I hate to lend encouragement to Russell by participating any thread he starts, but one of the many "ultimate ironies" imputed to the NWP by some observers is the fact that in order to fully remove NWP's tracks, bridges and structures (as is usually required in an abandonment), one would have to first restore the railroad to full service and then "un-build" it. If memory serves me, in the late 1990s NCRA had a study done at Humboldt State that concluded the cost to fully remove the NWP would be $275 million, more or less, in then current dollars. In principle, one could imagine turning the line into a bike trail, but where’s the money going to come from to, first, make it safe from slips-outs, rock falls, bridge failure and tunnel collapse, and then to maintain its safety?