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A tweet from U.S. Senator Joe Manchin says that a deal is in place with Amtrak to keep West Virginia's famous New River Train rolling! Here is the tweet:

"I've been working nonstop with @Amtrak to preserve #WV's proud railroading history by keeping the annual New River Train running, and that's why I'm glad a deal is in place to continue this proud Mountain State tradition. I'm looking forward to announcing more details soon."

As to who exactly is running the excursion, that is unknown. From what I've heard, the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society is broke, so whether they will run the excursion or not is up in the air.

Keep in mind I would not like this thread to get political, please.

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If Amtrak does continue the New River Train that is a good thing for West Virginia tourism (the scenery and fall colors are always spectacular) and it signifies a softening of the current Amtrak excursion policy and could lead to more excursions in the future. Then, the door is always open that someday the train might be steam powered again. This could be a good thing for everyone.

 

 

 

Nick Chillianis posted:

Hermetically sealed Amtrak train. Aside from the scenery, what's the big attraction? No cinders in the teeth. No wind blowing through where my hair used to be. Nothing. PASS.

Many of us join you in lamenting the loss of the sound, smell, and air of open dutch doors, but it's subjective repeat of our fathers' generation finding the fun gone from railroading when dieselization  occurred.  We have lived long enough to experience change on the railroad.

Personally, I have never ridden the New River Train, either steam or diesel, because it's a long way from where I live. However, if I can get away this year, I'll ride:

  1. to support the train operation and to experience West Virginia, and
  2. to ride the former Chesapeake & Ohio, which I never did ride before Amtrak, except for a Pere Marquette train from Lansing to Detroit, which is not the traditional C&O.
  3. Perhaps I can morph it into a longer trip and take some Appalachian railroad photos.

The deciding factor for me is going to be the time.  We have two week-long trips and a trip to England and Scotland booked during this October, so it will have to run at just the right time or I will have to pass this one up.

The time when we could say, "Maybe next year," with any certainty is gone.

Last edited by Number 90
Number 90 posted:
Nick Chillianis posted:

Hermetically sealed Amtrak train. Aside from the scenery, what's the big attraction? No cinders in the teeth. No wind blowing through where my hair used to be. Nothing. PASS.

Many of us join you in lamenting the loss of the sound, smell, and air of open dutch doors, but it's subjective repeat of our fathers' generation finding the fun gone from railroading when dieselization  occurred.  We have lived long enough to experience change on the railroad.

Personally, I have never ridden the New River Train, either steam or diesel, because it's a long way from where I live. However, if I can get away this year, I'll ride:

  1. to support the train operation and to experience West Virginia, and
  2. to ride the former Chesapeake & Ohio, which I never did ride before Amtrak, except for a Pere Marquette train from Lansing to Detroit, which is not the traditional C&O.
  3. Perhaps I can morph it into a longer trip and take some Appalachian railroad photos.

The deciding factor for me is going to be the time.  We have two week-long trips and a trip to England and Scotland booked during this October, so it will have to run at just the right time or I will have to pass this one up.

The time when we could say, "Maybe next year," with any certainty is gone.

Yep. Too many changes in all the wrong direction for me. I seriously doubt I would become a railfan if I were coming up today. Glad I got to experience the things I did.  I only wish consumer video had become available prior to the early 1980s. Quite a bit of the things I loved most exist only in my mind's eye.

jd-train posted:

I have to say that living in nearby Maryland, I never heard of the New River Train.  I did find an on-line video of the train from last year.  Quite an impressive string of passenger cars! 

We are going to Snowshoe WV this weekend for a mini-vacation, and are hoping to ride the Cass Scenic Railroad on Tuesday!

Jim

Nice find! That lower quality camera almost makes it feel like a video of one of the old New River Trains...

Have fun in Cass!

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