V&T Narrow Gauge Locomotive
Transfer Flat Car No. 1

The Virginia & Truckee established their extensive repair shop complex in Carson City in 1873. When construction of the V&T sister railroad, the narrow gauge Carson & Colorado Railroad was started at Mound House in 1880, some way was needed to transport C&C locomotives to Carson City for major shop work. The solution was for the V&T to build a special 25 ton capacity, 30 foot long flat car with narrow gauge rails attached to the deck.

V&T engine transfer car No. 1 (the third V&T car to carry that number) was built by W. C. Allison & Co.'s Junction Car Works and Flue Mill in Philadelphia, Pa. Allison also built the La Mothe patent frame flat and box car kits for the Carson & Colorado (including C&C boxcar No. 303 in the NSRM collection). The engine transfer car was ordered in December 1880, and shipped on March 22, 1881, directed to the nearby Baldwin Locomotive Works where a C&C locomotive (the records disagree on whether No. 3 or 4) was loaded on it for shipment to Nevada. For reasons unclear at this point, the car did not arrive in Carson City until late September.

V&T engine transfer car No. 1 spent most of its early service as intended, hauling narrow gauge locomotives. V&T flat car No. 25 was fitted up with rails to haul tenders. As built, No. 1 was fitted with 33 inch wheels, but those were replaced with the current 26 inch wheels in 1883. In the 1902 general renumbering the car became No. 54. It was reassigned to general flat car service as No. 182 in 1912, and was sold to Paramount Pictures in 1938 for the movie Union Pacific. Acquired by Short Line Enterprises in 1971, it was purchased by the Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1988. It is awaiting restoration as V&T engine transfer car No. 1.