Virginia & Truckee No. 22 (4-4-0) is one of the main displays in the visitor center at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. It has been restored to its 1893-1903 appearance, and is operational but is only annually operated outside for the Fourth of July weekend. The text of two signs about #22 follows:
Virginia & Truckee No. 22
The Inyo aka Brass Betsy
The
Inyo was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works at a cost to the Virginia & Truckee of $9,065. It was completed in February 1875 and went into service late the following month as the switch engine at Gold Hill. The V & T bought only two additional locomotives before the Comstock began its decline, and in 1881 the company began selling off worn and surplus locomotives. With the
Inyo used primarily as back-up power in the 1880s, it was in the best condition of the 13 locomotives still on the roster by 1890. It was soon regularly handling the road’s crack Virginia City express train, and it saw extensive use during the Tonopah mining boom soon after 1900.
In 1903 the locomotive was thoroughly rebuilt, given a “sunflower” stack, and painted black. Thereafter it was known only as No. 22. It was not converted to burn oil for fuel until 1910. On June 16, 1924 No. 22 pulled the last regularly-scheduled all-passenger train to Virginia City (subsequent service to Virginia City was “mixed,” though on many days there were no freight cars). This effectively forced the veteran locomotive’s retirement.
No. 22’s 62-year career on the V&T ended in 1937 when it was sold to Paramount Pictures Inc., the first of over 30 Virginia & Truckee cars and locomotives acquired by Hollywood studios. Between 1937 and 1965 it appeared in 33 feature films and television shows. Its last movie was
McLintock!, in 1962, and its last TV appearance was for the series
Wild, Wild West in 1965.
In 1969 No. 22 participated in the Gold Spike Centennial in the guise of the Central Pacific
Jupiter, and was displayed at the Gold Spike National Historic Site in that role from 1970 until 1978. In 1974, while at Promontory, No. 22 and its former V&T mate No. 18 (
Dayton) were purchased by the Nevada State Park System for $150,000.
During 1981-82, No. 22 was restored to its 1893-1903 appearance, when it was at its busiest. The
Inyo is operated most 4th of July weekends.
Virginia & Truckee
4-4-0 Locomotive No. 22, the Inyo
Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works, 1875
Cost: $9,000 FOB Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Weight, Locomotive and Tender: 113,400 lbs.
Driving-wheel Diameter: 57 inches
Boiler Pressure: 130 lbs.
Length Overall: 51 feet
Piston Stroke: 24 inches
Tractive Effort: 11,705 lbs.
Cylinder Diameter: 16 inches
More information on No. 22.