Pullman Years | Beebe Years | VCRail Years | Elegant Fare | Charles Clegg

1984 - Present

In 1984 Wade Pellizzer was given a copy of an ad for the sale of the car by a friend. He figured that the car had already been sold, but a friend called the phone number in the brochure, and sure enough, the car was still for sale! After receiving instructions from his attorney on how he might be able to purchase the car, Wade and a partner made an offer of $72,000. On August 21, 1984, it was a done deal, and newspapers all over the country proclaimed the sale of the car as being final!

In 1987, Pellizzer met the love of his life and was married aboard the car on September 30, 1989. With the help of his wife Julia, they were able to buy out his partner's shares in 1992. The car has undergone a complete rebuild of the electrical system, and a complete overhaul of the wheel sets (or trucks), to bring it up to current Amtrak standards. The car's observation parlor and dining room have been restored to their original opulence circa 1955. Today, The Virginia City remains one of the most well-known of all privately owned railcars in the world!