Carson and Colorado Railway


The Carson and Colorado Railway was a U.S. narrow gauge railroad that ran from Mound House, Nevada, to Keeler, California below the Cerro Gordo Mines. It was incorporated on May 10, 1880 as the Carson and Colorado Railroad, and construction on the railroad began on May 31, 1880. narrow gauge track was chosen to reduce cost. Much of the route now parallels U.S. Route 95 Alternate, U.S. Route 95, Nevada State Route 360 and U.S. Route 6
The Carson & Colorado began operations with a single Baldwin 4-4-0, the Candelaria. The first train arrived at Keeler on August 1, 1883. The 300-mile route reached an altitude of 7100 feet in Montgomery Pass. The railroad served an arid area heavily dependent on mineral resources for economic activity. The line was reorganized as the Carson and Colorado Railway in 1892 to reduce accumulated debt.

Sale to the Southern Pacific

From its inception, the Carson & Colorado was a hindrance to the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, the parent company of the C&C, who sold the line to the Southern Pacific Company in 1900. Darius Ogden Mills was once quoted saying “Either we built the line 300 miles too long, or 300 years too early!” Silver and gold discoveries at Tonopah, Nevada and Goldfield, Nevada provided a major boost of revenues shortly after the Southern Pacific purchase. From the time of the purchase until 1905, all of the C&C’s freight travelled over the V&T’s trackage from Mound House to Reno, and vice versa. Because of the changeover from 3-foot narrow gauge to standard gauge cars, all the freight had to be handled by hand at Mound House, which caused a great bottleneck, especially after the mining booms of Tonopah and Goldfield. Southern Pacific proffered an offer to purchase the V&T, but the price was placed too high. As a result, the SP began constructing the Hazen cutoff, which circumvented the V&T entirely after it opened. The northern 140 miles from Mound House to Mina, Nevada was converted to in 1905; and the remaining C&C was merged into the Southern Pacific's narrow gauge subsidiary, the Nevada and California Railroad. The Nevada and California Railroad was reorganized into the Central Pacific Railroad in 1912. In the early 20th century, it operated under the name "Southern Pacific Keeler Branch". Portions of the line were abandoned in the 1930s and the 1940s, and the last narrow gauge common carrier made its final run on April 29, 1960. The rails were removed in January, 1961.
The former parent company, Virginia and Truckee Railroad, has been reconstructed from Virginia City to a station in Mound house, which replaced the former original station. Passenger service has been restored along much of the original V&T right of way, with investigations into returning service to Carson City again in the future.

Locomotives

NumberBuilderTypeDateWorks numberNotes
1st #1Baldwin Locomotive Works18805285sold to Eureka and Palisade Railroad 1907
2nd #1Baldwin Locomotive Works191441300ex-Nevada-California-Oregon Railway #14 acquired 1928 sold to Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad #9 1933
3rd #1General Electric50 Tonner195432226sold 1961
2Baldwin Locomotive Works18815428scrapped 1907
1st #3Baldwin Locomotive Works18815430scrapped 1908
2nd #3Baldwin Locomotive Works18878791ex-Nevada-California-Oregon Railway #3 acquired 1928 scrapped 1934
1st #4Baldwin Locomotive Works188155782sold to Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad #7 1929
2nd #4Baldwin Locomotive Works189917124ex-Nevada-California-Oregon Railway #4 acquired 1928 scrapped 1934
1st #5Baldwin Locomotive Works18826089scrapped 1932
2nd #5Baldwin Locomotive Works189917123ex-Nevada-California-Oregon Railway #5 acquired 1928 scrapped 1934
1st #6Baldwin Locomotive Works18826090scrapped 1907
2nd #6Baldwin Locomotive Works18774223ex-South Pacific Coast Railroad #6 merged 1905 scrapped 1926
3rd #6Baldwin Locomotive Works190322020ex-Nevada-California-Oregon Railway #6 acquired 1928 scrapped 1934
1st #7Baldwin Locomotive Works18836687scrapped 1932
2nd #7Baldwin Locomotive Works190322012ex-Nevada-California-Oregon Railway #7 acquired 1928 scrapped 1935
1st #8Baldwin Locomotive Works18836689scrapped 1932
2nd #8Baldwin Locomotive Works190731445ex-Nevada-California-Oregon Railway #8 acquired 1928 donated to Sparks, Nevada 1955
1st #9Baldwin Locomotive Works18857604ex-South Pacific Coast Railroad #16 merged 1905 scrapped 1911
2nd #9Baldwin Locomotive Works190934035ex-Nevada-California-Oregon Railway #9 acquired 1928 donated to Laws, California 1960
10Baldwin Locomotive Works18857605ex-South Pacific Coast Railroad #17 merged 1905 scrapped 1933
11Baldwin Locomotive Works18815649ex-South Pacific Coast Railroad #11 merged 1905 rebuilt to 4-6-0 1924 scrapped 1934
12Baldwin Locomotive Works18815650ex-South Pacific Coast Railroad #12 merged 1905 rebuilt to 4-6-0 1924 scrapped 1934
13Baldwin Locomotive Works18826157ex-South Pacific Coast Railroad #13 merged 1905 scrapped 1927
14Baldwin Locomotive Works18867939ex-South Pacific Coast Railroad #18 merged 1905 retired 1945
15Baldwin Locomotive Works18899929ex-South Pacific Coast Railroad #22 merged 1905 scrapped 1935
16Baldwin Locomotive Works18867941ex-South Pacific Coast Railroad #19 merged 1905 scrapped 1935
17Baldwin Locomotive Works18878487ex-South Pacific Coast Railroad #21 merged 1905 retired 1945, then used to provide steam for the SP engine terminal at Salem, Oregon until scrapped 1952.
18Baldwin Locomotive Works191137395ex-Nevada-California-Oregon Railway #12 acquired 1928 donated to Independence, California 1955
22Schenectady Locomotive Works18995399ex- Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad then Nevada-California-Oregon Railway #22 acquired 1929 scrapped 1949

Towns and railroad stations served by the C&C

In Independence, California, a non-profit group re-incorporated the Carson and Colorado Railway. They have restored locomotive #18, which was left in Independence in excellent condition by the Southern Pacific in 1955. The locomotive moved under its own power for the first time in 62 years on Saturday October 15th 2016. The group has been acquiring land, buildings, ties, rails, and cars to go along with this locomotive. They have a plan in place to begin construction of an engine house and to lay 1100 feet of rail at a local museum site.

Gallery of C&C equipment