Mound House Nevada - Raising a 48-year-old Union Pacific Railroad bridge across U.S. 50 East in Mound House last week marked yet another milestone in the V&T Railway campaign.
 
Workers using a large crane worked throughout the night of 25 Mar 2009 and into the next morning to install the bridge.

Q&D Construction workers caulk bolts on the newly installed V&T bridge as work continues last week - Date? Photographer?

"We're very excited. The theme of this phase has always been, A bridge from the past to our future," said Gary Luce of Geocon Consultants, who wears several hats on the project, from geotechnical engineer and environmental manager to construction, testing, and inspection manager.
 
"We're about two-thirds of the way closer to getting up and running," Luce said of the plan.
 
"It's just one more thing they said we would never do."
 
Work on building concrete supports for the bridge began in December after ground was broken in November.
 
The bridge previously was used to cross a busy freeway in Las Vegas and was donated to the state a few years ago and moved north.
 
Bridge construction costs are estimated at about US$500,000.

Work continues last week after the V&T bridge was put into place over U.S. 50 East in Mound House on 25 Mar 2009. Many vehicles passing under the bridge honked in celebration at Q&D construction work crews - Date? Photographer?

The most recent US$6.6 million phase of the campaign to rebuild the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad between Gold Hill and Carson City involves clearing land and laying track about 5.5 miles north and south of the highway.
 
It is expected to be completed by June.
 
"The timeline is funding-dependent," Luce said, "but if all funding were in place, we'd expect the project to be completed in 2011 or 2012.
 
There are only about 4 1/2 miles left of 17."
 
Proponents say the project is intended to make the route a regional tourism magnet.
 
Officials are hopeful of completing an arrangement with the V&T Railroad Company, which has operated a seasonal train for a number of years along a 2.5 mile segment linking Gold Hill with Virginia City, to run cars on an interim basis as far as Mound House.
 
Commissioners of the Nevada Commission for Reconstruction of the V&T Railway, who have negotiated with company owner Tom Gray, believe this link will provide good exposure for the project until future segments can be built.
 
The ambitious rail building project, years in the making, has been made possible through federal grants and a portion of local sales and room taxes.
 
But proponents, who envision a boom in tourism with completion of the line, suffered a setback in the general election last fall when Carson City voters soundly rejected an advisory question to raise sales taxes another one-eighth of one percent.
 
Such a plan, if adopted by city officials, could have generated an additional US$10 million.
 
This would have cleared the way for construction of the rail line through the scenic Carson River Canyon and onto the proposed depot site on Drako Way.
 
Author unknown.