Famed Disney animator Ward Kimball was also a railfan, and during the 1940s he traveled the West visiting old railroads that were still in operation. One of his favorites was the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, and he came to Carson City to visit and ride several times. In 1941 the California-Nevada Railroad Historical Society held an excursion on the V&T, and Ward Kimball drew this map for the occasion. It is a very whimsical and humorous map of the train route from Virginia City to Reno, yet it is also very detailed and accurate. Many of the landmarks you would have seen during the trip are highlighted here, most of them with Ward's sense of humor. Click on the higher-resolution options above to see the map in more detail and fully appreciate his jokes.
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Donner Summit Snowshed
