Sunrise over Gold Hill. The first warming rays of sunlight bathe the chilly landscape of Gold Hill, NV, as a short V&T freight makes its way north toward the mining mecca of Virginia City.
This photo was made at one of the most spectacular and photogenic locations on the reconstructed Virginia & Truckee RailROAD. known as "Overman Pit", this is one of the few places on the new line that doesn't look at all like it did back in the heyday of the original Virginia & Truckee RailWAY. The massive open pit mine in the foreground was actually created in the years after the original railroad was removed in 1941. By the time the Nevada State Commission began working on the reconstruction in the early 2000s, this pit had grown to be 1,000 ft. long, 800 ft. wide and 300 ft. deep. Needless to say, the original grade was long gone. Figuring a way to circumnavigate the Overman Pit was the largest single obstacle to the reconstruction of this line as a tourist railroad. The massive fill that the train is traversing around the east side of the pit in this photo required a lot of engineering...and something like 300,000 cubic yards of fill to complete. It still requires regular maintenance, as things settle a bit over time. Although not very authentic, it certainly makes for an impressive scene for the riders....not to mention a rather spectacular photo location.
