You will be hard pressed to find a better run non-profit / volunteer organization than that of the W&W. I have faith that they will pull off another miracle like they did after Floyd. I am not speaking on behalf of the W&W but having been a member for over twenty years I know a bit about the organization.
First of all the W&W is operated by a non-profit organization named Historic Red Clay Valley. I would find it hard to imagine that they would ever leave the Red Clay Valley. I donÂ’t think that moving to another railroad line is an option. You might see a few offline trips someday for revenue purposes but nothing more.
They are a determined and resourceful bunch of folks running the railroad. They can make something out of nothing and have done it for a long time. DonÂ’t count on anyone throwing in the towel.
The current management has made great strides on improving everything about the railroad. Just a few examples of things accomplished since the devastation of Hurricane Floyd include:
Building a new backshop
Installing a run-around track at Greenbank
Installing a station platform and lighting at Greenbank
Massive amounts of track repairs
Repainting and major repairs to passenger cars and cabooses
Major overhaul of locomotive #98 which is nearing completion
Improvements to the parking area at Greenbank
Installation of fire protection at the old Yorklyn Station (which was built by the first W&W)
A few important things to point out about the railroad: The new bridges did not wash away. The washed away bridges were all the old wooden ones that were not replaced. I am sure that the destroyed bridges could be replaced with similar structures designed to withstand floods worse that what we just had.
Some of the places that had right of way washed out before did not wash away due to the size and type of fill used to make the repairs after Floyd. Sure the track shifted and some ballast was lost but these are cheap fixes compared to replacing entire fills or bridges.
So to answer the question of “Is it not a loosing battle?” or “Should the line be rebuilt?’ NO! It is not a loosing battle. YES! The line should be rebuilt. The W&W management has not made a public statement about rebuilding as of yet but they have another storm to worry about right now. Once that passes and all of the damage is fully understood I am sure a workable plan will be made and the railroad will do what they have done on several instances in the past, pull themselves out of the mess and get the trains running.
While I am not speaking on behalf of the railroad I am sure they accepting any and all donations so send in what you can.
Wilmington and Western RR
