North Coast Railway Equipment Auction

o anderson · **Posted:** Wed May 04, 2011 4:58 pm

Quote:

North Coast Railroad Authority is auctioning a collection of vintage rail coaches that carried passengers on fabled western train routes.

But the 60-year-old rolling stock may need a little work.

“They were beautiful at one time,” said Allen Hemphill, a train buff and rail authority director. “The buyer will have to invest significantly to restore them.”

The nine cars are scattered along the idle Northwestern Pacific Railroad from Healdsburg to Humboldt County.

They've been stranded since federal rail regulators shut down the railroad in the late 1990s. While several are in good condition, others may be worth more for their parts, Hemphill said. Some have been damaged by vandals and weather.

Source:
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 5:04 p.m.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110419/BUSINESS/110419388/1350&tc=ix

o anderson · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 9:49 am

I don't know the provenance of these cars, but here is the list.

Car # 544 – Mendocino Scotia
Car # 546 – Humboldt Scotia
Car # 542 - Sonoma Scotia
Car # 151 – Hidden Lake Ranch Asti
Car # 510 – Tuolumne Healdsburg
Car # 660 – Hercules Steam Generator Willits
Car # 1016 – Gallery Car Willits
Car # 1023 – Gallery Car Willits
Car # 1210 – Power Baggage Willits

Bid opening date, May 25, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.
Equipment must be off their property July 31

Bid info..
http://www.northcoastrailroad.org/Acrobat/IFB_passenger_cars_rail_equipment0425.pdf

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2011 8:58 am

The most relevant questions are:

Are the cars rail-worthy and/or interchangeable?

Quote:

It is further agreed that the passenger cars will be removed from premises by July 31, 2011or a penalty of $500 per day will be due and payable monthly from purchaser. It is understood that security of stored passenger cars is the responsibility of the purchaser. If passenger cars are damaged due to purchaser’s inability to secure the cars NCRA will request that the cars be removed within thirty days of complaint.

And what constitutes "off the property"? Can they be shoved off to a siding or interchange just to fulfill the mandates?

Furthermore, one HAS to bid on ALL the cars, not just individual cars....... eeewwwww.

My fear is, having recently been involved with a few "emergency" moves, you simply cannot get a trucker that could move these cars fast enough to satisfy that contract, unless you pay VERY top dollar. And if there's any question about getting these cars off on their rail wheels, well, then, all hope may be lost. Even if a well-heeled investor found a use for these cars as a trainset, it might not be possible to move quite that fast unless these are interchangeable.

Al Stangenberger · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:59 pm **Posts:** 650

The FRA's emergency order which shut down the NWP in 1998 was partially lifted a couple of days ago.

The NCRA's contractor plans to begin freight service as far as Windsor, CA sometime in June if the EIR and all other legal obstacles are overcome. The line north of Windsor remains shut down by the FRA order.

Unfortunately, none of the cars up for auction are on the portion of the NWP which will resume operation at that time. The only way out is by truck.

robertmacdowell · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2011 3:09 pm

Well, the Skunk train is running, and I believe it comes into that yard to turn around. Ah, yes they do.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/8166671? ... google.com
One option for a buyer might be, pay the Skunk to yank them out of there and store them somewhere on the Skunk.

Or there's the Roots of Motive Power museum 3 blocks away. Close enough perhaps for a Silk Road style "on their own wheels" move.

Or for that matter, I gotta think buying a scrap of lineside property would be cheaper than trying to truck 'em out of there. Put up a fence and await reconnection.