Ex-L&N C30-7 Donated to Kentucky Museum

The Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation has received a donation of a non-operable C30-7 diesel.

The locomotive was a gift from the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society and is painted in the colors of Marshall University.

One of 44 of this model road-switchers ordered by the Louisville & Nashville from General Electric in 1979-80, No 7067 was retired from the CSX motive power roster in 1999 and donated to the Huntington Society in 2017.

Kentucky Steam plans to paint the 7067 into its original L&N Family Lines paint livery and place it on static display in Ravenna, Kentucky.

The group will need to raise funds to pay to move the unit this summer.

W.Va. Group Moving On From New River Train

The West Virginia organization that operated the New River Train for several years is moving on working to recover from the financial difficulties that led it to bow out of operating the long-running excursion train.

The Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society in Huntington is working to get its insurance policy reinstated so it can resume offering commentary aboard Amtrak’s Cardinal and reopen its museum.

The Society is also looking to continue paying off its bills and might seek a smaller office building for its headquarters. It currently owns a two-story building in Huntington.

In an interview with Trains magazine, Society President Skip Reinhard said he wishes the new operators of the New River Train, which has been renamed the Autumn Colors Express, all the best.

“I hope everything works out  . . . and people have a good time,” Reinhard said.

Reinhard was reluctant to comment further about the New River Train situation other than to say he wished his organization had received more political support.

The Society said earlier this year it was cancelling the New River Train in 2019 due to having suffered a financial loss on the October 2018 excursions.

That led to cost overruns and cash flow issues that Society officials said stemmed from increases in Amtrak charter and tariff rates.

The Autumn Colors Express will be operated by Minnesota-based Rail Excursion Management under an agreement with Amtrak on Oct. 25-27 between Huntington and Hinton, West Virginia.

2019 New River Train is Now Set to Go

The long awaited announcement of the return of the New River Train will be made Friday by Rail Excursion Management Company.

The train will operate under the name Autumn Colors Express on the weekend of Oct. 25-27 between Huntington and Hinton, West Virginia.

Ticket sales will begin Aug. 5.

Amtrak agreed earlier this week to a contract with Rail Excursion for the 2019 trains after some prodding by West Virginia U.S. Senator Joe Manchin.

Manchin had said on Twitter in May that the New River Train would return, but various operational issues had to be ironed out before it was official.

The former operator of the train, the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society, had in February canceled the train, citing financial issues.

Rail Excursion said it believes it can reduce the cost of the excursion by keeping its operations to one weekend, therefore avoiding car storage costs.

It also plans to replace a commissary car with additional seating and serving food to all passengers in their seats.

In previous years the New River Train operated over two weekends.

As in past years, private rail cars will be used as part of the excursions.

Providing support for the excursion will be the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation and the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society.

The latter has operated excursions behind its 2-8-4 Nickel Plate Road No. 765.

Higher Fees Might Endanger New River Train

A recently announced tariff increase for private rail cars that was announced by Amtrak may endanger the annual New River train in West Virginia.

Officials said the added expense combined with other rule changes on private car handling  being imposed by Amtrak might be too much.

The New River Train, which typically runs with about 30 cars, had already felt the effect of changes that Amtrak implemented last spring, including the elimination of Huntington, West Virginia, as a switching point.

That forced the Colils P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society, which operates the train, to have to pay for an expensive deadhead move of the train to Huntington.

The Huntington group would not share costs or its agreement with Amtrak, but said it still wants to operate the train in 2019.

Amtrak’s new tariffs on hauling private rail cars will effective Jan. 1, 2019, rise to $3.67 per mile per car, with additional cars costing $2.81 per mile.

So far this year, the New River Train has been the only excursion train to operate following an announcement that the national passenger carrier was ending special moves and charter trains.

The New River Train was saved after West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin intervened.

New River Train and other private car operates have expressed alarm that Amtrak has said it will change terms and rates for private rail cars at its discretion with a 60-day notice, thus making it difficult to plan excursions.

In the case of the New River Train, the sponsor will be unable to determine future costs, something it said might put the excursion train out of business.

At a minimum ticket prices will need to increase to cover the added cost resulting from Amtrak tariff increases.

This year’s train charged $179 per person for a coach seat. Premium seats cost $279; and business class was $600 per person.

The New River Train handled about 4,800 passengers during its four excursions in October.

New River Train Gets High Green

Amtrak and the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society have reached a tentative agreement to allow the New River Train to operate this year.

The group has resumed selling tickets for the excursion, which originates in Huntington, West Virginia, and operates over a former Chesapeake & Ohio mainline to Hinton, West Virginia.

The annual excursion, which has operated for more than 50 years, had been threatened by an Amtrak policy change prohibiting most specials and charters.

Huntington Society officials said that the trip will be more expensive and some operations will change from what they have been.

New River Train Assistant General Manager Joe Rosenthal said fares will be much higher than they were in 2017.

The website for the train shows fares ranging from $170 to $600. It is not clear if these are the most recent fares because tickets originally went on sale in January.

The group is also examining costs and seeking ways to save money as well as make the operations more efficient.

The New River Train will run on the third and fourth weekends of October.

West Virginia officials along with Society members recently met with Amtrak management to discuss the train and emphasized the economic impact that it has on West Virginia.

Tickets are being sold at at www.newrivertrain.com

Amtrak, W.Va. Officials to Talk about New River Train

Amtrak executives will meet today with public officials from West Virginia to discuss the future of the New River Train, which operates annually in the fall between Huntington and Hinton.

The train, which has operated for the past 51 years, is in danger of being canceled after Amtrak said last month that it would no longer operate specials and charters.

The passenger carrier also has been restricting the use of its trains by privately-owned rail cars although a formal policy in that regard has yet to be announced.

Last week some West Virginia officials indicated that Amtrak had said it might make an exception to its policy to enable the New River Train to continue operating.

There has been discussion that Amtrak might be amendable to allow select specials to run on routes over which it operates scheduled trains.

The New River Train uses the part of the route of the tri-weekly Chicago-Washington Cardinal.

The train, sponsored by the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society, has been touted for its economic impact, which has been put at $5 million.

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin asked Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson for a meeting to discuss the future of the New River Train.

“I will continue doing everything I can to fix this problem,” Manchin said in a news release.

West Virginia Congressman Protests Amtrak Policy Change

A West Virginia Congressman whose district includes Huntington, is trying to rally opposition to an Amtrak policy change that will in effect wipe out operation of the New River Train.

Amtrak said in a memorandum sent to employees last week that it will cease handling chartered and special train movements.

Evan Jenkins, who represents West Virginia’s 3^rd Congressional District has written to Amtrak President Richard Anderson to protest the policy, saying it will hurt the state’s tourism industry.

The New River Train is operated by the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society and has run over former Chesapeake & Ohio tracks for 51 years.

The Society estimates the New River Train has an economic impact of $3.5 million in the Huntington region and $1 million in Hinton, West Virginia, the eastern destination of the train.

About 90 percent of New River Train passengers are from out of state.

Ann Adkins, a spokesperson for the Cabell-Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau, said losing the train would be devastating to West Virginia in general and particularly to Huntington and Hinton.

Amtrak to Halt Charter, Special Trains

Amtrak has apparently decided not to agree to operate special trains and certain private varnish movement.

Trains magazine reported on Wednesday that it has obtained a copy of a memorandum sent to Amtrak employees outline the policy change.

“Generally, Amtrak will no longer operate charter services or special trains. These operations caused significant operational distraction, failed to capture fully allocated profitable margins and sometimes delayed our paying customers on our scheduled trains,” the memo read in part.

“There may be a few narrow exceptions to this policy in order to support specific strategic initiatives, for example trial service in support of growing new scheduled service. Otherwise, one-time trips and charters are immediately discontinued.”

Many questions remain as to the scope of the policy, but the magazine said that some private car operators already have had their move requests denied.

Among them is the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society in Huntington, West Virginia, which was told that Amtrak would not longer allow the society’s passenger cars to be attached or detached in Huntington on the tri-weekly Cardinal, effective at the end of April.

“We are trying to better understand if Amtrak will allow the cars to be moved at beginning or end points,” Assistant General Manager Joe Rosenthal told the magazine.

The Huntington group is unsure if it will be allowed to move its cars on any Amtrak train even if they are moved to Chicago or Washington.

Rosenthal said the policy change apparently also spells the end of the 51-year tradition of operating the New River Train.

“West Virginia will be losing a huge economic impact and it’ll be particularly devastating to the cities of Huntington and Hinton,” he said.

The New River Train typically operated on the third and fourth weekends of October from Huntington to Hinton, West Virginia, and in recent years has used Amtrak locomotives and crews.

The New River excursions typically carry 5,000 riders annually and are the largest mainline excursion trains in the United States.

CSX Shops Paints ex-PRR Passenger Car Tuscan Red

A former Pennsylvania Railroad passenger car is being restored to its original colors at the CSX shops in Huntington, West Virginia.

The Braddock Inn is being repainted into its original Pennsy Tuscan red after wearing Maryland Area Regional Commuter colors for several years.

The car is slated to operate in October on the New River Train, which is hosted by CSX for the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society.

The society owns the 69-year-old car, which it also plans to operate in charter service in Washington, New York, and the Midwest beginning with trips later this year.

It was built in February 1949 as a 21-roomette sleeper and regularly assigned to the Iron City Express between New York City, Washington and Pittsburgh.

A latter assignment found it on the Indianapolis Limited as a through sleeper before it was converted to a stainless steel coach.

New Jersey Transit operated the car for several years before selling it to MARC in 2004.

As part of the restoration process, the Baddock Inn received new floors, shelving, cabinets and other lounge car amenities.

Plans Set for Annual New River Train

Plans have been announced for the annual New River Train, which will roll on Oct. 21, 22, 28, and 29 between Huntington, West Virginia, and Hinton, West Virginia, through the New River Gorge.

New this year will be a consist of all heritage cars from private owners.

Gone are the Amtrak Amfleet and Horizon  coaches that have characterized the makeup of past trains.

All of the 30 cars on the New River Train will come from private owners. Three Amtrak P42DC locomotives will pull the train.

Some of the passenger cars expected to be in the consist include California Zephyr vista-dome car Silver Solarium, Pullman-built Milwaukee Road Super Dome, Budd-built full-length dome car Summit View, the Overland Trail, a former Southern Pacific barber shop car, and Great Northern full-length dome car Prairie View.

Other cars will include lounge and passenger cars built for the New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, Baltimore & Ohio and Central of Georgia Railway

Sponsored by the the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society, the 51st running of the New River Train will travel CSX’s Kanawha and New River subdivisions, both of which are former Chesapeake & Ohio.

The train has a capacity of 1,200 passengers per day and usually sells out by early September. Some heritage coach tickets remain at $179 per person.