Empire Steam Train.stl

Virginia & Truckee Railroad General Superintendent Henry M. Yerington ordered steam locomotive No. 13 early in October 1872, soon after the Nevada short line had completed its connection with the transcontinental Central Pacific at Reno. The V&T had become taxed beyond capacity with freight and passenger traffic. Carloads of freight destined for the Comstock crammed nearly all of the sidings and yards on the 52-mile line. Deluged with business, the V&T found itself without an adequate number of steam locomotives and passenger cars to handle the increase in traffic. Superintendent Yerington solicited the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads for surplus engines and was able to rent several CP American-type locomotives on a monthly basis. This solution was only temporary, however, and Yerington reluctantly concluded that the railroad needed additional motive power. Locomotive No. 13 was delivered to the V&T in February of 1873. Empire was an appropriate namesake: Empire City, locat