This just came out of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad...

For Immediate Release
December 5, 2008

Contact: Craig Brinkman, Director of Marketing
info@virginiatruckee.com 888-949-9991 x102

Virginia & Truckee Railroad Goes Green with Bently Biofuels

(Virginia City, NV) The Virginia & Truckee Railroadtm, the Queen of the Short Linestm, has made an agreement with the Bently Biofuels of Minden, NV to power its diesel-electric locomotive with biodiesel, reducing air pollutants and improving the passenger’s experience on the V&T Railroad. The “first revenue service” for bio-diesel will be the “Train-O-Lights” this Saturday, December 6th at 3PM.

The V&T Railroad is among the first railroads in the United States to use biodiesel in its regularly scheduled operations. Thomas Gray, Vice-President of the V&T Railroad said, “Our vintage diesel-electric locomotive is vitally important to regular operations and we are very pleased with the performance of the engine burning Bently biodiesel. As with all antique equipment, changes of this type can be very challenging, but the biodiesel product has certainly lived up to its promise in our testing.”

This milestone is yet another important step in the planned upgrades to service on the V&T Railroad for 2009, which include new 1900 vintage ornate passenger cars and regularly scheduled steam operations throughout the upcoming summer season. Passengers, particularly those in the open air cars, will have an improved experience during the passage through tunnels behind the biodiesel-electric.

Bently’s biodiesel fuel blends are produced by mixing low sulfur petroleum-based diesel fuel and a bio-based synthetic diesel produced from the chemical reaction between alcohols and recycled vegetable oils (biodiesel). Higher percentages of biodiesel in the fuel blend significantly reduce emissions that have a harmful impact on human health and the environment. In cold weather, the biofuel blend ratio can be tailored to perform as well as traditional petroleum based fuels. The V&T plans to use the lowest emission product used during the peak summer season, when the V&T Railroad operates up to 8 trains per day.

The Virginia & Truckee Railroad is celebrating its 33rd year of continuous operation, placing it among the enduring and important heritage railroads in the United States, reviving the history of the original Silver Short Linetm. Virginia City, the home of the V&T Railroad, is the one of the largest National Historic Landmarks in the United States and is a treasure trove of buildings, ruins and sites from the early West.

For additional information on biodiesel and other biofuels, contact Carlo Luri, General Manager of the Bently Biofuels Company at 775-783-0160 or via email at carlo.luri@bentlybiofuels.com

The Virginia & Truckee Railroad, V&T Railroad, Queen of the Short Lines, Silver Short Line, V&T Railroad Logos and Colors are all registered trademarks of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad and may not be used without written permission. The Virginia & Truckee Railroad is a privately held railroad operating without government subsidies, founded by Bob Gray in 1968.