Can anyone advise if any right of ways with track in place (or right of ways only) have been donated to not-for-profit organizations? Seems to me that this has happened in the past but I do cannot recall the location(s), circumstances and railroads involved.

Thanks!

Les Beckman (HVRM)

midlandblb@cs.com

In the 1970's, Southern Railway donated an abandoned section of it's Chattanooga-Knoxville main line to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. This property was donated in two parts, the first one extending from East Chattanooga to Tunnel Boulevard and the second part from Tunnel Boulevard to Jersey for a total of just over three rail miles. Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a non-profit educational corporation founded in 1961 and is now one of the oldest and largest operations of its type in the Southeast.

awalker2002@comcast.net

Between 1985 and 1987, Kennecott Copper Corporation donated all its remaining Nevada Northern Railway assets to the White Pine Historical Railroad Foundation (dba Nevada Northern Railway Museum). This included the East Ely depot building including all furnishings and records, the transportation building, the wooden freight shed and 2000' of track in front of the depot, Baldwin 4-6-0 No. 40, four wooden coaches, 32 miles of NNRy trackage between McGill Junction and Keystone, the complete East Ely complex of machine shops, roundhouse, yards and rolling stock, the McGill Depot, and all historic buildings on the mainline between Cobre and Ely including the Cherry Creek Depot.

Cheers,
Keith Albrandt

Nevada Northern & Railroads of White Pine County
kalbrandt@rypn.org

It is my understanding that the NRHS Chapter in Birmingham was donated (or at least offered) a section of the C of Ga mainline east from Irondale by the Southern in the late sixties or early seventies, complete with signals and heavy rail, but never acted on the matter, so the Southern later rescinded that offer. The current right of way that they operate on in Calera (sp?) extends to Shelby, but the track is only in place some three miles. It was made available through a CSX predecessor.

Just one (actually two to the same group) that comes to mind. However, today's big RR's are more interested in turning such an asset into a cash equivalent, so, in many instances, a governmental agency does the acquistion and arranges for an operator, that sometimes includes rights for non-profits. I seem to recall that the Indiana Transportation Museum works in this manner, though I could be completely wrong.

Mike

> Can anyone advise if any right of ways with
> track in place (or right of ways only) have
> been donated to not-for-profit
> organizations? Seems to me that this has
> happened in the past but I do cannot recall
> the location(s), circumstances and railroads
> involved.

> Thanks!

> Les Beckman (HVRM)


Rebuilding Yesterday for Tomorrow
newrvier400@cs.com

> Can anyone advise if any right of ways with
> track in place (or right of ways only) have
> been donated to not-for-profit
> organizations?

Approximately 1998 the Burlington Northern donated the Naches branch line (about 10 miles from Yakima, WA, to Naches, WA) to the Yakima Interurban Lines Association (YILA). Unfortunately the then President of YILA obtained bank loans, state rail grant money, and federal surplus property. He was unable to make good on many promises and much of the money is missing. YILA was foreclosed on and had to sell much of its maintenance equipment. The federal surplus program reclaimed donated property. The state money allocated for line rehabilitation was only partially used and the rest is missing. The line still has liens against it and its future is clouded. Fortunately the original Yakima Valley Transportation line and equipment is owned by the city of Yakima. It was only operated by YILA, so it is not involved in the legal tangles of the Naches Branch. Original YILA members have regrouped after their former "leader" left and YILA seems to be recovering.

Overall it was a bad experience for YILA, the BN, the Washington State Dept of Transportation and the bank involved. Hopefully the experience won't sour the participants from further dealings with other non-profit groups.

dwshearer@aol.com

The Union Pacific RR donated 22 miles of right of way to the Bay Area electric Railroad association in 1994. It is the largest surviving section of the Sacramento Northern Interurban.

They sold the steel to the museum for price considerably below that of scrap value. The Rails to Trails legislation had sommething to do with the deal.

The Association has rehabilitated track, bridges and crossings. It has restored over 5 miles of electric wire with more to come.

Come out and take a great ride.

Ted Miles

ted_miles@nps.gov

Some time in the mid-1980's, UP donated almost the entire Boulder Branch (Henderson, NV to Boulder City, NV) including the right of way, track, and structures to the Nevada State Railroad Museum (or something to that effect).

The 1986 changes in the tax laws regarding how such donations could be valued and written off virtually ended those kinds of donations. There are a few exceptions, but not many.

> Come out and take a great ride.

> Ted Miles

Looks like you folks have a great outfit and a beautiful ROW ...wish I was 3000 miles closer I'd take you up on that!


lamontdc@adelphia.net

> The Union Pacific RR donated 22 miles of
> right of way to the Bay Area electric
> Railroad association in 1994. It is the
> largest surviving section of the Sacramento
> Northern Interurban.

> They sold the steel to the museum for price
> considerably below that of scrap value. The
> Rails to Trails legislation had sommething
> to do with the deal.

> The Association has rehabilitated track,
> bridges and crossings. It has restored over
> 5 miles of electric wire with more to come.

> Come out and take a great ride.

> Ted Miles

BAERA's case is somewhat interesting in that there may exist questions regarding actual ownership of the former right of way. Very little, if any of it, was reversionary (having been purchased out right by the SN and or predecessors). Some of the line north of Dozier may have been, but that was not part of what was sold by the UP to BAERA. Curiously, the wyes at Dozier or Cordero were also not included in the purchase.

A title search was alleged to have been performed by a contract employee, at one time. Some of this may have been handled by Solano County as the corridor was railbanked under the Rails to Trails program. Questions also exist as to what would happen if a Certificate of Need were to be filed with the Surface Transport Board.

BAERA did purchase the rails, ties and associated structures for a price of $225,000.00, and has received revenue from the pipelines on the right of way.

It was indeed a unique arrangement. The line between Rio Vista Junction and Dozier was first leased from the Western Pacific and then from the Union Pacific, before the line was embargoed and subsequent abandonment filed for with the Interstate Commerce Commission.



rogerc38@aol.com