Napa Valley Wine Train Sold

Who was the owner that sold it?

The Rice A Roni family. Don

Oh good!  We love the Napa Valley Wine train and go on it many times per year!  Matt

Now all they have to do is put it behind steam....probably a Santa Fe or SoPac loco

would be appropriate.

I've been wanting to drive up there just to ride the Dinner train. On my to-do list.

A steam engine will never happen. That was in the original plans but the people along the line got together and protested everything about the line opening back up. Steam was dropped. They also had to drop the winery stops. Go figure. It took hundreds of cars off the road but these people were just against the idea of a train. 

Matt the night dinner ride is the best. You could be anywhere in the world just riding along with some good wine and a wonderful meal. Then stay overnight at the Sonoma Mission Inn. I'll be your vacation planner. Take time and make it happen. Don

No way would they waste that kind of money! The Wine Train is all about LUXERY, and NOTHING to do with railroad buffs nor railfans. Besides, the "fans" probably couldn't afford it anyway.

Hot Water have you been on it. NO. I really wish you wouldn't talk about things you know nothing about. The Oreint Express ran with steam for years after steam was gone. The original owning of the wine train went all over trying to buy the right steam engine for the line. Even to Europe. Thanks HW. Don

Napa Valley Wine Train Moonlight Escape Dinner

Again HW, you have no idea what you'r talking about. If you look at the history of the wine train it was going to be steam. It was going to have sidings to some of the wineries. The guy that started it had all the money in the world. He owned Golden Grain. He liked trains. It was the public in Napa that fought hard not to have any train. He had to make cuts in the railroad to make the railroad happen. You can't even get off the train at the end of the line before it comes back to the start. It had nothing to do with cost.Take the time to look up a little history of the line. I lived very close by and covered the line for TV many, many times. Don

Lots of people afford the Wine Train and ride on it all the time...both wine and train enthusiasts.  If that weren't the case it would be out of business!   There will always be some whiners and critics about it.  It is a GREAT train.  Those whiners and complainers will miss out on a good thing...and... really shouldn't complain about something they are ignorant about.  So they didn't get steam but they have great Canadian versions of Alco P model locomotives.  Matt

Matt Jackson, 

You will love the dinner train.  We just rode in December of 2014.  It is excellent.  It is a fun train ride and an excellent dinner!  After you eat, you can walk the train...while it's traveling...and wine taste.

Matt

Did it in 2006 with my Parents and we loved it. I think doing a steam excursion with a steam engine, the NVWT would get complaints from people claiming their polluting the air. I think having a steam engine on loan for a few months out of the year maybe a good idea.

Tim, I agree with you but I was born and raised in California and the people there are not to be believed. I know of a great steam engine not that many miles from the wine train. They would love running it for a few months of the year but you would see people laying on the tracks to stop it. That's a big reason we moved to Maui to get away from the nuts. I'm not including the two Matts on this issue. Don

Hmmm, sounds like an experience I would like to share with my wife if we get out to that part of the world. 

Thanks for the info Don.

Regards,

Jerry

Jerry, 

I think you and your wife would really enjoy it.  I also live about an hour away.  Matt