This week's Someone 2 Know, Thomas Gray, moved to Nevada more than 30 years ago to help his dad run a business; a railroad company that has hauled and educated more than 2 million people as they take a ride through Comstock country.

We met up with Gray at the workshop for his Virginia & Truckee Railroad after a scenic, winding drive up to Virginia City.

There is something undeniably majestic about trains - and watching a steam engine, in all her glory, decorated for a holiday night ride, you can see why America has long had a love affair with trains.

"Every time that steam engine runs up here, the whistle goes through the hills, you just hear it echo and echo and echo."

…echo through the hills of Virginia City, where Thomas Gray, owner of Virginia & Truckee Railroad carries on a legacy, allowing modern day passengers a step back in time with a ride on a historic railroad and a lesson on how the Silver State got its nickname.

"This mine over here, the bullion, produced almost a billion dollars’ worth of gold and silver ore."

You could say Thomas Gray's love of locomotives is in his blood. It was his father, Robert C. Gray, who, 50 years ago, helped rebuild the Virginia & Truckee railway - a love story that began more than 80 years ago.

"He rode the last train up here in 1938 to Virginia City - he was 17 years old."

A trip sponsored by the California-Nevada Historical Society.

"Then they tore up the rails after that."

Some three decades later, Thomas’s dad would return to get the Comstock lines rebuilt.

"(It was) 1976 and he ran his first train on July 2nd, I came up to help him. I was cheap labor, I still am." 

And there is still plenty of labor to be done.

Not even the business end, just the maintenance end, the track structure, the heritage diesel locomotives are a whole maintenance issue, then of course, there's the steam engines."

As for the business end, passenger rides from V.C. to Gold Hill only cost between $6-$14, so Thomas Gray is not making his fortune off the Virginia & Truckee Railroad.

And that - is just fine with him.

"This is my place; this is where I've landed"

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Thomas's dad - Robert C Gray, helped run the business until just last year, when he passed away at the age of 97. What a legacy.

If you'd like to ride the V&T Holiday Train - they recently added an 8:00pm ride for this Friday and Saturday night (12/18 & 12/19/2020) – tickets sell out quickly, as seats are limited due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Head to V&T Railroad (virginiatruckee.com)  and click on get tickets for Train of Lights then choose 8 pm. For help, call 775 220-5467. We appreciate all of your help!  Happy Holidays!

The regular rides commence in May (Memorial Day weekend)