Title
Library Department recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Receive a presentation from the Museum Administrator on the El Dorado Western Railroad, a County Museum Program; and
2) Direct staff to proceed with plans to operate full size equipment and to continue with track repairs and maintenance, equipment restoration and crew training to Federal Railroad Administration certification standards on Segment 2 of the Sacramento Placerville Transportation Corridor (Refer 03/18/14, item 22, File 14-0308).
Body
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost
None.
Background
The El Dorado Western Railroad is the County Historical Museum Living History Railroad Program that began regular operations on June 26, 2011. In the last year, the Western Railroad carried over 2,200 passengers on track inspection cars with 35 volunteers donating over 7,200 hours of service. Museum volunteers and Commissioners began planning for this program almost 20 years ago. Museum staff, as part of the General Services Department until 2008 and now part of the Library Department, is working with the Parks Division on various maintenance and planning projects in the Sacramento Placerville Transportation Corridor (SPTC).
On August 25, 2009, the Board of Supervisors approved the County Museum's conceptual plan for the El Dorado County Historical Railroad Park in the town of El Dorado (File ID 09-1051). The Board of Supervisors approved the Segment Plan on March 28, 2011, which establishes “joint multi use trail for all trail uses, historical railroad and excursion train” on Segment 2, described as just west of Missouri Flat Road to just east of Mother Lode Drive in Shingle Springs (File ID 10-1169).
The El Dorado Western Railroad, which is operated and maintained by Museum staff and volunteers, has from the start been supported by the El Dorado Western Railway Foundation, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit corporation. A Memorandum of Understanding between the County Museum and the El Dor...
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