top of page

rock island update

Writer: Jonathan WolfJonathan Wolf
Nov 3, 20247 min read

Updated: Feb 21




Who We Are:

Extreme Railfan Redwood Empire Corporation is a group of people who's hopes is the get a set of passenger cars for our business and mainly use for future passenger operations and events for New Mexico Heritage Rail who own Santa Fe 2926.

Current/Future Plans:

Our goal is to purchase our first passenger car which is a former Rock Island lounge car called the 'Jane Marie' for our consist and be the rightful owners and use it behind the newly restored Santa Fe 2926 out in Albuquerque, NM for future test runs, events, and passenger operations. Our plan eventually down the road is to get a mini consist together of 5 cars max of our own of 5 cars max (Jane Marie included) to use behind the 2926 for passenger excursions and to have cars of our own for our business.

'Jane Marie' Move Plans:

For now the main focus is the 'Jane Marie' lounge car and the plan for now once purchased is to get it Amtrak certified and then move it out of Chandler, Arizona via Union Pacific freight company and ship it down to Tuscan, AZ and hook-up to the Amtrak Sunset Limited all the way to Los Angeles, CA where we will uncouple from the Sunset Limited and hook-up to the Southwest Chief and will take it all the way back to Albuquerque, NM. Once the car is here we will use it behind the 2926 for their annual New Mexico Railroad Days events and we will provide tours and inside the car. So please, kindly donate your share and help us get the 'Jane Marie' lounge car home.

Future Passenger Operations Plans:

Once we have our 5 car consist complete the rest of the cars will be brought in by other railcar owners and will be mixed in with our cars behind the 2926 and once all said and done those we be sent back to the owners and our cars will be stored in the rail runner yard shop along the mainline here in Albuquerque. Thank you and we'll see you on the mainline.

We’re so close to bringing the 'Jane Marie' home! Every little bit helps us preserve a piece of rail history. Please donate and share. Let’s make this happen together!

Here's how you can help:

There are also lots of cool events being planned, but those details are still under wraps. Either donate today to the GoFundMe so we can get the excursions started this year, or wait until next year.

If you don't want to miss out on the fun, donate today! You'll be helping a great cause, and you'll be helping our company and team get the car home to the Rail Runner yard where it belongs. You won't want to miss out on all the awesome events that are planned once the Jane Marie is home. If you want to watch her come home, you're welcome to just stay back 25 feet from the tracks.

We’re so close to bringing the 'Jane Marie' home! Every little bit helps us preserve a piece of rail history. Please donate and share. Let’s make this happen together!

Is it time to give back to the community and the cause you care about? Have you been looking for a way to make a lasting difference in the world? I can help with your answers.

Extreme Railfan Redwood Empire Corporation is raising funds to purchase and upgrade a vintage passenger car, the Jane Marie. The funds also will go toward moving the car to Albuquerque in time for the 2025 New Mexico Heritage Rail Railroad Days. Once the Jane Marie gets to Albuquerque, the corporation will host events to help share the fun of railroading.

If you would like to help us bring the Jane Marie home to Albuquerque in time for 2025, and you have some extra money to throw around, we could really use it.

If that’s not enough to interest you, wait until next year, but then it won’t happen this year, and that means no new train excursions!

You will get to watch the car come back to the Railyard from wherever it is. Once it gets here, it will be part of the fun in Albuquerque in 2025. We would also love for you to join us to celebrate railroading and our new venture.

If you want to help a great cause and see the fun of railroading live in Albuquerque in 2025, help us make the dream a reality and donate to the cause today! Thank you for your support, and I can’t wait to see you there!

We would like to encourage all of you to help make our goal of bringing the Jane Marie home to Albuquerque by September 2025. Here are some ways you can help us reach our goal.

Make a donation to our GoFundMe campaign and we'll give you a railroad spike with your name on it. We'll also give you half off our future rides and events.

Check out our Extreme Railfan Redwood Empire Corporation business and group pages.

Check out our website, which has videos of the Jane Marie, and our Extreme Railfan Redwood Empire Corporation business page on Facebook.

Thank you for your support.

Donate to help get the jane marie bought before nmhr railroad day plz, organized by Jonathan Cordova

donors who already have your life time pass make sure to bring it when u come ride on the jane marie

Our "Jane Marie" acquisition has been on track for a while now, and with your support, we can soon reach the finish line. The Jane Marie's restoration will help us bring our history to life and allow us to host awesome events like New Mexico Heritage Rail Railroad Days.

Here are some of the ways you can help make this happen:

• You can make a donation to our GoFundMe campaign and we will thank you with a railroad spike with your name on it. You'll also get half off on all our future rides and events.

• You can order merch from our two online stores, which include items such as clothing, mugs, and desk mats. This will allow you to show off your support for the Jane Marie and Extreme Railfan Redwood Empire Corporation.

• You can check out our Extreme Railfan Redwood Empire Corporation business and group pages to stay up to date on the latest events and news.

• You can also check out our website for the latest videos of the Jane Marie and follow the Extreme Railfan Redwood Empire Corporation business page on Facebook.

Our goal is to have our project completed by this year's New Mexico Railroad Days in September, so let's get going! Here are our three most important goals:

• Get the car home by August.

• Put the Jane Marie behind the tool car in time for Railroad Days.

• Have an excursion in time for Railroad Days.

We're so close to bringing the "Jane Marie" home! Every little bit helps us preserve a piece of rail history. Please donate and share, and let's make this happen together!

Who We Are:

Extreme Railfan Redwood Empire Corporation is a group of people who's hopes is the get a set of passenger cars for our business and mainly use for future passenger operations and events for New Mexico Heritage Rail who own Santa Fe 2926.

Current/Future Plans:

Our goal is to purchase our first passenger car which is a former Rock Island lounge car called the 'Jane Marie' for our consist and be the rightful owners and use it behind the newly restored Santa Fe 2926 out in Albuquerque, NM for future test runs, events, and passenger operations. Our plan eventually down the road is to get a mini consist together of 5 cars max of our own of 5 cars max (Jane Marie included) to use behind the 2926 for passenger excursions and to have cars of our own for our business.

'Jane Marie' Move Plans:

For now the main focus is the 'Jane Marie' lounge car and the plan for now once purchased is to get it Amtrak certified and then move it out of Chandler, Arizona via Union Pacific freight company and ship it down to Tuscan, AZ and hook-up to the Amtrak Sunset Limited all the way to Los Angeles, CA where we will uncouple from the Sunset Limited and hook-up to the Southwest Chief and will take it all the way back to Albuquerque, NM. Once the car is here we will use it behind the 2926 for their annual New Mexico Railroad Days events and we will provide tours and inside the car. So please, kindly donate your share and help us get the 'Jane Marie' lounge car home.

Future Passenger Operations Plans:

Once we have our 5 car consist complete the rest of the cars will be brought in by other railcar owners and will be mixed in with our cars behind the 2926 and once all said and done those we be sent back to the owners and our cars will be stored in the rail runner yard shop along the mainline here in Albuquerque. Thank you and we'll see you on the mainline.

We’re so close to bringing the 'Jane Marie' home! Every little bit helps us preserve a piece of rail history. Please donate and share. Let’s make this happen together!

All aboard 2926 and let’s make September the year we get two rail cars behind it for NMHR (New Mexico Heritage Rails) Railroad Days, the Jane Marie, and one other potential rail car.

But we can’t do that without your help. Let’s raise funds for this project today so that we can get the rail cars bought and ready to move. I am reaching out to all 2926 supporters, and supporters who support us, to help us raise the funds and spread the word to anyone who can help support us and 2926. In addition, let's make the Jane Marie the guest rail car to pull behind 2926 for the first time in history.

 
 
 

Comments

View Gallery

events 

Alexa Young, CA

Barbara and I were part owners of the Private Car Tamalpais for over 20 years.  It was our flanged wheel Winnebago that took us on trips all over the U.S. and Canada.  Barbara loved not having to cook and having somebody else to make the beds.  Our son Andy loved going through tunnels.  And most importantly it was a great venue for spending time with good friends.

The Tam was built by Pullman about 1923 and was formerly ATSF 33.  It was sold by the ATSF and had several private owners including Atlantic Richfield Corporation. Our group purchased the car "on the court house steps" after Southern Pacific had forclosed on the previous owner for non-payment of storage charges.     A few modications had been made to the car over the years, but overall it retained much of its original 1933 ambience.

While a private railway car is an expensive luxury (a black hole into which you throw money), we shared ownership with a group of like-minded people and chartered the car to earn money.  Some folks contributed money, others contributed hard work maintaining our 50-year old antique.  One day we might be enjoyed prime rib on fine china served by a white jacketed waiter, the next we might be under the car covered with grease trying to fix the most recent old vebelfetzer to break.  By sharing costs, running it as a business, and most importantly making it a labor of love, the cost was not unreasonable for what we got in return.  Our friends who rode with us certainly loved it.

But eventually our group ran out of steam, and we sold the Tam.  We miss it.  But it went to a new owner who invested a lot of money in needed repairs and improvements.  Today it still plys the rails, painted Pullman green, and renamed "Redwood Empire".

bottom of page