the V&T Railway reconstruction project will be under way by late summer or early fall, due in part to the efforts of Minden attorney Mike Rowe, who volunteered his time to locate and negotiate with the owners of parcels for right-of-way for the track. At a Valentine's Day Carson Valley Lions Club dinner, he talked about the history and progress of the completion of the railroad between Virginia City and Carson City.

Rowe was joined by his wife Susie in making a presentation where he gave detailed information about the history and progress. Rowe, who currently is legal counsel for the commission overseeing the reconstruction project of the famous short-line Virginia & Truckee Railroad, described the original completion of the railway from Virginia City to Carson City in 1869 and its operations until its final run in 1950. With large aerial maps he was able to graphically illustrate the nearly 20-mile route the reconstructed short-line railway will follow.

A big part of the effort to complete the project is the acquisition of right-of-way for the track. Rowe, who is providing his services free of charge to the commission, has been actively engaged in locating and negotiating with the owners of the scores of parcels over which the reconstruction will take place. He was successful in obtaining agreement form the various owners to allow the completion of Phase I, a 1.40 mile extension across Overman Pit, in September 2005. Just this week he completed right-of-way agreements to allow the start of Phase II, a 4.34 mile section referred to as the "Mound House Extension," which traverses an area referred to as the "American Flat." Construction of this phase will be started this summer or early fall and should be completed in 2008. Additional phases are scheduled to be completed in 2009, with a hopeful start-up date sometime in 2010.

According to Rowe, once completed and put into operation, the reconstructed short-line railway is expected to add $120,000,000 to the economy. The commission projects that Carson City, Lyon County, Storey County, Washoe County and Douglas County will all benefit.