V&T Fire Patrol

During times of extreme fire danger, the Virginia and Truckee rail line is protected by West Coast Railroaders Group (WCRG), trained, professional railroaders who provide our local railroad with fire patrol and protection during extreme fire conditions for the long line trains. Fire danger season is generally from Memorial Day weekend through Fall.

WCRG uses two fire patrol push cars, which offer excellent protection behind steam or diesel operations. Each push car tows a water tank with 40 gallons of water, capable of spraying water 25 feet up to 7 minutes. All tanks are filled with water by using standard garden hose connections and pressurized with compressed air. The intention is to quickly put out any fire prior to further resources being required, saving property and potentially lives.

WCRG has been providing fire patrol services to the V&T for 14 years now, with Ken, Tyler, and Mathew all being career railroaders. Ken and Tyler are Class 1 Engineers for large rail transportation companies. They ensure the safety of the trains, tracks, passengers, and our landscape with historic push cars that have been updated for today's standards. Each vehicle has forward-facing cameras to capture footage of any incident, the origins, and the right of way. They have encountered people walking and sleeping on the tracks, vehicles driving around the crossing safety bars, and wildlife is always present. The cars travel at approximately 15 to 20 miles per hour, which makes it quite difficult to stop quickly. Danger can be around any corner and it has been, accidents have happened.

Drivers and riders are required to wear safety glasses, use a seat belt, and wear a headset for communication. As always, they must keep their hands and feet inside the car when it is moving. These fire patrols are about two hours each trip and can be very hot; they keep cold water on hand to stay hydrated and alert. WCRG also switches the track for the long ride trains, allowing engineers to keep moving without disruption. For more information about WCRG, visit: westcoastrailroadersgroup.com