Napa Valley Wine Train facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Napa Valley Wine Train |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
.jpg)
Napa Valley Wine Train in 2013
|
|
| Locale | Napa County, California, USA |
| Connections | Union Pacific Railroad and California Northern Railroad |
| Commercial operations | |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Operated by | Napa Valley Railroad |
| Reporting mark | NVRR |
| Stations | 4 |
| Length | 18.0 mi (29.0 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preservation history | |
| Headquarters | Napa, California |
| Website | |
| http://www.winetrain.com | |
The Napa Valley Wine Train is a special train that takes people on fun trips through Napa County, California. It travels between the towns of Napa and St. Helena, California. As the train moves, it goes past many beautiful vineyards and wineries. The company that runs this train is called the Napa Valley Railroad (NVRR).
Contents
History of the Wine Train
How the Train Started
The Napa Valley Railroad company was created in 1987 by local business people, led by Vincent DeDomenico. They bought the railway line for $2.5 million. The previous owner, Southern Pacific, had decided to stop using the line in 1985.
Challenges and Success
When the new company announced its plans for a tourist train, some local people and city governments were against it. They worried about noise and pollution from the train. Others felt that the Napa Valley already had too many tourists, and the train would bring even more.
The people who opposed the train asked the state's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to make the company follow strict environmental rules. However, in 1990, the Supreme Court of California decided that the PUC did not have the power to stop the train. The court said that the train was allowed to run because it was using a railway line that had been used before.
Even though the line hadn't been used for a while, it was still considered "in use." But it needed a lot of repairs. About $20 million was spent to fix the line so trains could run safely again. The railway line connects to other major railroads, and sometimes special trains from Amtrak or other private groups use it.
In 2009, the town of St. Helena allowed the Wine Train passengers to get off the train there on certain days. After Vincent DeDomenico passed away in 2007, his family continued to run the train. In 2015, the DeDomenico family sold the Napa Valley Wine Train to Noble House Hotels & Resorts.
A Difficult Moment in 2015
On August 22, 2015, a group of 11 women from a book club was asked to leave the train. They were removed because they were laughing too loudly. The group included ten African-American women and one white woman. People on the train and the book club members themselves felt this was unfair and upsetting.
The Napa Valley Wine Train later posted on Facebook that the group had been verbally abusive. However, this post was quickly removed. Two days later, the Wine Train company apologized for both the incident and the Facebook post, saying the post was "incorrect."
This event gained a lot of attention in the news and on social media. People used the Twitter hashtag #laughingwhileblack to talk about fairness and how people are treated differently. After discussions, the book club and the train company reached an agreement in April 2016.
How the Train Operates
Train Capacity and Engines
The Napa Valley Wine Train can carry up to 320 passengers. It usually makes two trips each day. The train is typically pulled by two of its four special engines. These engines are called Alco FPA-4s and were built in the late 1950s. They were first used by the Canadian National Railway and then by Via Rail.
Some of these engines were changed to run on a mix of natural gas and diesel fuel, which is cleaner for the environment. One engine, #73, was even changed to run only on natural gas.
In February 2018, the company announced it would rent five passenger cars, a locomotive, and a power car. This was done while they were updating the inside and outside of several cars in their own fleet.
The Train Cars
The Napa Valley Wine Train uses nine passenger cars. These include lounge cars, observation cars, and dining cars. They were originally built in the early 1900s by the Pullman Company for another railroad. Later, in 1960, they were sold and used for the Ski Train in Colorado. The Napa Valley Railroad bought them in 1987.
Before being used for the Wine Train, these cars were completely rebuilt. They added air conditioning and even put 4 inches of concrete in the floors to make the ride smoother. The insides were decorated with beautiful Honduran mahogany wood and soft fabrics.
In 1997, the railroad added a special Super Dome car. This car has a glass dome on top, giving passengers amazing views. It was originally built in 1952 and had traveled over a million miles before joining the Wine Train fleet.
In 2013, a modified box car was added to the train. This car holds a large generator that keeps power flowing to the train. This is important when the locomotives are moved to the other end of the train for the return trip. This boxcar was designed so passengers could walk through it. Its roof was even lowered so it wouldn't block the view from the dome car.
Locomotives of the Wine Train
As of 2024, the Napa Valley Wine Train uses several locomotives:
| Number | Builder / Model | Date | Builder Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | GE /65-ton switcher | July 1943 | 17871 | nee US Army 7888 |
| 57 | GE 80-ton switcher | August 1952 | 31357 | nee US Army 1650 |
| 62 | ALCO RS-11 | 1959 | 83416 | Bought from California Western Railroad-1989 Originally SP 5854 |
| 69 | EMD Rebuilt GP9R | October 1958 | 24765 | Formerly Portland and Western 1804. Entered into revenue service on November 2. 2016 Originally M&StL 710 |
| 70 | Alco MLW/FPA-4 | October 1958 | 82269 | ex VIA/CN 6760 |
| 71 | Alco MLW/FPA-4 | February 1959 | 83153 | ex VIA/CN 6775. Withdrawn as of 2023 with prime mover scrapped. |
| 72 | Alco MLW/FPA-4 | April 1959 | 83165 | ex VIA/CN 6787 |
| 73 | Alco MLW/FPA-4 | April 1959 | 83168 | ex VIA/CN 6790 Rebuilt to burn natural gas & has an EMD 12-645E prime mover. |
| 1864 | KLW NZE15B | 2023 | N/A | Rebuilt from NRE 3GS21B. Slated to replace current fleet. |
There is also one locomotive that the train leases from other owners, which is #5076. The Napa Valley Wine Train began replacing its older locomotives with two newer, more environmentally friendly ones in November 2023.
Future Plans for the Railway
The NVRR railway line is mainly used for the Napa Valley Wine Train's daily trips. Sometimes, it is also used for carrying goods (freight service).
New Commuter Service Ideas
A study in 2003 looked into the idea of extending the railway line further north to Calistoga. It also considered adding a commuter train service for people traveling to work or school. This study also thought about connecting with other public transportation and increasing freight service.
Napa Pipe Project Shuttle
Developers for a large housing project called Napa Pipe have suggested a private shuttle service. This shuttle would use part of the NVRR line to transport residents. The trains would run frequently, every 20 or 30 minutes. The developers have talked with both the NVRR and the Union Pacific Railroad about this idea.
In 2012, supporters of the commuter service idea shared a business plan. It showed that the service would need to carry between 1 million and 1.5 million passengers each year to make a profit. Local transportation planners have shown some interest in this proposal.
See also
- List of California railroads
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of heritage railways
- List of San Francisco Bay Area trains
