The Virginia and Truckee Railroad’s 2011 season begins May 28 with round trip and one-way excursions along the historic 14-mile Comstock route between Carson City and Virginia City (www.visitcarsoncity.com). Tickets are currently on sale with rides departing Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nevada Day, Oct. 30 providing a journey through time on the V&T’s vintage steam and diesel trains.

A variety of ticket options are available for riders:

• Round-trip steam trains operate every Saturday and Sunday with tickets $48 per adult, $42 for seniors 65 and older, $28 for children ages 3 to 16.
• One-way steam train rides on Saturdays and Sundays are $29 per adult, $25 for seniors, $18 for children.
• Round-trip tickets on V&T diesel trains operating Fridays are $29 for adults, $26 seniors and $16 for children.
• One-way diesel trains running Fridays are $19 for adults, $18 seniors and $13 for children.

The routes include scenic vistas of the Sierra Nevada and Carson River. Riders will pass through two tunnels and by abandoned mine shafts and old cemeteries, while being treated to occasional sightings of Nevada’s wild mustangs. The V&T travels the same silver path paved by the excesses of the Virginia City mines of the infamous 1860s Comstock silver boom.

Weekend trains feature a 1916 Baldwin consolidation 2-8-0 steam engine pulling three 1914 Pullman cars displaying the iconic yellow and green of the V&T. Private group charters for 20 or more passengers are also available. Email cccvb@visitcarsoncity.com or call 1-800-NEVADA-1 for details.

“It’s a great value for an all-day activity and tickets are selling like hot cakes,” said Candace Duncan, executive director at the Carson City Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The V&T combines a look at the Old West with modern amenities, restaurants, shops and lodging.”

For a memorable Mother’s Day, May 8, a roundtrip train ride is scheduled to depart Carson City Depot at 10 a.m. Tickets are $29 for adults, $26 for seniors 65 and older and $16 for children. Moms receive a long-stemmed rose as part of the trip.

Mother’s Day is big for train buffs in Carson City as the Nevada State Railroad Museum will operate its McKeen Motor Car, a 70-foot gas powered rail car, with departures every 40 minutes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The McKeen will run again on July 4 and Oct. 29 for Nevada Day. Details: www.NevadaCulture.org.