The crookedest short-line in America. Just north of American Flat Tunnel, a V&T Freight runs compass south as it races toward the mining town of Gold Hill....which is visible above and directly BEHIND IT. LOL! Known as the "crookedest short-line in America", the V&T Virginia City Branch follows the contours of the hills as it takes seemingly the most circuitous path possible from Carson City to Gold Hill and Virginia City. On the run from Carson City to Virginia City, it is said that there are enough degrees of curve in this line to make 17 complete circles!!!. Yes indeed, that's Gold Hill that you see up on the hillside behind the train. Physically, it is probably less than two miles distant, but the train will travel roughly double that distance getting there, on a steady 2.2% grade doing so.
