The conductor of the classic Napa Valley Wine Train uses the old ride to blaze a new trail.
For 35 years, the train has been transporting passengers through the wine country of California’s Napa Valley, the region north of San Francisco, home to more than 400 wineries. The locomotive, with quarters inspired by classic Pullman wagons, has long been a way to see the vast area, transporting visitors through the valley in style and luxury.
Now the Napa Valley Wine Train is going green to protect the fragile environment it travels through.
According to General Manager Nathan Davis, the Napa Valley Wine Train uses a diesel engine that is the cleanest in its class worldwide. The engine has been renamed 1864 in honor of the year the railroad was founded, and meets the strict standards of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The train is one of the few that uses the engine, which uses less fuel and means the train has almost no emissions. There is no more black smoke, said engineer Artemus Rogerson.
“It’s nice to drive this through the valley and not have a cloud of smoke,” Rogerson said. “People sometimes complained about the train going by, so it’s just nice to have this.”
The train offers a smoother, quieter ride. Davis said passengers and train operators won’t hear the new diesel engine running.
Davis said he plans to have the entire train fleet green by 2025.
“It’s a slow-moving industry,” he explained. “But when we move, we gain momentum and we just keep plowing along.”
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