An open letter to the Editor in today's Amador County, CA Ledger Dispatch Newspaper regarding the Recreational Railroad Coalition/Amador Central Railroad in Northern California. It's too bad the Board of Directors removed Larry Bowler, former President and founder and the reason the Amador Central Railroad is not a rails to trail conversion today. The letter is an interesting read, and troubling if these allegations prove to be factual.

The letter:

Our historical and scenic railroad that runs from Ione to Martell that has been painstakingly jointly maintained and operated by the Recreational Railroad Coalition Historical Society and the Amador County Historical Society for the past 12 years has been acquired by the Amador Central Railroad Corporation. According to a deed recorded in April 2022, the former owners of the railroad were surprised to find out they no longer owned their half of the railroad. It appears that the Amador Historical Society was advised to sell its half interest to the Amador Central Railroad Corporation, a private group registered in February 2020 by the former President of the Recreational Railroad Coalition, who was also an advisor to the Historical Society. The new corporation chartered by the former President is now the sole owner of the railroad for the sum of $1. The new group the Amador Central Railroad Corporation is not open to public membership and only has a Board of Directors and no general voting membership.

A contract for the rental of the trackage worth up to $150,000 in 5 years to a proposed commercial rail bike operation (Rail Explorers) was apparently negotiated by the new corporation before the transfer without telling the membership of either former owner. A $5,000 public grant was reported to have been awarded to the new corporation prior to them taking ownership.

The Recreational Railroad Coalition members were surprised that their former president signed away their ownership without a vote or notification of the members, one of several violations to their bylaws.

The former owner societies volunteers provided oversight, preservation and maintenance of the former historic railroad, as well as monthly scenic track car rides for visitors. Full length excursions for cars called speeders (former track maintenance cars) were scheduled several times per year in conjunction with NARCOA, a national group of speeder enthusiasts. These rides helped raise funds for upkeep of the tracks and provided a volunteer base to help maintain the trackage.

As members of the Recreational Railroad Coalition Historical Society, we have submitted a complaint to the California Attorney General, the Amador Grand Jury and Amador County District Attorney informing them of the allegedly illegal transfer of the deed to the railroad.

Rich Filia, Tom Esposito, Jim Smith and Larry Bowler (founder and former member)

Recreational Railroad Coalition Historical Society members