Virginia & Truckee Locomotive #24 "Merrimac"

Martin E. Hansen Collection

Virginia and Truckee locomotive #24, "Merrimac", was the last locomotive bought by the V&T in the Big Bonanza days of the Comstock. This engine was purchased in 1876 and the mines started to dry up just a couple of years later. The railroad held onto this engine until December 1900, when they sold it to the Verdi Lumber Company. It was soon sold to the Boca & Loyalton Railroad which operated north of Truckee. This photo shows the engine working on that railroad in 1913. The engine was scrapped in 1930.

Date Uploaded: April 3, 2025

Permanent Link: http://wnhpc.com/details/fb9774639299220902

Contributor: Martin Hansen on Facebook

Source: Facebook: Martin Hansen

Source URL: https://www.facebook.com/groups/188010054278485/permalink/468748106204677

Source Caption: Here are rare photos of a historic locomotive. What we see here is Boca & Loyalton RR 2-6-0 #4 in 1913. She was first built by Baldwin in 1876 for the Virginia & Truckee Railroad. She was part of a 2-engine order that was placed at what was the very end of the Silver boom that ended abruptly in 1878. She was name "Merrimac" on the V&T and was given the #24. Because of the end of the Silver boom, #24 was used very little after 1897 and spent most of her time stored in the V&T Carson City shops.
In 1900 she was sold for $4,000 to the Verdi Lumber Company of Verdi, Nevada where she was given the number "2". In 1902 she was sold again, this time to the Boca & Loyalton Railroad. That line had started in 1900 and ran 56 miles from Boca to Portola. When she arrived on the B&L she was given #4. On the B&L #4 joined her twin 2-6-0 that had also been built for the V&T in 1876. Her twin had been given the name "Santiago" on the V&T. Her twin was #3 on the B&L.
#4 became property of the Western Pacific when the WP purchased the B&L for $35K at foreclosure sale. #4 was given the number "123" on the WP and was the only 2-6-0 ever on the WP steam roster. She was too small to see much work on the WP after the 1920's and in 1924 she was retired for good to the WP shops in Sacramento. Finally, in 1930, she was scrapped by the WP and she yielded $870.00 in scrap.

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