First of all, it may be already written in the operating contract, or in the lease, that the NWP cannot operate passenger trains. This is the case with CORP in Oregon on trackage leased from UP.

Second, the biggest hangup will be insurance. The railroad is going to cover their butt so they will likely require such a large amount of liability insurance that you wouldn't be able to charge a reasonable price for riding the train. This could change if you can operate many trains under one policy at a fixed price.

Third, the NWP may not want to because, in their eyes, it would be an inconvenience.

Fourth, finding the equipment and having it in good running order ain't cheap. Then there is the cost of transporting it to wherever you plan to run your trains. How about train crews? You won't be able to use volunteers to run them.

There are more hurdles to overcome than these, but I feel these are the most challenging.

The one big plus factor is that large amounts of money talks.