The Press Democrat - February 22, 2002

HISTORIC RAIL CARS TO BE SOLD

By Bob Norberg

The North Coast Railroad Authority is putting its fleet of historic rail cars up for sale rather than let them suffer the ravages of the weather and vandals. The cars include 14 passenger cars from the 1950s that were part of the Coast Daylight and Shasta Daylight fleets.

Also for sale will be two Chicago and North Western Railway double-decker coaches, cafeteria and smoking cars, and two double-decker passenger cars, a power car and a coach. The cars last ran on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad as part of a tourist excursion service five years ago, but now are sitting under tarps on sidings in Healdsburg, Asti, Willits and Scotia.

General Manager Max Bridges said they will put together an inventory of the cars, establish prices and advertise them in trade magazines. ``We don't know the value, but it is certainly in the tens of thousands and up,'' Bridges said. ``There is a market for these cars, in almost any condition. They have historical value, people want the old cars and are willing to fix them up.''