Press Release

RRC SIGNS LEASE FOR AMADOR FOOTHILL RAILROAD. ADDS ANOTHER CORRIDOR FOR RECREATIONAL RAILROAD PURPOSES.

AFRR BECOMES SECOND RAILROAD UNDER AUSPICES OF THE RECREATIONAL RAILROAD COALITION INC.

Amador Foothill Railroad, the historic rail corridor between Ione and Martell Ca. has become the second rail line to be designated as a "recreational railroad" by RRC. A lease has been signed and executed which places this mountain railroad in the hands of these historic rail preservationists.

Larry Bowler, a former California Legislator and current President of RRC said that their goal is to preserve railroad tracks which have significant historical value to local communities and to dedicate them to rail recreational & educational activities.

Sierra Pacific Industries, owner of the AFRR, last used the rails in early 2004. They were concerned that the history of the railroad would be lost to the rail scrappers, vandals, or to the ravages of time. Mark Luster of SPI said that the offer of RRC to preserve and maintain the rails became a satisfactory option for the company.

Soon, historic, privately owned track inspection "speeders", handcars, velocipedes and other human powered antique rail vehicles will return life to the tracks and begin operating the AFRR in maintenance of way projects and recreation excursions.

North American Rail Car Operators Association (NARCOA) is an international organization providing guidelines, safety regulations and insurance for speeder clubs. There are four such clubs on the West Coast. Bowler said the AFRR would become a mentoring mountain railroad for speeder owner/operators who desire a NARCOA license to operate. Licensing and insurance are required to operate a speeder in a rail excursion on a RRC recreational railroad.

Testing and mentoring new and experienced operators is stressed on rails under lease to RRC.

Short line railroad companies are becoming aware of the benefit of allowing organized access to unused or little used rails. RRC is California's only consortium of speeder owners providing protection from theft, vandalism and unlawful trespassers, while conducting light maintenance of way and vegetation control. Community public relations is enhanced when these colorful little locomotive boxes come into view. Their appearance harkens back to the romantic days of American railroading. People begin to wave and camera's come out to snap photo's of these antique rail motorcars operating on historic railroad tracks.

Bowler said that rail safety and rail history presentations are also available to schools, churches and service organizations through RRC. Operation LifeSaver, the nations premier rail safety program, has a presence with many speeder clubs as well as with RRC.

Old railroads are an important part of the communities through which they run, said Bowler. Every time a decision is made to scrap a railroad a part of that communities history is destroyed. Each of the rail corridors under auspices of RRC is over 90 years old. Each played a significant role in the development of the communities they served.

The AFRR is no exception. Its circle of existence continues from supplier of gold miners to recreational excursions. It's long range future is unknown, but for now, it becomes the second recreational railroad in California.