The NWPRR website is pathetic

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by jbriogrande on October 17, 2011 at 1:53pm

 Yep.....

 

 Thinking like the "Little Engine That Could" is the right attitude here.  I agree with you P&SRkid.  Positive thinking is the way to go.

Permalink Reply by Mike Cook on June 13, 2012 at 11:00pm

Good points P&SRkid!  They did have the meet the railroad day in Santa Rosa not too long ago, where the public was invited to see the locomotives, climb on board, ask questions, etc, and the Press Democrat, Petaluma360 and the Ukiah Daily Journal have been pretty good about publishing article on them.  I have the email of the president of the NWP RR if anybody is interested, though I will only give it out when requested, I'm sure he doesn't want a constant barrage of emails lol

Remember too, the guys running the show this time are LONG time railroaders, and know the business, unlike the past operators who, well, were almost clueless and left the line hanging when things went sour.  These guys are in this for the long haul, and I think are doing an awesome job.  Service is doing well on the line to Windsor, and the line to Willits will soon be reopened as well, we're moving forward and doing so at a good clip, not the stop and go, mostly stop of the 90s and early 2000's.

Permalink Reply by Chad Gustafson on October 17, 2011 at 9:21pm

Even still, alot of the wine shippers and garbage shippers have no spurs capable of handeling modern refer and boxcars, and even some dont have spurs, and again, spurs cost money.

Permalink Reply by Mike Davis on October 17, 2011 at 9:25pm

well the buisnesses will have to pay for their spurs, and SMART is willing to pay for 16 switch motors

Permalink Reply by Chad Gustafson on October 17, 2011 at 3:07pm

Have you checked the website lately? Its was updated about a month ago..has phone numbers for both HQ and Schellville depot, pictures, email, names..ext. Check it out.

Permalink Reply by jbriogrande on October 17, 2011 at 4:23pm

What is their correct website?  All I get is the old material.......Thanks for sending.....when you do....

Permalink Reply by Chad Gustafson on October 17, 2011 at 5:45pm

nwprailroad.com

 

Permalink Reply by jbriogrande on October 17, 2011 at 9:15pm

Thankyou for the website......I've looked it over.  Everything is in order.  Now the question is,...and here is the bottom line;  We all want the new NWP to be successful, however, there are many obstacles to be overcome.  Traffic is the main issue.  I've worked for railroads that went under with three times the traffic that the NWP is handling now, with less miles to run and operate.  With Winter on the way and repairs to follow, will the new NWP be able to handle the costs and manhours required to get their facility back in order?  Right Now I would assume that they are running into the Red fairly heavily with such little traffic. ....i.e. You build a nice canal to carry water to the Ocean, but at the end of the canal there are no headwaters.  NWP right now is a collapse waiting to happen.  Unless they can find some sort of traffic at the North end of the line, it won't be long before the Petaluma section itself closes down.  You can't keep the South end going on 10 or 15 hoppers of feed a week.  I wonder if the NWP was banking on a garbage contract with the city of Santa Rosa?  They certainly weren't prepared for a downsizing in Windsor.....And where are the Wine shippers, and the aggregate shippers?  At this point......and I don't like to say it......the NWP is in a pickle.  The only thing that would save them is a number of shipping contracts with large volume concerns somewhere North of Petaluma.  I don't see any on the horizon.....and still trying to be positive about the entire situation.....if the NWP lasts through until next summer or beyond I will be extremely surprised.  I believe they may be in the tank.  Unless this railroad is used for something that is going to eventually make them money, then they have bit off a bit more than they could chew.  Good Luck.....NWP......would not want to see you go....now that you've worked so hard to come back...........JBRioGrande

Permalink Reply by Chad Gustafson on October 17, 2011 at 9:19pm

Dude...again with the possitive thinking..come on.

You make valid points however,..

The NWP will struggle, and yet again, has no money. Until they get money, (which will slowly rise with each and every week) they cannot afford to venture north to Healdsburg, where there is major buisness. (I.E. the lumber mill) and to be honest, I think the NWP/NCRA is waiting for SMART to pull their end of the railroad bargen, and rebuild the line down south of Ignacio, where there could be some potential buisness. 

It all narrows down to money; what may be a good idea in your mind, may no be fiscaly possible yet. 

-Chad Gustafson

Permalink Reply by Mike Davis on October 17, 2011 at 9:30pm

and jbriogrande, remember, John Williams isn't dumb, he spent a lot of time and money bringing the railroad back from the dead, he has a pretty good idea what he is doing. John Williams has even said, the railroad could turn a profit in 2-3 years, it has only been a few months.

 

Mike Davis

Permalink Reply by jbriogrande on October 17, 2011 at 10:00pm

Thanks Mike, for your reply too......John Williams is a businessman to be sure.  If he hadn't had anything up his sleeve this whole thing would not have happened....you make a great point.  What he saw was a lot of potential business, and maybe it is there,....it's just taking a little while to get it going.  It will be interesting to see where the NWP sits in a couple of years, and whether SMART really does become a reality.  We will just have to sit tight and wait, and hope for the best.  Personally, I think that we should force some of the largest and heaviest shippers onto the rails with legislation.  Our highways need to be protected from all of the damage caused by these trucks out there.

Permalink Reply by jbriogrande on October 17, 2011 at 9:52pm

Thanks Chad for your reply......and we'll just have to wait and see what happens.  I just wanted to stir the pot a bit from my experiences.  Now we will sit tight and see what develops.  Maybe the NWP really will be the "Little Engine That Could", ...I'd like that !!

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