Shouldn't forget "The Incredible Andrew." a B movie filmed in Carson City about 1941 where the V&T makes an audio appearence from the front yard of the Rinkle Mansion. Some think the TV series "Wild Wild West" may have contributed to V&T fame. V&T equipment cameoed in every episode.

One shouldn't under play the influence of Lucius Beebe in making the V&T famous along with early founders of the railway preservation movement in the West.......Hardy, Best, Kneiss, Guido, Boynton, Maynard, Graves, Wurm, Dunscomb and on and on. These guys were promoting the hobby in the 1930's about the time Hollywood was discovering the equipment might be useful. While the Gold Rush was the pivotal historic event, the discovery of the Comstock was certainly the major financial event that accelerated the development of the West and forever linked California and Nevada (although most non-natives will never admit that and despise the thought) Virginia City truely was San Francisco's most famous frontier suburb and the V&T was that link between the two cities. Other short lines had a more "all business" appearence to whatever mining town, lumber camp or port development they built to.....but the V&T was different. It connected the "richest place on earth" to the business and finacial center of the Pacific Coast.
ARD