The Newport and Narragansett Bay Railroad Co.

This morning, I was reading an article in my local newspaper, the Standard-Times of New Bedford, MA, when I came across and ad for the Polar Express Train. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until I started reading further. It was being advertised by the Newport & Narragansett Bay Railroad Company, which I had never heard of. I did some research, and found that the previous owners had sold the Old Colony & Newport Company to Integrated Rail Group. Here is the link to the website: http://www.newportdinnertrain.com/index3.html According to the Website, Integrated Rail will assume operations today, November 1, 2014, and will operate the Polar Express for 2014 and the Dinner Train Beyond.

Integrated Rail appears to be the same company now in control of Seaview Transportation and other Quonset rail related infrastructure. I wonder what their game is? I can't imagine the two tourist railroads are THAT profitable, and am surprised they're on the radar of a freight-centric company. I'm hopeful they are able to revitalize it. Having lived in Tiverton for a few years and visiting/riding the trains, they both seemed to be shoestring operations. With all this money being thrown around, there are very obviously serious plans for a carfloat to Quonset, a new Sakonnet River Bridge, or maybe even a tunnel to Providence!

The Newport Dinner Train and Old Colony and Newport Railway were two separate organizations keep in mind. The Newport Dinner Train was sold November 1st to Integrated Rail Group. The OCN was not. This is a very exciting time for the rail line either way.

B&M 1227 wrote:Integrated Rail appears to be the same company now in control of Seaview Transportation and other Quonset rail related infrastructure. I wonder what their game is? I can't imagine the two tourist railroads are THAT profitable, and am surprised they're on the radar of a freight-centric company. I'm hopeful they are able to revitalize it. Having lived in Tiverton for a few years and visiting/riding the trains, they both seemed to be shoestring operations. With all this money being thrown around, there are very obviously serious plans for a carfloat to Quonset, a new Sakonnet River Bridge, or maybe even a tunnel to Providence!

It's the same reason Iowa Pacific invested in MassCoastal + Cape Cod Central. The tourist railroads are a coveted and "friendly" part of the local economies, but the yucky and/or invisible freight is the business bread-and-butter. The shoestring excursion roads are a carrot-and-stick for public investment in shoestring freight shortlines that normally would be passed over for state investment. It's a relationship-building conduit that really doesn't cost more than a business write-off. It's the PR cost of doing business if freight ends up being the mutual beneficiary. For Iowa Pacific and MassCoastal it's been a bonanza of physical plant upgrades thanks to Cape Flyer, and they're probably going to get gifted some retired MBTA dispersal equipment for CCCR as thanks for being doting partners in that operation.

Now, in Iowa Pacific's case they're big enough and own enough tourist railroads that they've got a large passenger equipment pool they can shuttle around the country. IRG is much more barebones with just Seaview and some transload support/trucking facilities. So not much of a scale-up. Does make for some interesting carfloat possibilities. And there's definitely a relationship-building effort going on to make goo-goo eyes at the state for further investments at Quonset. They're hosting the MBTA's dead line for all their retired locomotives and coaches while they're in mothballs for a year before dispersal bids, and hosting the Rotem encampment that's doing warranty modifications on the piece-o'-crap new bi-level coaches they built for the T. That's clearly a relationship-building move. I would chalk these Aquidneck Island chess moves up to more of the same, even if it won't change the shoestring nature of operations. Seaview's definitely the attention-getting target for these moves.

Is there any demand or potential customer base for freight on Aquidneck by carfloat or otherwise? I would think that the opening of the new bridge to Tiverton would have resulted in better access by over the road trucks.

Ken W2KB wrote:Is there any demand or potential customer base for freight on Aquidneck by carfloat or otherwise? I would think that the opening of the new bridge to Tiverton would have resulted in better access by over the road trucks.

That new Route 24 bridge is almost certainly going to be tolled soon. That's the financing plan for paying it off. RIDOT's just been mired in hashing out the community comment period and what toll discounts the locals are likely to get.


That may produce a little wholly artificial carfloat demand. But it would have to be such a low-rent operation they can make profits on absolute bare-minimal trace business. Newport ain't Long Island--New Jersey for sure. And I doubt there would be any rail deliveries. P&W still has the active freight rights on Aquidneck Island, even though they haven't used them in close to 30 years. That's the quid pro quo that keeps the Tiverton segment slapped with an out-of-service designation. P&W holds its rights so RIDOT can ram through a passenger reactivation whenever it wants without having to sword-fight with NIMBY's like it's a complete de-abandonment (they'd have to fight over speed increases above the 10 MPH it used to run...but not it going active again).

So in addition to the almost nonexistent freight potential, Seaview probably doesn't want to have to payola P&W to gain access to the paper rights that probably wouldn't pay back in freight revenues the cost of the paper rights. It's all PR, and upping their funding profile with RIDOT for the core Quonset freight biz by waving the passenger carrot-and-stick.

F-line to Dudley via Park wrote:

Ken W2KB wrote:Is there any demand or potential customer base for freight on Aquidneck by carfloat or otherwise? I would think that the opening of the new bridge to Tiverton would have resulted in better access by over the road trucks.

That new Route 24 bridge is almost certainly going to be tolled soon. That's the financing plan for paying it off. RIDOT's just been mired in hashing out the community comment period and what toll discounts the locals are likely to get.


That may produce a little wholly artificial carfloat demand. But it would have to be such a low-rent operation they can make profits on absolute bare-minimal trace business. Newport ain't Long Island--New Jersey for sure. And I doubt there would be any rail deliveries. P&W still has the active freight rights on Aquidneck Island, even though they haven't used them in close to 30 years. That's the quid pro quo that keeps the Tiverton segment slapped with an out-of-service designation. P&W holds its rights so RIDOT can ram through a passenger reactivation whenever it wants without having to sword-fight with NIMBY's like it's a complete de-abandonment (they'd have to fight over speed increases above the 10 MPH it used to run...but not it going active again).

So in addition to the almost nonexistent freight potential, Seaview probably doesn't want to have to payola P&W to gain access to the paper rights that probably wouldn't pay back in freight revenues the cost of the paper rights. It's all PR, and upping their funding profile with RIDOT for the core Quonset freight biz by waving the passenger carrot-and-stick.

Where would they even put a float bridge on the Aquidneck end? The tracks onto Long Wharf in Newport have been gone since at least the 1980's, and there's no way you could replace them given the redevelopment of that part of town.

In spite of what F Line thinks is happening, the tolls on the Route 24 Bridge are dead and gone and the funding is coming from higher gasoline taxes and "creative" bookkeeping.

ewh wrote:In spite of what F Line thinks is happening, the tolls on the Route 24 Bridge are dead and gone and the funding is coming from higher gasoline taxes and "creative" bookkeeping.

I recall reading that the toll proposal was quite controversial and I am not surprised. I drove over the bridge a couple weeks ago on one of my two or three times a year visits to Tiverton and I noticed an overhead structure I suspect was intended to mount EZPass and license plate photo equipment to collect or bill tolls automatically, but clearly not installed. I have a very hazy memory from age 4 or 5 of going over Stone Bridge in my parent's car.

The Route 24 bridge tolls did happen - a condition of the federal funding used for the bridge was that if it was going to be tolled, it had to be from the start - tolls couldn't be added later. So while the public and politicians debated the tolls, the RITBA began collecting a $0.10 toll when the bridge opened just to keep the option open, but didn't bill people without E-ZPasses. Then finally this summer the state decided to drop the idea of tolls completely, and ceased collection of the $0.10 toll on June 20.

Let me add that the new bridge will probably have no impact on truck traffic, as there is no through traffic and little outbound traffic. Box trucks and semis make deliveries, but you can drive into Newport without ever seeing any. What you do see and experience is tourist traffic, mostly in the summer. If Fall River and New Bedford ever get MBTA rail service, it should be extended into Newport. Don't hold your breath. If I want to take the train into Boston now from Tiverton, I first drive 28 miles to Lakeville. Whatever happened to the $250,000 (?) grant to start up limited rail service into Newport from Melville a couple of years back? Who pocketed that money?

Polar Express Runs Out of Gas (from WPRI.com)

http://wpri.com/2014/12/23/100-passenge ... breakdown/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Statement from the N&NBs facebook page:

Again we would like to apologize to all of our passengers who were on the 4:30 train last Sunday. They were incredibly patient and understanding in what was a long, trying situation. Many have expressed their support for our operation while others are justifiably upset with our performance.
We would like to take the opportunity though to clear up some of what is being reported: The fuel issue that is being highlighted in stories was not the primary cause of the train breaking down. Up until this Sunday all of our equipment had been running without issue and needed only normal, everyday maintenance to safely complete our trips. Sunday night turned out to be a "perfect storm" event where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Mechanical issues affected each of our three propulsion engines in turn, and attempts to fix the issues in the field only used up more fuel. A truck was called to fill one of the engines when the fuel level became too low. In fact several motors were still running and the coaches continued to have heat and light throughout the ordeal. Efforts by the crew to get one of the engines started even with a full tank were proved fruitless, so we felt that with seemingly everything going wrong it would be better to disembark our passengers with the aid of local emergency services. The Portsmouth Police and Fire Departments responded to our call, and were great at assisting our passengers and helping guide both cabs and drivers to the location. We are extremely grateful for their quick response and aid.
Mechanical staff troubleshooted each engine yesterday, attempting to recreate what went wrong. To be safe several components were replaced.
Two special trips are scheduled for our Sunday night passengers and many will be returning to ride with us.

GE45tonner wrote:Statement from the N&NBs facebook page:

Again we would like to apologize to all of our passengers who were on the 4:30 train last Sunday. They were incredibly patient and understanding in what was a long, trying situation. Many have expressed their support for our operation while others are justifiably upset with our performance.
We would like to take the opportunity though to clear up some of what is being reported: The fuel issue that is being highlighted in stories was not the primary cause of the train breaking down. Up until this Sunday all of our equipment had been running without issue and needed only normal, everyday maintenance to safely complete our trips. Sunday night turned out to be a "perfect storm" event where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Mechanical issues affected each of our three propulsion engines in turn, and attempts to fix the issues in the field only used up more fuel. A truck was called to fill one of the engines when the fuel level became too low. In fact several motors were still running and the coaches continued to have heat and light throughout the ordeal. Efforts by the crew to get one of the engines started even with a full tank were proved fruitless, so we felt that with seemingly everything going wrong it would be better to disembark our passengers with the aid of local emergency services. The Portsmouth Police and Fire Departments responded to our call, and were great at assisting our passengers and helping guide both cabs and drivers to the location. We are extremely grateful for their quick response and aid.
Mechanical staff troubleshooted each engine yesterday, attempting to recreate what went wrong. To be safe several components were replaced.
Two special trips are scheduled for our Sunday night passengers and many will be returning to ride with us.

Maybe this is a sign of things to come? I hope not, but only time will tell, I suppose.