Hello all,

Does anyone here have a roster of the standard gauge equipment at Virgina City, Montana? I have seen some photos of equipment at this site - and it looks like there are some significant pieces there. However, I have yet to see anything approaching a comprehensive list.

Thanks,
Tom Cornillie

Tom,

I know that there is some narrow gauge 30" equipment there too. If you find
anything about it please let me and the rest of us know.

Ted Miles

[quote="Ted Miles"]I know that there is some narrow gauge 30" equipment there too. If you find anything about it please let me and the rest of us know.[/quote]

[url]http://www.helenet.com/~alder/[/url]

[url]http://www.virginiacity.com/steam.htm[/url]

The second link mentions the "Virginia City Preservation Alliance" which, with contact link, may direct you to the info you seek.

Here ya go folks:

The following is abstracted from an equipment summary which was in a preservation assessment I prepared for the MHC in 2002. Please note that this is not 100% accurate, but it will get you started. The railroad collection is not covered by online, though it would be a good idea (now if I had the time/money to host such information. This is a fairly long document--and if too long, I will pull it off the site.

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

Summary of the Collection:

Great Northern Business Car A-3

This is car is a wonderful example of something not being even close to it appears to be. This car started life as Barney and Smith built wooden coach 265, built in July of 1906. It was renumbered as coach 3255 in March 1908, and again to coach 587 in April of 1926. It was finally rebuilt into its current configuration in April 1927. In effect, this is an entirely new car, utilizing the interior components of the original coach. The construction methods used are representative of 1920’s steel car building. The car is now steel framed, and steel sheathed.

Great Northern MOW Observation car X03336

This open platform observation car was built by the Great Northern as GN Official Car A-4, in March of 1898. It has been rebuilt with steel underframe components which enhance the structural integrity of the car. It was transferred to maintenance of way service in June 1936 and operated until retirement in the late 1960’s. This car is equipped with copper roofing that appears to be in fair to good condition. As it was not possible to enter the car, it is difficult to assess roof integrity. The car appears to be in generally good condition, with general problems arising from the windows and end platforms.

Great Northern Caboose X702

This caboose is an uncommon example. Converted from a cupola caboose, the X702 was rebuilt without a cupola to fill a need for terminal and yard service cabooses. This car shows evidence of conversion from a caboose of the X700-X724 series, built in 1929 (provided the car was not renumbered into this series after rebuilding—paint evidence does not support such a theory).
The car lost its stovepipe at some time. The resultant hole in the roof has allowed water to get into the roof, allowing moisture to migrate into the north side, accelerating failure of the side. The car now has pronounced sag of over three inches on the north side. Repair of wooden sides and side sills with this problem is an involved process. The car also requires complete repainting and minor repairs to windows and doors.
The roof is of composite tar construction and is largely deteriorated. It has been covered (tarped), pending further repairs.

Montana Western/Great Northern 545

This is probably the most interesting and enigmatic car of the collection. Originally Great Northern 202, a Barney and Smith product built in January 17, 1902. The car was built as a coach, then renumbered and assigned as 1st class coach 4037 on January 30th, 1908. It was reassigned as Smoker 603 on April 30th, 1926 and then to P + B service (parlor + baggage?) 545 on October 3, 1928. Records do not indicate when the car was sold to the Montana Western, but it is known that the car was used to protect passenger service when the Montana Western’s motorcar (acquired in 1941) was out to service. The car was acquired by C.A. Bovey in 1965.

Butte Anaconda and Pacific Coach #11

This car is what appears to be an 1890’s wooden coach that was grafted onto a steel frame (from a freight car?) after the original underframe was deemed unsafe. The last service the car was in was as a mixed train that ran from Butte to Anaconda. It would be picked up at Butte by a freight train and carried at the end of train to Anaconda. The stronger underframe was likely required in the event the car was in a collision.

Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul and Pacific #222

Car #222 was built by Barney and Smith of Dayton Ohio, in January 1882, for the CMStP&P. Built as a business car, #222 ended its career as the office car for the Superintendent of the Rocky Mountain Division.

Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Ste. Marie (SOO) Railroad 309

This car, a Baggage Smoker, was built in 1907 by Barney and Smith and operated in passenger service through 1943, when it was reassigned to maintenance of way duties as a Cook-Dining Car X-1431.

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad #311

This car was built as Wisconsin and Northern #2, a baggage coach car. Based on construction details, the car was built at approximately the same time as car #309. It was converted to Bridge and Building Dining car X-1432 in 1943.

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie 1902

This car was built by Wason in 1880 for the Wisconsin Central as car #7, later renumbered as WC #19, the car was renumbered to 1902 after the Soo Line took over the Wisconsin Central. The car was then relegated to MOW service as Telegraph Bunk car X-327.

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Baggage-Express Car #1602

This car was built was Wisconsin Central 14 by Barney and Smith in February 1882. It was renumbered to WC 302 on February 6, 1888. The Soo Line renumbered the car to 1602 on March 31, 1910 and was finally retired to Bunk car W-329 on April 15, 1939. The car was finally retired in December 1962. There is still north side paint evidence of its 1602 numbering.

25 Ton Industrial Brownhoist Crane

This 25 ton capacity steam powered self propelled crane is from the Anaconda Copper Company's smelter in Great Falls Montana. It is a product of the Industrial Brownhoist Company.
At this time the crane is in fair cosmetic condition. Major defects include all of the rigging having been undone and laying about. The crane also needs to be painted before rusting becomes a concern. From an operational perspective, there is no determinagtion of the condition of the boiler or operating machinery, but there appears little potential for an operational restoration.

Montana Southern Boxcars

These four cars are probably the most revered cars in the collection, both by visitors and by staff. The boxcars were built by American Car Company, and the Peninsular Car Company, between April 1900 and January 1900. The 30 foot long boxcars (Montana Southern/Florence and Cripple Creek: 501/638, 502/627, 504/522, and 505/347) represent half of the Montana Southern’s eight boxcars, with one additional Montana Southern car preserved at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Of the 200 boxcars owned by the Florence and Cripple Creek, only 6 or 7 are known to survive.
The cars are double sheathed construction with inside metal roofing. The roof is the primary reason the cars are still in such good condition. The cars have been stripped of most of their metal hardware and underfloor reinforcements. Despite this, they have maintained a very high degree of structural stability. This situation has made the cars highly desirable dry storage space and two of them are still filled with various materials.

Montana Southern Gondola #306

This is another former Florence and Cripple Creek car, and may be the only surviving car of its type from the original 100 built in 1898 and 1901.
This car is the worst off of any in the collection. It has decayed to the point where is has almost no structural integrity. The hoppers of the car have been blocked up to prevent their collapse. It is difficult to tell whether the center sill has also failed.

Milwaukee Road Bunk Car

This car, and the companion Kitchen Diner car are representative of the work train equipment owned by the Milwaukee from the 1930’s through the 1960’s. These cars served on the Deer Lodge wreck service train.
The construction details of this car appear consistent with a car built between 1900 and 1920. This car has a fairly rare pressed steel side sill that was in vogue in the early 1900’s.

Milwaukee Road Kitchen Outfit Car

This car was built in the period of 1900-1920 and was converted into a Kitchen Diner service sometime in the late 1930’s when many cars of this type of construction were nearing obsolescence.
During the rebuilding, the car received an ice-bunker refrigerator, with an ice hatch in the roof. This car has the same construction details as the bunk car and requires the same repairs, including researching the roof construction; repair of the roof, windows, and paint.

Westside Lumber Flatcars

Not much is known about these cars, and it is not certain how they came to Nevada City. The narrow gauge cars (36â€

Hello Ted,

The MHC has a good article on the 30" gauge operation at http://www.virginiacitymt.com/AlderGulch.html It would be nice to learn more about this operation too.