Tunnels to Virginia City - Part 1. With just over a mile to go to Virginia City, the V&T's Locomotive #29 bursts out of the East Portal of Tunnel #4 on a sunny winter morning. The original V&T line from Carson City to Virginia City incorporated no fewer than 6 tunnels, three of which were located within a mile of each other, here in the town of Gold Hill. When the Gray family reconstructed the 1.8 mile section of track between Virginia City and Gold Hill, they were able to refurbish Tunnel #4, but #3, just a few hundred yards behind this train, collapsed during the reconstruction effort and had to be bypassed. Tunnel #5, approximately half a mile further ahead of this location had long since been excavated away to make way for a highway overpass. There is actually a Tunnel #6 in downtown Virginia City, just beyond the current end-of-line. It goes under St. Mary's Church and was plugged when the original line was dismantled. The Gray family still has hopes of extending the new line to the location of the still-extant freght depot in downtown Virginia City....which would require re-opening Tunnel #6. Stay tuned!
