Bob Gray with Virginia & Truckee #29

Bob Gray was the person who launched the revival of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad tourist line in Virginia City in the 1970s. In 1977 he purchased a locomotive from Oregon and renumbered it V&T #29. For decades, the train went only from Virginia City to Gold Hill, until it was expanded in the 2000s. When the expansion opened in 2009, the locomotive was given the name Robert C Gray. Here he poses with the locomotive inside the enginehouse in Virginia City. Bob Gray passed away in 2019.

Date Uploaded: September 20, 2026

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Source Caption: On This Day on 1976, the sound of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad returned to the Comstock for the first time in nearly four decades. Many thought this was impossible and yet it became a reality thanks to the determination and vision of railroad preservationist Robert C. Gray or better known to many as Bob Gray.
After the original V&T ceased operations in 1950 and a majority of the line was abandoned, Bob Gray began working in 1972 to bring a dream to life and revive the legendary “Queen of the Short Lines” as a heritage railroad. Remarkably, Bob himself had ridden one of the final trains into Virginia City as a teenager in 1938, this was an experience and memory that stayed with him for the rest of his life. A story he would tell over and over again.

The rebuild began with restoring track from Virginia City toward Gold Hill, this involved clearing long-abandoned tunnels, rebuilding grades in addition to piecing together equipment wherever it could be found. The first operating season in 1976 was humble but historic. The railroad was using leased equipment, open-air gondolas, and a small crew fueled by passion more than resources.
Those early years were filled with challenges. Tunnel collapses, limited locomotives and modes of power, and years of reconstruction stood in the way, but the dream never stopped moving forward. By 1978, locomotive #29 arrived and would later be named “Robert C. Gray” in honor of the man who rebuilt the railroad from the ground up.
Today, as the Virginia & Truckee Railroad celebrates 50 years since passenger service returned to the rails in 1976, we honor not only the locomotives and tracks, but the people who refused to let Nevada history disappear and the memories and feelings to fade.
Because of Bob Gray and countless dedicated crews, volunteers, craftsmen, and supporters over the years, generations of families can still hear the whistle echo through the Comstock today.

Here’s to preserving history, creating memories, and keeping the spirit of the V&T alive for the next 50 years, join us this year for a memorable ride.

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