The
Virginia and Truckee Railroad was built to serve the
Comstock Lode mining communities of northwestern
Nevada. At its height, the railroad's route ran from
Reno south to
Carson City, Nevada. In Carson City, the mainline split into two branches. One branch continued south to
Minden, while the other branch traveled east to
Virginia City. The first section constructed from Virginia City to Carson City was constructed commencing in 1869 to haul ore, lumber and supplies for the
Comstock Lode.